Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Thousand Oaks - A popular machine within the materials handling family is the crane. 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. Cranes make transporting cumbersome loads including machinery, shipping containers and crates much easier.
Freight Transportation
Cranes can lift difficult loads to make unloading and loading safer and more efficient. Different models have various lifting capacities. Cranes offer a great job site support and the mechanical advantage of an extended lifting capacity. Cranes are commonly found on construction sites and a variety of industries.
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 useful for salvaging sunken ships and other marine items. They may also be used 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. Commonly used for building residential and commercial tall buildings, the base is attached to the mast which may extend for further reach. The mast is connected to the slewing unit of the crane that enables it to rotate. The long horizontal jib, the shorter counter-jib and the operator’s cab are all found above the slewing portion.
The long horizontal jib is the main crane component responsible for carrying the load. Concrete blocks may be used with the counter-jib to create the counterweight. The jib handles the load to and from the center of the crane. 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. There is a radio remote control feature that operators can access 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 cargo hook, along with its motor is found in the long horizontal arm. 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 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
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. Updated hydraulic truck cranes are typically single-engine units. 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. Some operators prefer the older dual-engine models since there are often turntable leaks many newer units.
Cranes commonly have to travel via roads to get to different jobs. This can eliminate industrial transportation requirements unless the crane is sizeable with certain weight restrictions. Local transportation laws are in place. Larger machines may have trailers to distribute the load over a variety of axles. Certain cranes can be taken apart to meet certain requirements. Typically, another truck with the disassembled counterweights will follow the crane.
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. 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. Some of the most stable loads are suspended loads since the weight of the crane serves 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. 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. Locations requiring heavy lifting from ten tons and higher may use a double girder bridge. The box girder design creates a system featuring higher system integrity with a lower deadweight. 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 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. All steel is handled by an overhead crane from raw materials being poured to storing hot steel for cooling and transporting finished coils. 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
Bridge cranes are commonly used in pulp mill maintenance. They are responsible for removing equipment including 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. 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 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
