The lift stops on one number.
Make sure it is the right one.
Ultrasonic wind measurement for tower, crawler and mobile cranes, with the traceability to defend a stoppage and the reliability to survive a season at the jib tip.
Two ways to get the wind decision wrong, and only one of them is obvious
Stop the lift too early and the programme takes the delay. That failure is visible, argued about at the time, and someone pays for it.
Stop too late and the failure is the other kind. A cup and vane anemometer that has iced or seized does not stop reporting. It reports calm, the operator sees a number inside the limit, and the lift continues in wind that should have stopped it.
Both failures come back to the same question afterwards: what was the wind speed, where was it measured, and when was that instrument last verified. A crane wind reading is an operational number that becomes evidence.
Where the sensor sits changes what the operator is told
Wind speed at the jib tip, at the load, and at ground level are three different numbers on the same site at the same moment. A mast in the compound is sheltered by the building under construction, by hoardings and by whatever else is standing nearby.
That is why the measurement belongs on the crane. It is also why the crane is the worst place to put anything that needs maintenance: the jib tip is reached by climbing, in a possession of the machine, in conditions somebody has judged safe.
Ultrasonic measurement removes the failure mode that matters. There is no rotating sensing element to ice, foul, wear or seize. The WindSonic 75 measures 0 to 75 m/s at 0.5 kg, and where exposure is severe the WindObserver 90 covers 0 to 90 m/s in heated 316 stainless.
The limit itself is not a single figure. It depends on the sail area of the load, the configuration and the manufacturer’s data, which is why the operator needs a live reading rather than a threshold alarm somebody set once.
Where a lift decision gets its wind reading
A crane measures at the jib tip, along the jib, at the load and at ground level, and those are four different numbers. The machinery below has its own measurements.
Jib-tip anemometer
This is the reading the stoppage is made on, at the highest and least accessible point of the machine.
- WindSonic 75 0 to 75 m/s, 0.5 kg, full-range accuracy published
- WindObserver 90 0 to 90 m/s for tall or coastal sites
- WindSonic 60 0 to 60 m/s for lower-rise lifting
Jib and trolley
Wind along the jib is not uniform, and the load is rarely at the tip, so where the sensor sits changes what the operator is told.
- WindSonic 60 0 to 360 degrees with no dead band
- WindObserver 75 open head holds accuracy off-axis
- WindMaster Pro 3-axis where gust structure is being studied
Operator cab and display
The number has to be in front of the operator in a form they can act on, not buried in a log somebody reads later.
- WindSonic 60 RS232, RS422, RS485, analogue and SDI-12 options
- MetConnect One Modbus RTU and ASCII into a site display
- DD1615 display local indication for a level or analogue signal
Slewing ring and drives
Slew and hoist gearboxes work hard in dust and weather, and a failure at height is a recovery job rather than a repair.
- WearDetect oil debris sensing for ferrous wear particles
- LevelPro hydraulic and lubrication level, no moving parts
- Blade position sensors non-contact position feedback on the drives
Hook block and load
The wind limit depends on the sail area of what is hanging on the hook, so the same wind speed stops one lift and not another.
- WindSonic 75 0 to 75 m/s at the exposed measuring point
- WindObserver 90 0 to 90 m/s where gusts are severe
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, 0.5 kg, for a load-area reference
Mast base and foundation
Everything above depends on the base, and the base is the part that gets inspected because it is the part you can reach.
- Blade position sensors non-contact position feedback with no wearing parts
- LevelPro capacitive level in the hydraulic reservoir
- MetConnect THP temperature and humidity at the base cabinet
Site mast reference
A ground-level mast is sheltered by everything around it, which is exactly why it must not be the only measurement the lift decision uses.
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, 0.5 kg, on a temporary works mast
- MaxiMet GMX551 wind, T, H, P, solar and rainfall for the site record
- WindSonic 60 a straightforward second reference point
Site plant and mobile cranes
Mobile and crawler cranes move between pick points, so the wind reference has to move with them and still be defensible afterwards.
- MaxiMet GMX200 wind only, quick to raise and configure
- WearDetect oil debris sensing on the plant itself
- LevelLite fuel and hydraulic level, IP68, voltage or current output
Calibration and evidence
When a stoppage is costed, or an incident is investigated, the wind reading becomes evidence. Traceable calibration is what makes it hold.
- UKAS-accredited air velocity calibration traceable certification for anemometers
- Multi-parameter calibration six parameters, equipment from any manufacturer
- Recalibration scheduling intervals, reminders and turnaround
No rotating element, so no mechanical seizure
Cup-and-vane anemometers rely on moving mechanical components that can become affected by icing, contamination or wear, and a stopped anemometer reports calm rather than reporting a fault. Ultrasonic sensors have no rotating sensing element to seize, foul or wear.
Ultrasonic sensors time sound pulses between transducers instead. The WindSonic 75 measures 0 to 75 m/s at 0.5 kg, and the WindObserver 90 covers 0 to 90 m/s in heated 316 stainless at IP66, icing tested to MIL-STD-810F.
