Real-time overload protection
Continuous load and tilt monitoring with configurable alarm thresholds, detecting breaches before they become incidents.
Crane Monitoring System
Crane fleets need continuous visibility into load, tilt, and operating conditions. Without it, breaches and mechanical issues may remain undetected until an incident occurs on site. Melqart Systems delivers telemetry for every crane: real-time load, tilt, and operational data from sensor to dashboard, with tamper-proof compliance logs that satisfy EN 13000 and BS 7121 requirements.
Operational Visibility Gap
Crane fleets need continuous visibility before incidents occur.
Mobile and tower cranes operate in environments where real-time monitoring is critical, but many fleets still rely on manual inspection, periodic maintenance, and post-incident analysis. When a crane is overloaded, operated outside rated parameters, or affected by a mechanical issue, the first signal is often a failure. A single incident can mean equipment damage, project delays, insurance claims, and regulatory consequences. Melqart Systems connects the crane's control bus, sensors, and operational data to a unified monitoring platform so operators and managers can see operating conditions in real time, from anywhere.
Remote fleet visibility
Operational status, location, and health across your entire crane fleet from one dashboard.
Compliance-ready data logging
Tamper-proof operational records that satisfy EN 13000, BS 7121, and insurer audit requirements.
Predictive maintenance signals
Cycle counts, utilization patterns, and anomaly detection from actual usage data, not calendar intervals.
The challenge
Where current approaches fall short
Safety breaches detected only after an incident
Without a live view of load conditions, tilt angles, and operating hours, threshold breaches can remain undetected until an incident occurs. The resulting cost can include equipment damage, project delays, and insurance claims.
Calendar-based maintenance misses actual wear
Without continuous monitoring, maintenance is scheduled on fixed intervals rather than actual usage data. This can cause premature service on low-utilization cranes and costly breakdowns on equipment with the highest workload.
Manual logbooks cannot reliably satisfy certification or insurance audits
EN 13000, BS 7121, and insurance audits require complete, tamper-proof operational records. Manual logbooks are incomplete, error-prone, and difficult to audit, creating liability exposure after an incident.
Architecture
How the Crane Monitoring System Works
Melqart Systems integrates with the crane's CAN bus and onboard sensors, processes data at the edge, and delivers a unified monitoring view to the fleet management platform.
- 01
Crane Bus & Sensors
CAN/J1939 + load/tilt sensors
- 02
Telematics Gateway
Protocol decode + edge logic
- 03
Cellular Backhaul
LTE/4G, multi-carrier SIM
- 04
Fleet Dashboard
Real-time alerts & compliance logs
What's included
The Deployment Package
A complete crane monitoring stack, including hardware, integration, connectivity, and platform delivery, ready for serial deployment across the fleet.
Load & Tilt Integration
CAN/J1939 bus decoding and analog sensor integration for load cells and inclinometers, native to major crane OEM architectures.
Alarm & Limit Management
Configurable thresholds for overload, tilt, wind speed, and application-specific operating limits with multi-channel alerting.
Fleet Visibility Dashboard
Real-time and historical view of every crane: GPS location, load utilization, fault codes, and accumulated operating hours.
Compliance Data Logging
Tamper-proof operational logs with timestamps that satisfy EN 13000, BS 7121, and insurer audit requirements.
Technical specifications
Protocol Support
CAN/J1939, Modbus RTU/TCP, analog 4-20mA, RS485. Compatible with major crane OEM bus systems including Liebherr, Manitowoc, and Tadano architectures.
Connectivity
LTE/4G primary with WiFi and Ethernet fallback. Multi-carrier SIM for global deployments, automatic network selection on every site.
Telemetry Rate
1Hz continuous telemetry with configurable burst logging during alarm conditions. Local SD buffer for guaranteed delivery during connectivity gaps.
Edge Hardware
Telematics gateway built for harsh outdoor environments, with industrial-grade components.
Alarm Management
Configurable thresholds with SMS, email, and platform webhook notifications. Escalation paths per alarm type and severity level.
Data Logging
Local SD buffer with guaranteed delivery and automatic cloud resynchronization. Tamper-proof logs for EN 13000, BS 7121, and insurance audit requirements.
Applications
Use cases and industries
Mobile Crane Fleets
Track load, tilt, and utilization across rental and owned mobile crane fleets operating at multiple sites, with compliance logs generated automatically for each crane.
Tower Crane Monitoring
Continuous monitoring of construction site tower cranes: wind load, cycle count, slewing angle, and operator behavior tracking.
Port and Harbor Cranes
High-cycle port crane monitoring with real-time load data, predictive maintenance integration, and shift-level utilization reporting.
Results
Key outcomes
“From reactive inspection to continuous fleet visibility, across every crane.”
- Real-time overload and tilt detection with configurable alarm thresholds.
- Remote fleet visibility: status, location, and utilization from a single dashboard.
- Tamper-proof compliance logs satisfying EN 13000, BS 7121, and insurer requirements.
- Predictive maintenance signals from actual cycle and utilization data.
- Multi-carrier cellular connectivity that operates independently of site networks.
- Serial deployment-ready: the same hardware and integration stack across your entire fleet.
Related solution clusters
Solution datasheet
Crane monitoring
Live load, tilt, wind and usage data from connected cranes, with captured lifts timestamped for supported mobile, crawler and tower cranes in one fleet view.
MS-DS-CRN-2026-54 · PDF · 6 pages · English
Frequently asked questions
01What does a crane monitoring system measure?
Load, tilt and operating conditions in real time, read from load and tilt sensors and the crane bus (CAN/J1939). Telemetry runs continuously at 1 Hz, with higher-resolution burst logging during alarm conditions.
02Can crane monitoring be retrofitted on existing cranes?
Yes. The system supports CAN/J1939, Modbus RTU/TCP, analog 4-20 mA and RS485, and is compatible with major crane OEM bus systems including Liebherr, Manitowoc and Tadano architectures. Mobile and tower crane fleets can be retrofitted without replacing the crane controls.
03Is this a telemetry retrofit or a mechanical crane conversion?
A telemetry retrofit. Melqart adds an edge gateway and sensors to an existing crane to read load, tilt and the crane bus (CAN/J1939), without replacing the crane controls. It does not change the crane's mechanics or structure, and Melqart does not carry out mechanical crane conversions. On one crane fleet retrofit, the operator reported a lift-event capture rate of about 99.3% and 0% frame loss within a 24-hour no-service window.
04What results has a crane fleet retrofit delivered?
On a crane fleet retrofit, the operator reported a lift-event capture rate of about 99.3% across the fleet, and 0% frame loss under 2G or no-service conditions within a 24-hour window, thanks to local buffering and resume-on-reconnect.
05Does the system keep compliance logs for audits?
Yes. Logs are tamper-proof and structured for EN 13000, BS 7121 and insurance audit requirements. They are stored on a local SD buffer and resynchronized to the cloud automatically after connectivity gaps.
06Which gateway hardware is used on the crane?
A telematics gateway built for harsh outdoor environments, with industrial-grade components. It connects over LTE/4G with a multi-carrier SIM and can fall back to WiFi or Ethernet.
Add continuous visibility to the crane fleet.
Melqart Systems designs the sensor integration, edge architecture, and fleet dashboard, delivering compliance-ready logging from day one.