How to Choose an Overhead Bridge Crane Step by Step

07 Oct.,2024

 

How to Choose an Overhead Bridge Crane Step by Step

Overhead cranes come in various styles, including monorail cranes, jib cranes, bridge cranes, and gantry cranes. They can help you deliver your production, logistics, or construction projects on time and support a host of other applications. 

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Choosing the best overhead bridge crane for your requirements is a challenge, and in this guide, we&#;ll give you tips on how to make the right decision.

Overhead Bridge Crane Criteria

There are several criteria to consider when selecting an overhead bridge crane. These include your functional purpose, the relative strengths and weaknesses of different manufacturers, and how you will install it.

Why Do You Need an Overhead Bridge Crane?

Here are vital questions to ask when determining what type of crane you will need.

  1. What type of materials are you lifting (weight, mass)?

  2. What are environmental conditions (heat, humidity, stress factors)

  3. Are there any health and safety concerns?

  4. Is there a lot of dust, dirt, or loose particles which could affect performance?

Factors that might mean you need specific crane types include humidity below 90 percent, an extreme temperature, outdoor use in inclement weather, or a very low or high altitude. 

Some cranes have protective features that make them specially designed to overcome some of the above challenges. Using an unsuitable crane could be inefficient and lead to expensive faults and repairs or injury. Cranes can even collapse in some of the worst cases.

There Are Several Types of Overhead Bridge Cranes

Here are some of the different types of overhead bridge cranes. 

  • Bridge/Overhead Cranes.

    In either Single or Double Girder Format

  • Gantry Cranes.

    These use rails Instead of suspended runways. They come in track-mounted, adjustable, and portable styles. 

  • Jib Cranes.

    They don&#;t use a track or runway but instead are a standalone column or wall-mounted design. 

Know Your Overhead Crane Manufacturers

Different manufacturers are geared up for various industries and use cases, so the crane you use should reflect that. Here are some questions you can answer to choose the right one. 

  • Who is your company, business purpose, and target market?

  • What are your current workflow requirements and future ones so you can make a purchase that could also be useful in the future?

  • Do you have any lifting or handling limitations?

A good manufacturer or supplier will also ask you these questions to assess the best product for your specific business needs. 

Overhead Crane Parts

For the best solutions that function overhead, shop crane suppliers who understand your industry, challenges, and working processes. 

Finding the best overhead crane for sale involves a financial factor too, and it might be worth buying a used crane or buying a new crane to rent it out or resell in the future. Some manufacturers may also buy back cranes and recondition them for resale, so don&#;t be afraid to ask.

Overhead crane operator requirements are all listed on the NCCCO website, and you can also bear these in mind to ensure your team is prepared to follow regulations when using your new crane.

Wonder Machinery supply professional and honest service.

Overhead Bridge Crane Options

Many options are available for businesses interested in purchasing an overhead bridge crane.

Contact us today if you have any questions or want to know more about our products and services. 

Overhead Crane Types: What's Best for Your Application?

There are five different types of overhead cranes. We&#;ll define each and how to choose the right one for your application.

Crane Systems | How To's | Hoisting & Lifting | By Columbus McKinnon | Apr 30,

When choosing a crane for your application, it&#;s important to understand the different types of cranes available and the features and benefits they provide. Once you have that information, you&#;ll be able to make the best decision to meet your needs, taking into consideration crane class, space requirements, and your budget.

In this blog, we&#;ll walk through the benefits and use cases for all five types of overhead cranes along with different configurations that are available.

Here are the five basic crane types:

  • Bridge Cranes
    - Single Girder and Double Girder
    - Top Running and Underhung
  • Gantry Cranes
  • Monorail Cranes
  • Jib Cranes
  • Workstation Cranes

Bridge Cranes

Bridge cranes are comprised of a bridge with two parallel runways connected by a traveling bridge girder. The two runways are supported by fixed columns, and the bridge travels on runways with end trucks on each side. Bridge cranes are frequently used in industrial environments and can have the highest lifting capacity of any overhead crane. Bridge crane configurations include:

Single girder vs. double girder

  • Single-girder bridge cranes consist of one girder bridge traveling along each runway supported by an end truck. The trolley and hoist are commonly underhung in this configuration. Single-girder bridge cranes are best suited for capacities up to 15 tons and spans up to 65 feet.
  • Double-girder bridge cranes are comprised of two girders traversing the runways supported on each side by an end truck. The trolley and hoist can either be top running or underhung. Double-girder bridge cranes are ideal for applications with capacities over 15 tons, high duty cycles, and spans exceeding 65 feet.

 

Top running vs. underhung
This refers to the area on the bridge where the trolley and hoist system is placed and operates.

  • Top-running configurations are ideal for lifting extremely heavy loads because the trolley and hoist are supported by the runway support columns.
  • In an underhung configuration, the trolley and hoist are connected and run along the lower flange of the bridge. Underhung trolley and hoist configurations are a great way to maximize space in your facility.

Gantry Cranes

With gantry cranes, the trolley and hoist system still traverse along a bridge, but they are supported by legs rather than runways. This makes them ideal for outdoor applications where columns can&#;t be installed. For example, in shipyards or railyards fixed- or track-mounted gantry cranes are commonly used for those applications.

Gantry cranes are versatile and available in adjustable and portable designs. Gantry cranes are also useful when lifting is not frequently required, such as in a motor repair or body shop.

Monorail Cranes

Monorail cranes are well suited for production and assembly line environments. With these cranes, the trolley and hoist are connected to an I-beam, running along the bottom flange. Monorail cranes typically move in a straight line but can be customized to meet specific applications, like this automated bus assembly monorail system.

Jib Cranes

Jib cranes are ideal for areas where adequate headroom and structural support does not exist, offering versatile and cost-effective solutions for your lifting needs. They cannot move around a facility, so jib cranes have limited movement, but can be used as supplements to regular traveling cranes and monorail tracks. They can also be used in bays and along the walls or sides of shops. Either mounted to the floor or a wall, jib cranes offer 180- or 360-degree movement.

Workstation Cranes

Workstation cranes offer an ergonomic and user-friendly design for lightweight applications (up to 2 tons) and repetitive tasks. Available in a multitude of sizes and lifting capacities, workstation cranes can be configured as over-hung systems or freestanding structures in your facility. Unified Industries&#; ProPath Workstation Crane, for example, combines industry-leading enclosed track aluminum rails with smart material handling solutions to help increase the safety, uptime, and productivity in your facility.