Industrial Cranes

Types of Cranes are essential in manufacturing or maintenance applications in the industry. These are the material movement machinery that uses levers and pulleys to operate the arm. This long truss lifts and lowers carries that cannot be done by manual power or small machinery. There are different types of Industrial Cranes are used every day in a huge number of industries; they are mainly used in heavy construction projects.

In simple words, an industrial crane is an instrument or technology used to carry loads and bridge the gap if it exists anywhere in the process component or structure by carrying and adjusting the heavy loads. There are different types of cranes used in different jobs.

Types of Cranes

Different cranes are designed for different jobs and functions. A few names are Aerial Crane, Bridge Crane, Crawler Crane, Gantry Crane, Jib Crane, Railroad Crane, Rough Terrain Crane, Ship Deck Crane, Tower Crane, Truck Mounted Crane, Workstation Crane, Overhead Cranes, and many more. These types of Industrial Cranes are used worldwide.

In 1876, Sampson Moore in England designed and supplied the first-ever electric Overhead Crane that was used to hoist guns at the Royal Arsenal in London. The first crane manufacturing company was in Germany, Ludwig Stuckenholz Company, in the year 1830. Industrial Cranes are used in hoisting and lifting heavy instruments or equipment, which is not possible manually.
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Here are 7 different types of industrial cranes used in different jobs, projects, and environments. Among this, we categorised different types of cranes into Mobile Cranes and Fixed Cranes. 

Mobile Cranes

Mobile cranes, whether mounted on crawlers or tyres, provide increased mobility compared to traditional cranes. These cranes can be driven on highways, enhancing their versatility. Their adept navigation on job sites and capacity to lift substantial loads contribute to their widespread adoption on various projects.

1. Overhead Cranes

Overhead Cranes also known as Bridge Crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. It consists of parallel runways with a traveling bridge spanning the gap. And a lifting component moves along the bridge. These are manufactured in a number of configurations based on applications reason why there are general safety tips for Overhead Cranes that have to be followed.

Overhead Cranes are of many types and are typically used where efficiency or downtime are the critical factors. (Electric Overhead Travelling) EOT Crane is used in many factories; it is an electric crane operated by a control pendant, radio/IR, remote pendant, or from an operator cabin. These cranes are generally used in carrying heavy loads in factories.

2. Carry Deck Crane

A Carry Deck Crane is versatile and compact lifting equipment commonly used in construction and industrial settings. It is characterised by a flat deck for transporting materials, and its unique design features a rotating boom with a load capacity typically ranging from 8 to 15 tons. The crane's compact size and manoeuvrability make it well-suited for navigating tight spaces on job sites. 

3. Truck Mounted Cranes

Truck Mounted Cranes are one of the different types of industrial cranes. These are mounted on a rubber tire truck and provide excellent mobility.

The parts (outriggers) are extended vertically or horizontally and used to stabilize the crane when carrying loads of materials. It helps in making remote areas easy to access and is used widely in construction projects.

3. Crawler Crane

A crawler crane is heavy-duty lifting equipment characterised by its tracked undercarriage, which consists of robust crawler tracks allowing for stability and mobility on diverse terrains. This type of crane is highly adaptable and can efficiently navigate challenging environments, such as construction sites with uneven or soft ground. 

4. Rough Terrain Crane

A Rough Terrain Crane is a crane consisting of a single engine means that the same engine is used to power the undercarriage and the crane.

Rough Terrain Crane is mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires and is designed to be used off-road; its outriggers are extended vertically and horizontally to stabilize the crane.

5. Floating Crane

A floating crane is specialised maritime equipment designed for heavy lifting operations on water. Mounted on a floating platform, such as a barge or pontoon, this crane navigates waterways and accesses locations unreachable by land-based cranes. Floating cranes play a crucial role in various marine construction projects, port operations, and offshore installations.

