Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Santa Maria - 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. Shipping containers, giant crates, heavy machinery and other items can be transported efficiently.
Freight Transportation
Cranes can lift difficult loads to make unloading and loading safer and more efficient. The lifting capacity depends 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. 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
The type of crane that is fixed on a concrete slab is a tower crane. This unit is often seen mounted to sides of structures to provide superior lifting and height. Commonly used for building residential and commercial tall buildings, the base is attached to the mast which may extend for further reach. The slewing unit of the crane and it’s connected mast allow rotation of the crane. On top of the slewing portion are three parts known as the operator’s cab, the shorter counter-jib and the long horizontal jib.
The main component responsible for carrying the load is the long horizontal jib. The counter-jib creates the counterweight and it may rely on 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 crane operator uses electric motors to operate the lifting hook and control wire rope cables within a system of sheaves. The long horizontal arm houses the cargo hook and its’ motor. The operator often works with a rigger to coordinate hooking and unhooking 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. Typically, modern hydraulic truck cranes feature single engines. The engine supplies power to both 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. Earlier hydraulic crane trucks commonly had two 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. 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. There are some crane models that can be taken apart to accommodate particular requirements. A crane will often be followed by another truck containing the counterweights that are disassembled for travel.
Outriggers & Stability
Outriggers are extended horizontally from the chassis of the crane. Vertical stability is achieved by the outriggers to keep the machine level while completing hoisting and stationary applications. Certain truck crane models have the capacity to travel slowly while maintaining a suspended load. Extra care is taken to make sure the load does not swing side to side from the travel direction. The majority of the anti-tipping aspect is related to the stiffness of the chassis suspension. Counterweights can be moved and adjusted on certain models to enhance stabilization even more than what the outriggers deliver. Suspended loads are among the most stable due to the majority of the crane’s weight acting 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 often referred to as 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. This type of crane resembles a gantry crane. They are common within factory buildings and attach to rails that run down two walls. Cranes can be made with single or double beam construction and may rely on complex box girders or regular steel beams. Certain overhead cranes have the ability to use a control pendant for operation. Areas that need heavy lifting around ten tons or more can rely on a double girder bridge. The box girder style produces a system with a lower deadweight but offers higher system integrity. Cargo can be lifted with a hoist and the trolley that can travel along the bridge along with the bridge component covered by the crane.
The manufacturing process of the steel industry utilizes cranes frequently. Steel is typically handled by an overhead crane until it is transformed into a finished piece and leaves the factory. 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. Bridge cranes utilized in paper machine construction help to install large apparatus’ and equipment including huge components such as cast-iron paper drying drums and similar items.
Loader Crane
Electrically powered with an articulated arm attached to a trailer or a truck and specified for unloading and loading, the loader crane consists of many jointed components that enable the machine to be folded into a small space between uses. 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. 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
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 gantry system supports the crane frame with equalized beams. Wheels are running along the gantry rail, typically perpendicular to the direction the trolley travels. The gantry cranes are available in numerous sizes. Some models can move extremely heavy loads for industrial and shipyard applications.
Tower Cranes PDF