Nothing rotates. Nothing seizes.
Explore wind sensorsSpecify for the visit you will not make
A jib-tip sensor is reached by climbing the crane. Access is therefore a practical consideration in the specification, particularly where inspection or replacement means working at height.
Weight matters for the same reason. At 0.5 kg the WindSonic mounts on a bracket without a structural conversation, which is often what decides whether the measurement gets installed at the right point or a convenient one.
0.5 kg, mounted where it should be
Compare wind sensorsA stoppage is a commercial event, and it gets reviewed
Delay claims, programme disputes and incident investigations all ask the same thing: what was the wind, and how do you know. An operational reading with no calibration history behind it is an assertion rather than evidence.
That is a specification decision rather than a paperwork one. Choosing an instrument that can be supplied with traceable calibration, and keeping it on an interval, is what turns a stoppage into a defensible decision months after everyone has forgotten the day.
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited laboratory operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, and it calibrates equipment from any manufacturer, which matters on a site where the crane, the mast and the plant all arrived with different contractors.
The crane has more to measure than wind
Wind measurement for the crane and the site, alongside the condition and level sensing the machinery below needs.
Wind measurement
WindSonic
Lightweight 2-axis ultrasonic anemometer
The practical choice at the jib tip: 0.5 kg, no moving parts, and simple to mount where the measurement should be rather than where it is easy.
WindObserver
Heated 316 stainless open-head 2-axis anemometer
Where the site is severely exposed, or the crane will be standing through a winter.
MaxiMet
All-in-one weather station, no moving parts
One unit, one cable, one output string, which is what makes a temporary works mast or a mobile crane reference practical.
Machine condition
WearDetect
Oil debris sensor
Monitors gearbox oil for ferrous wear particles, so a failure at height gives warning before it becomes a recovery job.
Level sensing
Capacitive liquid level sensors
Hydraulic, lubrication and fuel level with no float to stick in a high-vibration machine.
Blade position sensors
Non-contact inductive position sensing
Position feedback with nothing in contact, for drives and actuators that cycle all day in dust and weather.
Where crane wind monitoring does the work
Urban and high-rise sites
Jib-tip measurement above a city where the surrounding buildings make ground-level wind meaningless and the lift crosses a public street.
Moving pick points
Cranes that reposition between lifts, needing a wind reference that moves with them and still produces a record.
Nacelle and blade
Major component lifts on exposed upland and coastal sites, where the wind limit is tight and the weather window is the whole plan.
Ship-to-shore and mobile harbour
Container and bulk handling in coastal exposure, where salt and continuous operation both work against a mechanical sensor.
Segment and beam lifting
Lifts over live infrastructure, where a stoppage costs a closure and a mistake costs more than that.
Masts and gantries
Site-wide wind measurement for hoardings, temporary structures and access equipment alongside the crane itself.
UKAS-accredited calibration for six measurement parameters
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited calibration laboratory, Lab 0625, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. It provides calibration across gas and air flow, air velocity, liquid flow, pressure, temperature and humidity, all under one roof.
For crane and site measurement that includes anemometers, Pitot tubes and thermal probes, alongside pressure gauges and transducers, thermometers, temperature and humidity probes and data loggers. Labcal supports equipment from Gill and other manufacturers. That matters on sites where the crane, mast and plant may have arrived with different contractors and different calibration histories.
01 · Gas and air flow
Gas meters · Mass flow controllers · Dispensing systems · Low-flow laboratory to higher-flow industrial
02 · Air velocity
Anemometers · Pitot tubes · Thermal probes
03 · Liquid flow
Flow meters and sensors · Process control equipment · Water used for the accredited capability
04 · Pressure
Gauges · Transducers · Manometers · Transmitters
05 · Temperature
Thermometers · Probes · Thermocouples · Data loggers
06 · Humidity
Hygrometers · Probes · Transmitters
Getting the reading in front of the operator
A crane wind measurement is acted on in the cab and reviewed in an office, which means it has to do two jobs.
Gill supports environmental monitoring, industrial sensing, embedded electronics and systems integration to help crane manufacturers, hire fleets and contractors bring reliable measurement into cab displays, site systems and the record.
Whether the requirement is an analogue signal into a cab display, Modbus into a site system, or a bespoke embedded solution, Gill engineers can support integration from specification through commissioning.
Outputs and options
- Analogue & serial : Into cab displays and indicators
- Modbus & SDI-12 : Site systems and logging
- Heated variants : Winter standing and cold climates
- Traceable calibration : So the record holds up on review
What the specification looks like in practice
Nothing rotates, so nothing seizes
Ultrasonic measurement has no rotating sensing element to ice, foul, wear or seize, which is the failure mode that lets a wind reading drift quietly rather than fail obviously.
Range for exposed sites
The WindObserver 90 measures 0 to 90 m/s, and the WindSonic 75 covers 0 to 75 m/s at 0.5 kg.
