Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Nevada - Cranes are a globally recognized form of industrial equipment that is commonly used in the materials handling industry. These machines may be outfitted with sheaves, a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains. 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 simplify loading and unloading and moving items. Their lifting capacity varies depending on the model. Cranes deliver a major mechanical advantage, allowing people to lift tremendous amounts 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 is the right crane model available for numerous applications. Some cranes can allow access to tight spaces. Floating cranes can be useful for salvaging sunken ships and other marine items. They may also be used on 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 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 counterweight is created by the counter-jib that may utilize concrete blocks. The jib houses the crane’s load to and from the center. Usually, the operator of the crane resides in a cab situated on top of the tower, attached to the turntable; however, it may be capable of being mounted on the jib. Operators can use a radio remote control unit 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 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 a huge safety component used daily. The rigger determines the crane’s lifting schedule and is responsible to make sure everything load and rigging wise is reliable and safe.
Truck-Mounted Cranes
Truck mounted cranes consist of two parts including the boom and the carrier. These two pieces rely on a turntable to attach them and allow the upper portion to swing from side to side. Modern hydraulic truck cranes are generally single-engine machines. The same engine is responsible for providing power to the crane and the undercarriage. The pump mounted on the lower area of the crane supplies power to the upper part of the crane via hydraulics and a turntable. Original, older hydraulic crane truck models commonly featured dual engines. One engine controlled the hydraulic pump for the outriggers and the jacks while the other engine was responsible for the crane’s travel. 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.
Cranes often need to travel on roads to different locations, eliminating the need for industrial transportation unless there are size and weight 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. Often an additional truck will follow the crane. The truck has the counterweights that have been disassembled for travel.
Outriggers & Stability
Outriggers horizontally extend from the cranes’ chassis to provide stability. The outriggers help to vertically stabilize the machine and keep it level during stationary and hoisting jobs. Certain truck crane models have the capacity to travel slowly while maintaining a suspended load. Care is taken to ensure the load doesn’t swing sideways from the direction of travel. Most of the anti-tipping capability is related to how stiff the chassis suspension is. 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. There are electronic safeguards in place to regulate the maximum safe loads for traveling speeds and stationary work.
Overhead and Bridge Cranes
An overhead crane is a kind of crane commonly called 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 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. 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 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 is familiar with overhead cranes throughout the manufacturing process. Steel is typically handled by an overhead crane until it is transformed into a finished piece and leaves the factory. 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
Pulp mill maintenance commonly relies on bridge cranes. They are responsible for removing items 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. These telescoping abilities are useful. Some models can even load or stow themselves on their own without any operator intervention. 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
There is a hoist on the gantry crane found in a fixed machinery house or a horizontal trolley that runs along rails often fitted between two beams or a single beam. 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
