Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Louisiana - Cranes are a globally recognized form of industrial equipment that is commonly used in the materials handling industry. Oftentimes, they are equipped with chains, wire ropes, a hoist rope or sheaves. These items allow cranes to lower and lift items vertically while transporting them horizontally. Shipping containers, giant crates, heavy machinery and other items can be transported efficiently.
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
Small jib cranes are ideal for cramped environments such as workshops. Giant tower cranes are a different breed that is useful for high-rise construction. There are numerous cranes suited for many different jobs. They can help provide access to tight spaces. Floating crane models may be employed to salvage sunken marine items including ships or used in 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. The long horizontal jib, the shorter counter-jib and the operator’s cab are all found above the slewing portion.
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 contains the load to and from the crane’s 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. There is a radio remote control feature that operators can access from the ground. Electric motors are used to operate the lifting hook and control wire rope cables located within a sheaves system. 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 an important part of daily safety. The rigger dictates the lifting schedule for the crane and is responsible to ensure all loads and subsequent rigging is safe and reliable.
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. 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 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.
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 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. Some truck crane units can travel at slow speeds even while carrying a suspended load. Care is given to ensure the load doesn’t swing during travel. The stiffness of the chassis suspension delivers most of the anti-tipping aspect. 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 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 gantry cranes that are typically found in factory buildings. They attach to rails which run alongside two walls. Overhead cranes may feature single or double beam construction and may use regular steel or complex box girder beams. A control pendant may be used to operate the crane. Locations requiring heavy lifting from ten tons and higher may use 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. An overhead crane typically handles steel until it exits the factory as a completed item. 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. 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
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. These cranes are available in many sizes and capable of moving heavy and cumbersome loads for industrial applications and in shipyards.
Tower Cranes PDF