Built for the jib tip
No moving parts to service, IP66 and 316 stainless on the WindObserver range, heated and icing tested to MIL-STD-810F.
Light enough to mount properly
At 0.5 kg the WindSonic goes where the measurement should be rather than where the bracket was easy.
More than the anemometer
Oil debris monitoring for slew and hoist gearboxes, and capacitive level for hydraulics and fuel.
Evidence when the stoppage is costed
Independent UKAS-accredited calibration across six parameters, for equipment from any manufacturer, so a whole fleet sits on one schedule.
Questions about crane wind monitoring
That is set by the crane manufacturer and the lift plan, not by the instrument. Limits depend on the configuration and on the sail area of the load, so the same wind speed can stop one lift and not another.
At the jib tip for the reading the lift decision needs, because that is the most exposed point and the closest to the load. A ground-level or compound mast is sheltered by the building under construction and by everything else on site.
Because that is where the load is, and it is not where a ground-level or nearby reading describes. Wind speed increases with height, and a site is shaped by the buildings under construction, by hoardings and by whatever else is standing nearby, so a reading taken at ground level can understate the condition acting on the load by a wide margin.
The jib tip is also the hardest place to service anything, which is why the sensor specified there has to be one that does not need a routine visit.
For the lift decision, a jib-tip sensor is the primary. A second reference, at ground level or on a site mast, is what lets a disagreement be spotted rather than silently accepted.
Because when one seizes it reports calm rather than reporting a fault. In dust, salt and icing the bearings wear, and the failure is silent. An ultrasonic sensor has no rotating element, so that failure mode does not exist.
Both are 2-axis ultrasonic anemometers with no rotating sensing element. WindSonic is the compact, lighter option: the WindSonic 75 measures 0 to 75 m/s at 0.5 kg, which is what makes it practical to mount at the jib tip on a bracket.
WindObserver is the precision and severe-exposure option, in heated 316 stainless at IP66 and icing tested to MIL-STD-810F, with the WindObserver 90 covering 0 to 90 m/s. It is the choice where the position is coastal, permanently exposed or subject to icing.
The WindSonic 75 is the usual answer: 0 to 75 m/s, 0.5 kg, and light enough to mount at the jib tip without a structural discussion. For severe exposure or coastal sites, the WindObserver 90 covers 0 to 90 m/s in heated 316 stainless.
Mobile and crawler cranes are a different case, because the reference has to move with the machine. A compact station such as the MaxiMet GMX200 at 0.5 kg is quick to raise and configure at each pick point and produces a record.
The WindObserver range is heated, icing tested to MIL-STD-810F and operates from -55 to +70 degrees C with heating. The WindSonic M is heated aluminium operating to -40 degrees C.
Enough headroom above the stop threshold that the sensor is still measuring, not saturating, when conditions are at their worst. Lifting limits typically sit well below 20 m/s, but the instrument stays on the crane through storms and out-of-service conditions, and a record that clips at the top is of limited use afterwards.
The WindSonic 75 covers 0 to 75 m/s and the WindObserver 90 covers 0 to 90 m/s, which puts both comfortably beyond any operating threshold while keeping the out-of-service record intact.
Yes. The WindSonic range offers RS232, RS422, RS485, analogue and SDI-12 options, so the signal can drive a cab display, a site indicator or both.
Yes, and on most sites that is the more valuable half of the installation. The sensors output RS232, RS422, RS485, Modbus, SDI-12 and analogue, so the same reading that drives the cab display can be taken by a site data logger, a telemetry outstation or a project monitoring platform.
A crane wind measurement is acted on in the cab and reviewed in an office, which means it has to do two jobs: be visible live, and be retrievable later.
Set by the operator and by what the reading is used to justify. Where a stoppage is costed or an incident could be investigated, annual traceable calibration is common.
Labcal is UKAS-accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and calibrates air velocity, temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas and liquid flow.
A calibration certificate identifying the specific instrument, the date, the reference standards and the results, held for as long as the records that reference it. Where the evidence has to withstand scrutiny, an accredited certificate carries more weight than a manufacturer check.
Labcal is an independent UKAS-accredited laboratory, Lab 0625, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, and calibrates equipment from any manufacturer. The interval itself is set against the exposure, the quality system and the consequence of a wrong reading rather than by a universal rule.
Slew and hoist gearbox oil condition, hydraulic and fuel level, and drive position feedback. WearDetect senses ferrous wear debris in the oil, which gives warning before a failure at height becomes a recovery job.
Yes. The Blade range provides non-contact inductive position feedback for drives and actuators, so there is nothing wearing in the feedback path on a mechanism that cycles constantly. Capacitive level sensing covers hydraulic and fuel tanks with no float to stick.
For machinery condition, WearDetect monitors lubricating oil for ferrous wear particles, which moves the detection point earlier than a vibration signature can reach. On a slew or hoist gearbox, earlier warning is the difference between a planned intervention and a recovery job at height.
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