If you have to move material in a warehouse, you need to consider the different cranes you can use. Overhead cranes are the best type to use, but you have to choose the right one. Some of these cranes are better to use in certain situations than others.
Bridge Cranes
The bridge crane is the most commonly used material handling overhead crane. This crane requires two runway beams that are attached to supports on the building. The crane itself has two variations of single and double girder.
The strength of the variations is similar and the difference comes when you hoist materials. The double girder crane allows you to hoist loads higher than the single girder. However, the single girder is simpler making it easier to install and cheaper than the double girder option.
Gantry Cranes
The gantry crane is similar to the bridge crane, but will not have suspended beams for the girder. This type of crane uses legs to support the girder. The legs of the crane are on rails which are either embedded into the floor or on top of it.
A gantry crane is ideal if you need a lightweight option that can easily be taken down. The fact that it does not use support beams also allows you to use it outside. There are a few variations of gantry cranes that you can consider including adjustable cranes, portable cranes and track-mounted cranes.
Monorail Cranes
If you need a crane for an assembly line or in your production plant, this is the best and most commonly used type. Monorail cranes do not have a girder or bridge design. Instead, there is a trolley connected to an I-beam. The beam is generally built into the ceiling of the building.
When using these cranes, it is possible to move materials in a straight line. If necessary, these cranes can be configured to curve or switch paths. This crane type is one of the simplest and cannot be used instead of bridge or gantry trains because of the limitations in movement.
Jib Cranes
When looking at Jib cranes, there are a lot of different variations that you can choose from. However, none of the variations will have a track or runway system. Jib cranes work as stand-alone, column or wall-mounted systems with a range of spans, heights, and capacities.
This type of crane is ideal if you need to save space and have a limited budget. The range of these cranes is generally smaller than other types, but they are better at moving materials. They offer a rotation of 180 to 360 degrees. The smallest Jib cranes are also capable of hoisting several tons of material.
If you need an overhead crane, you need to know what the options on the market are. There are many different types of cranes, but your needs will determine which one you should get. Bridge and gantry cranes are very common as are Jib cranes while monorail cranes are used more in certain industries. There are variations of the different types of cranes that you also need to be aware of.