Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Antioch - Cranes are a popular kind of industrial equipment commonly used in the materials handling industry. Depending on the application, cranes may have wire ropes, sheaves, chains or a hoist rope. These items allow cranes to lower and lift items vertically while transporting them horizontally. Heavy crates, shipping containers, machinery and similar items can be efficiently moved thanks to a variety of crane models.
Freight Transportation
Cranes are utilized to move items in terms of making loading and unloading easier and safer. Their lifting capacity varies depending on the model. They provide a huge mechanical advantage and enable people to lift thousands of pounds of freight. Cranes are found in many industries and often seen on construction sites.
Specified Use
Jib cranes can be tiny and are suited for cramped and smaller environments including workshops while giant tower cranes can be employed to construct high-rises. There is the right crane model available for numerous applications. Tight spaces may be more accessible with the use of cranes. Floating crane models may be employed to salvage sunken marine items including ships or used in oil rigs.
Tower Cranes
A tower crane is a model that is fixed on a concrete slab to the ground. This model is commonly attached to the sides of structures. It offers precise height and lifting reliability. Popular for building tall commercial buildings and residential structures, the base is mounted to the mast to create even further reach once extended. The slewing unit of the crane and it’s connected mast allow rotation of the crane. Above the slewing component, the operator cab is situated, along with the long horizontal jib and the counter jib.
The long horizontal jib is the main crane component responsible for carrying the load. The counterweight is created by the counter-jib that may utilize concrete blocks. The jib houses the crane’s load to and from the center. Typically, the operator is found inside of a cab located on top of the tower that is attached to the turntable; however, it can be mounted on the jib alternatively. There is a radio remote control feature that operators can access from the ground. Electric motors are used to operate the lifting hook and control wire rope cables located within a sheaves system. The long horizontal arm houses the cargo hook and its’ motor. Often, the operator works alongside a rigger to accurately coordinate unhooking and hooking loads. Hand signals are an important part of daily safety. The rigger dictates the lifting schedule for the crane and is responsible to ensure all loads and subsequent rigging is safe and reliable.
Truck-Mounted Cranes
The boom and the carrier are two parts found on truck-mounted cranes. These two pieces rely on a turntable to attach them and allow the upper portion to swing from side to side. Typically, modern hydraulic truck cranes feature single engines. The engine supplies power to both the undercarriage and the crane. Hydraulics are responsible for providing power to the upper via the turntable from the pump mounted on the lower portion. Original, older hydraulic crane truck models commonly featured dual engines. The first engine enabled the crane to travel down the road while the second engine controlled the hydraulic pump for the outriggers and jacks. There are operators who would rather run the older two-engine models due to the frequent turntable leaks that often occur in some of the newer designs.
You may have witnessed cranes traveling on roads to travel from site to site. This can eliminate the need for industrial transportation requirements unless the crane is of sizeable weight with size restrictions. Transportation falls under local laws. Generally, bigger cranes have trailers to help the load become distributed over many axles. Certain cranes can be taken apart to meet certain requirements. Typically, another truck with the disassembled counterweights will follow the crane.
Outriggers & Stability
Outriggers horizontally extend from the cranes’ chassis to provide stability. These are used vertically to stabilize the machine and keep it level during hoisting and stationary activities. Specific crane truck models can slowly travel with a suspended load. Care is taken to ensure the load doesn’t swing sideways from the direction of travel. The majority of the anti-tipping aspect is related to the stiffness of the chassis suspension. Moving counterweights are included in a variety of models to amplify stabilization further than what the outriggers offer. Some of the most stable loads are suspended loads since the weight of the crane serves as a counterweight. Electronic safeguards are in place to monitor the maximum safe loads for stationary work and traveling speeds.
Overhead and Bridge Cranes
An overhead crane is a kind of crane commonly called a bridge crane. This mechanism features a crane with a hook-and-line mechanism and horizontal beam that is designed to run along rails that are spaced widely. These cranes are similar to a gantry crane and are often found in long factory buildings and attach to rails that run down two long walls. Overhead cranes may feature single or double beam construction and may use regular steel or complex box girder beams. A control pendant may be used to operate the crane. A double girder bridge can be used in places that require heavy lifting such as 10 tons or more. Higher system integrity and a lower deadweight may be delivered via the box girder style. The hoist is another item that is utilized to lift the cargo, the bridge spanning the portion covered by the crane and a trolley to move along the bridge.
The steel industry relies on overhead cranes for much of the manufacturing. Steel is typically handled by an overhead crane until it leaves the factory as a finished piece. From raw materials to pouring hot steel and moving finished product, overhead cranes handle steel at every stage. Overhead cranes lift steel components onto trucks. Metal fabricators and stampers use this equipment every day including the auto industry to transport raw materials.
Pulp & Paper Mills
Bridge cranes are commonly used in pulp mill maintenance. They are responsible for removing equipment including heavy press rolls. Paper machines rely on bridge cranes during construction to install massive equipment including cast iron paper drying drums and other heavy apparatus.
Loader Crane
Powered electrically with an articulated arm attached to a truck or trailer, specific for loading and unloading, the loader crane has numerous joints to allow the machine to be folded into a small space between uses. Telescopic sections are common. Certain models are equipped to stow themselves or load themselves without any instruction from the operator To complete viewing access of the load, the operator must move around the vehicle. Current models often feature a portable cabled control system or radio-linked system that works beside hydraulic controls that are mounted on the crane.
Gantry Crane
A gantry crane features a hoist located on a trolley running horizontally along rails, often fitted on two beams or a single beam or in a fixed machinery house. The crane frame is supported on a gantry system with equalized beams and wheels that run on the gantry rail, usually perpendicular to the trolley travel direction. These cranes are available in many sizes and capable of moving heavy and cumbersome loads for industrial applications and in shipyards.
Tower Cranes PDF
