Tower Crane Rentals and Sales West Virginia - Cranes are a globally recognized form of industrial equipment that is commonly used in the materials handling industry. Depending on the application, cranes may have wire ropes, sheaves, chains or a hoist rope. These products allow cranes to hoist materials vertically and transport them horizontally. Shipping containers, giant crates, heavy machinery and other items can be transported efficiently.
Freight Transportation
Cranes are utilized to move items in terms of making loading and unloading easier and safer. Different models have various lifting capacities. They provide a huge mechanical advantage and enable people to lift thousands of pounds of freight. Cranes are popular in a variety of industries and found in many locations.
Specified Use
There are different cranes for many applications. Jib cranes can be used for tighter environments including workshops. Extensive tower cranes can be seen in construction. There are numerous cranes suited for many different jobs. They can help provide access to tight spaces. Floating cranes can be utilized for maritime applications such as salvaging sunken items or on oil rigs.
Tower Cranes
A tower crane is a model that is fixed on a concrete slab to the ground. This unit is often seen mounted to sides of structures to provide superior lifting and height. Popular for building tall commercial buildings and residential structures, the base is mounted to the mast to create even further reach once extended. The mast is connected to the slewing unit of the crane that enables it to rotate. 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 counter-jib creates the counterweight and it may rely on concrete blocks. The jib contains the load to and from the crane’s 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. The operator may rely on a radio remote control apparatus from the ground. The operator relies on electric motors to control wire rope cables in a system of sheaves and control the lifting hook. The cargo hook, along with its motor is found in the long horizontal arm. The operator commonly works together with a rigger to safely hook and unhook loads. Hand signals are an important part of daily safety. The rigger has an important job dictating the crane’s lifting schedule. They are responsible for making sure all rigging is reliable and safe.
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. Updated hydraulic truck cranes are typically single-engine units. This engine has the responsibility of providing power to 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. Back in the day, older models of hydraulic crane trucks often had two 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. Certain operators prefer the two-engine models due to the turntable leaks that commonly occur in newer design models.
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. Local transportation laws are in place. Larger machines may have trailers to distribute the load over a variety of axles. Some models can be disassembled to meet specific requirements. A crane will often be followed by another truck containing the counterweights that are disassembled for travel.
Outriggers & Stability
Stability is achieved by horizontal outriggers extending from the chassis of the crane. These are used vertically to stabilize the machine and keep it level during hoisting and stationary activities. Certain truck crane models have the capacity to travel slowly while maintaining a suspended load. Care is given to ensure the load doesn’t swing during 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. Suspended loads are among the most stable due to the majority of the crane’s weight acting as a counterweight. Safeguards are in place electronically to monitor the maximum safe loads for traveling speeds and stationary work.
Overhead and Bridge Cranes
An overhead crane is often referred to as a bridge crane. This concept features a hook-and-line mechanism and a crane with a horizontal beam that is made to run along rails. These cranes are similar to gantry cranes that are typically found in factory buildings. They attach to rails which run alongside two walls. Double beam or single beam construction model crane designs are available for overhead cranes, which may rely on complex box girder beam or regular steel beams. Certain overhead cranes have the ability to use a control pendant for operation. Locations requiring heavy lifting from ten tons and higher may use a double girder bridge. Higher system integrity and a lower deadweight may be delivered via the box girder style. The hoist can lift the cargo along with the bridge portion covered by the crane and the trolley that can travel along the bridge.
The steel industry relies on overhead cranes for much of the manufacturing. An overhead crane typically handles steel until it exits the factory as a completed item. An overhead crane handles all kinds of steel including raw materials being pored to transporting finished oils and storing hot steel. Steel components are loaded by overhead crane and lifted onto trucks. Metal stampers and fabricators rely on this equipment daily as does the automobile industry to handle raw materials.
Pulp & Paper Mills
Bridge cranes are often relied on for regular pulp mill maintenance including removing equipment such as 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 The operator needs to move around the vehicle for viewing access to the load. Modern models may rely on a radio-linked system or a portable cabled control system that works alongside hydraulic controls that are mounted on the crane.
Gantry Crane
A gantry crane has a hoist in a fixed machinery house or on a trolley that runs horizontally along rails, usually fitted on a single beam or two beams. The crane frame is supported via beams and wheels on a gantry system and runs on the gantry rail which is generally perpendicular to the trolley direction of travel. These cranes come in all sizes, and some can move very heavy loads, particularly the extremely large examples used in shipyards or industrial installations.
Tower Cranes PDF