Fixed Cranes

Fixed cranes are usually stationary and require transportation and assembly at the project site. As their names indicate, fixed cranes lack mobility; they are mainly used to lift heavier loads and reach greater heights. These types of cranes are fixed in place until the end of the project.

6. Tower Cranes

Tower Cranes are known to everyone and are the most recognizable crane, and it is used in urban construction projects. They are very tall, and their tall lattice booms reach high into the skylines. Tower cranes are hundreds of feet tall along with long rotating lattice booms mounted at the top.

And are used to construct skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, where they can move material high to the tower from the ground.

7. Gantry Crane

Gantry Cranes are giant; it is one of the world's biggest cranes, capable of lifting more than 20000 tons. This crane bridge is fixed to tall wheeled legs at each end of the crane, enabling the entire structure to be mobile.

They are used in harbors and shipyards to load or unload containers and assemble large ship components. Smaller gantry cranes are generally used in warehouses of an industry.

8. Jib Cranes

Jib Cranes are generally used in industrial fabrication works, manufacturing, and maintenance, where raw materials or other components must move in a circular or semi-circular area of coverage.

It consists of a hoist that travels along with a single boom, generally an I-beam or square steel tubing. 

9. Loader Crane

A Loader Crane is a hydraulically powered crane consisting of an articulated arm fitted to the trailer and used to load the equipment onto a trailer.

Loader Crane is eligible to be used in small spaces as it can be folded into several sets or sections. Loader Cranes can quickly be taken or transported because of their quality to get folded. 

10. Hammerhead Crane

A hammerhead crane is a type of tower crane characterised by its distinctive horizontal jib, resembling the shape of a hammerhead. Construction and urban development projects often require the use of this crane due to the importance of precision and height. The unique design allows for optimal lifting capabilities while minimising the impact on the surrounding environment. Contractors frequently utilise hammerhead cranes for erecting tall buildings and structures.

11. Stacker Crane

Stacker cranes are specialized automated cranes designed for efficient material handling and storage in warehouses and distribution centers. It can move along aisles and retrieve or store goods from high shelving using a vertical lifting mechanism and a horizontal traverse system. Stacker cranes play a pivotal role in optimising storage space and streamlining inventory management processes, contributing to the overall efficiency of automated storage systems.

12. Telescopic Crane

A telescopic crane, also known as a mobile crane or a hydraulic crane, features a telescoping boom that can extend and retract, providing versatility in lifting and reaching various heights. Mobile platforms, such as trucks or wheeled chassis, mount these cranes, offering mobility and adaptability to different job sites. Telescopic cranes find applications in construction, maintenance, and recovery operations, where their ability to quickly set up and makes them valuable for lifting and transporting heavy loads in diverse environments.

Leading Manufacturers of Different Types of Cranes

1. Gorbel Inc.
2. Brehob Corporation
3. Konecranes, Inc
4. Kundel Industries
5. Simmers Crane Design & Services

Advantages of Industrial Cranes

1. Each type of Industrial Crane has different features like load capacities, sizes, lifting weights, and weight.
2. Industrial Crane helps in the mobility of heavy equipment.
3. Industrial Crane helps in the movement of heavy components that travel from one place to another.
4. Bridges the gaps between remote areas and easy to access the unavailable facilities.
5. It makes our country more industrialized and modern.
6. It relieves us from the pain and stress of manual work of lifting heavy loads.
7. It makes the industries and factories, manufacturing, constructions, etc., viable.
8. Due to its structural stability, Industrial Crane is safe and effective in operations in all industry types.

Conclusion

Civil engineers use many different types of cranes during a project. Industrial cranes carry heavy loads and equipment at various destinations; they can move large pipes from one place to another; practically, we all have seen one or another type of Industrial Crane. These are beneficial in the construction process of buildings, bridges, and overpasses.

These are an indispensable asset to the industries. It makes the massive task into a light one. It saves time and manual costs. There is always a different type of industrial crane for a specific kind of project, so one should understand each primary feature.

Visit Technomax, a leading engineering company in UAE for any kind of services of Industrial Cranes.