Overhead cranes have the biggest lifting capability of any material-handling device, and both bridge and gantry types are capable of heavy lifting over extended distances. These cranes are perfect for manufacturing and maintenance applications because of their great efficiency, reducing downtime, saving space, and improving shop floor operations.
Overhead cranes are extremely adaptable and provide unrivalled safety, load management, and ergonomic benefits. Also, you can prefer crane hire services which helps to manage your construction site work and make it easier.
Common Overhead Crane types and uses:
Overhead cranes come in a variety of types to suit a variety of industries and uses. The following are the most prevalent types:
1. Overhead Bridge Cranes:
Bridge cranes, which run on an elevated rail system and are renowned for their triple-axis raising performance, are generally utilized in the production industry. They are more stable and provide better load distribution.
2. Gantry Cranes:
These operate similarly to overhead bridge cranes and are the most adaptable crane form for carrying in outdoor environments or between buildings. Gantry cranes are attached to a system of rails or wheels and are supported from the floor. These cranes provide unrestricted movement, bespoke adjustable height, and dependable weight handling.
3. Jib Cranes:
Jib Cranes with a Pivoting Head and Boom Assembly: These cranes are floor mounted and cover circular spaces with a pivoting head and boom assembly, making them ideal for 360-degree performance. Jib cranes with a hoist attached to the pivoting head configuration can often be placed directly on a regular concrete floor.
4. Stacker Cranes:
Stacker Cranes are a type of crane that is used to stack items. These customizable tools are vital for lifting and carrying products from shelf-style storage and provide consistently smooth, safe services at reasonable. Stacker cranes are used in warehouses, tool rooms, and limited-space storage facilities to satisfy a variety of demands.
Overhead Crane Applications
The following are examples of common applications:
Warehousing:
Moving huge, heavy products to and from ports and loading facilities • Assembly — Moving products from start to finish through the manufacturing process
Transportation:
Loading finished cargo onto railcars and trailers.
Storage:
Bulky loads must be transported and organized.
Metal fabricators use hoists to manage the demanding service cycle of billets, massive coils and sheets. Automotive manufacturers use Hooks to move heavy moulds and components. For careful placement of huge equipment, industrial operators rely on girder cranes. Regardless of size or weight, overhead cranes provide safe and effective load control.
Overhead Crane Maintenance
To maintain a long life of safe and reliable lifting, overhead cranes require frequent maintenance. The American Crane team advises operators to complete a set of daily inspections to ensure that their systems are performing at their best. • Checking the hoist’s higher trip limit switch on a daily basis is a good idea.
- Make sure the wire rope isn’t kinked or worn out.
- Listening for any strange noises
- Examining any exposed wires
- Keep an eye on the hook motion for consistency and responsiveness.
Two bridge beams are installed atop the runway (end) trucks to create an overhead mobile bridge crane. A top-running trolley hoist, which drives along the top of the two crossing beams on its own set of trucks/trolley wheels, is typically used in this type of crane. Between the two bridge beams, the hoist’s hook “falls”. Using this hoist/crane arrangement allows for more space under the crane.
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended inspection schedule; with good care, an overhead crane can operate for more than 50 years.
How to operate overhead cranes?
An overhead crane (also known as an industrial crane, crane, or overhead moving crane) is a machine that lifts, lowers, and transports cargo horizontally, rather than along hallways or on the floor, to carry exceptionally heavy or bulky goods through the luggage space at a facility. For cargo movement, overhead cranes have a large lifting capacity.
Crane travel is controlled by an operator, either directly or by a wired detached station or wireless controls that guide the crane’s electric or pneumatic travel. The multi-directional material movement to support production, storage, loading, and unloading activities inside a building, outside in a yard, or at a railway or shipping port are common applications.
The end trucks of an electric overhead moving crane are supported on a track attached to the bottom flanges of the beams or on the bottom flanges of beams. The crane runway is made up of these beams.
An overhead moving crane connected by a single bridge beam has two runway/end trucks. The hoisting mechanism or hoist that “runs” on the bottom flange of the bridge beam is supported by this bridge beam or single girder.
Conclusion:
Overhead cranes move cargo from side to side, backwards and forward, across a rectangular space. Air-powered cranes are another option (pneumatic). Cranes exist in a range of forms and can be equipped with a variety of accessories to help lift heavy loads, such as a hoist.
It is a hoisting mechanism mounted on a trolley for horizontal movement over a bridge beam coupled to one or more horizontal girders supported at either end by end trucks. The end trucks are joined to the girders at a straight angle and move along fixed runways. The horizontal travel of a drive type crane is powered by the operator; an electric overhead crane, on the other hand, is electrically powered.
