Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Inglewood - A popular machine within the materials handling family is the crane. These machines may be outfitted with sheaves, a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains. These components enable cranes to lift and lower items vertically as well as transporting items 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. The lifting capacity depends on the model. Cranes deliver a major mechanical advantage, allowing people to lift tremendous amounts 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 cranes can be utilized for maritime applications such as salvaging sunken items or on oil rigs.
Tower Cranes
This type of crane is fixed on a concrete slab to the ground. It is often seen attached to sides of structures as it provides excellent lifting and height capacity. These cranes are used in residential and commercial construction. The base is mounted to the mast which can create further reach by extension. 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 majority of the load is carried via the long horizontal jib. 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. Normally the crane operator stays inside of a cab found on top of the tower attached to the turntable; although, it may be mounted on the jib instead. The operator may rely on a radio remote control apparatus from the ground. The crane operator uses electric motors to operate the lifting hook and control wire rope cables within a system of sheaves. The sizeable horizontal arm contains the cargo hook along with its’ motor. The operator often works with a rigger to coordinate hooking and unhooking loads. Daily safety requires many important hand signals. 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
The boom and the carrier are two parts found on truck-mounted cranes. These two items have a turntable to attach them, allowing the higher portion the ability to swing from side-to-side. Modern hydraulic truck cranes are generally single-engine machines. This engine has the responsibility of providing power to the undercarriage and the crane. Hydraulics are necessary for delivering power to the upper portion of the crane through the turntable located from the pump attached to the bottom portion. Original, older hydraulic crane truck models commonly featured dual engines. One engine allowed the crane to be pulled down the road while the other engine controlled the hydraulic pump for the jacks and outriggers. Certain operators prefer the two-engine models due to the turntable leaks that commonly occur in newer design models.
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. 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 stiffness of the chassis suspension delivers most of the anti-tipping aspect. Moving counterweights are included in a variety of models to amplify stabilization further than what the outriggers offer. Suspended loads are some of the most stable with most of the crane’s weight functioning like 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 a kind of crane commonly called a bridge crane. This apparatus consists of a crane with a horizontal beam and a hook-and-line mechanism that is designed to run along widely spaced 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. A double girder bridge can be used in places that require heavy lifting such as 10 tons or more. The box girder style produces a system with a lower deadweight but offers higher system integrity. 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 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. All steel is handled by an overhead crane from raw materials being poured to storing hot steel for cooling and transporting finished coils. 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
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 with an electric articulated arm attached to a trailer or truck for loading and unloading, the loader crane is complete with many joints to facilitate folding the machine into a small space between jobs. Telescoping sections are popular. There are models that have the ability to stow or load themselves without any operator instruction. 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 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
