Types of Crane Used in Factories

As a type of lifting equipment widely used in various industries, cranes are mainly used for transporting and moving heavy objects that cannot be handled by human power. There are various types of crane used in factories, and each type has unique features and capabilities. This article will provide a detailed introduction to 5 popular types of crane : overhead cranes, portable gantry cranes, jib cranes and workstation overhead cranes, and analyze their respective advantages as well as their applicability in different factory environments.

I. Overhead crane: The best types of cranes used in industrial environments

Overhead cranes are a type of general-purpose lifting equipment widely used in industrial environments for transporting and moving heavy objects. This type of crane is usually installed on the corbels of the columns below the ceiling or roof of a building and is capable of moving heavy objects over a wide range throughout the entire factory.

1.1  Advantages of Overhead Cranes

Overhead cranes have the following significant advantages:
♦ Necessity and Functionality：As an important component of factory building design, overhead cranes need to be taken into consideration at the initial stage of factory building construction. Its main function is to store and transfer goods, and it can efficiently lift goods weighing several tons. Therefore, it has become an indispensable choice for industries such as construction, manufacturing and warehousing.
♦ Flexibility and Intelligent Potential：Overhead cranes can move flexibly in the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions, and occupy a relatively small area, which makes them easy to be transformed into equipment that meets intelligent requirements.
♦ Efficiency and Accuracy：Overhead cranes are characterized by high speed and high precision, capable of quickly and accurately completing heavy object handling tasks, thereby effectively reducing handling time and energy consumption.

1.2  Applicable Conditions for Overhead Cranes

Overhead cranes are suitable for a variety of industrial environments, including but not limited to manufacturing plants and warehouses. In addition, for facilities with limited floor space, bridge cranes are particularly suitable as they can be installed under ceilings or roofs, or supported by simple columns and load-bearing beams.

II. Portable gantry crane – The most flexible types of crane used in factories

The portable gantry crane is a lifting device that can be conveniently moved and transported between different locations, with a rated load range of 0.5 tons to 20 tons. This type of crane is composed of a main beam, two vertical outriggers and a base with swivel casters. With the design of the swivel casters, it can efficiently lift and flexibly move the load within a limited area. When the load weight is less than or equal to 3 tons, the manual operation portable gantry crane can be considered. When the load weight exceeds 3 tons, electric portable gantry crane must be selected to ensure safety and efficiency.

2.1  Advantages of Portable Gantry Cranes

The core advantage of the portable gantry crane lies in its outstanding flexibility. As long as there is a stable power supply, this device can be easily and quickly transferred and deployed between different locations or regions. In addition, the assembly and disassembly process of mobile gantry cranes is relatively simple, requiring only a small number of tools and auxiliary equipment to complete the operation, thereby significantly reducing maintenance costs and time consumption.

2.2  Applicable conditions for Portable gantry cranes

Portable gantry cranes are widely used in various industrial scenarios, especially suitable for environments where frequent load lifting and movement operations need to be carried out at different positions. Its typical application scenarios include but are not limited to material and equipment handling tasks in places such as inside workshops and outdoor areas. Meanwhile, in special areas where overhead space is limited or overhead cranes cannot be installed, portable gantry cranes can also play an important role. Therefore, for facilities that need to frequently adjust the lifting and moving operation areas, portable gantry cranes are undoubtedly the ideal choice, as they can flexibly adjust the working position according to actual needs and efficiently complete tasks.

III. Jib crane – the best type of cranes to assist overhead cranes used in factories

The jib crane is a lifting device specially designed for small industrial environments, mainly used for lifting and moving loads. This type of crane is composed of a cantilever, an electric hoist and a column. Its working range is a circular area with the cantilever length as the radius and the column as the center.

3.1  Advantages of Jib Cranes

One of the core advantages of jib cranes lies in their compact design dimensions. Compared with other types of cranes (such as overhead cranes or gantry cranes), jib cranes are smaller in size and thus are particularly suitable for use in environments with limited space. In addition, the cantilever crane has a relatively simple structural design and is easy to operate, which can effectively reduce the usage cost and is an ideal choice for small-scale operation scenarios.
Another notable advantage of jib cranes is their high degree of flexibility and versatility. This device can be installed in various locations, such as walls, pillars or floors, and can be modified into a movable type by adding a base, thereby meeting the needs of different application scenarios.

3.2  Applicable Conditions of Jib cranes

Jib cranes are widely used in various industrial environments, especially performing exceptionally well in manufacturing plants, warehouses and workshops. Its main function is to quickly and efficiently complete the lifting and moving tasks of materials and equipment within a short distance range. At the same time, it can serve as an effective supplement to bridge cranes to handle lifting demands in local or specific areas.

IV. Workstation overhead crane – The ideal type of cranes for small-scale assembly operations used in factories

Workstation overhead cranes are a type of overhead crane, specifically designed for load lifting and moving tasks in specific areas within workshops or warehouses.

4.1  Advantages of Workstation Overhead Cranes

One of the core advantages of the workstation overhead crane lies in its ease of operation. This type of crane is usually operated by a single staff member through a remote control to precisely and efficiently move the load within a specific workstation or area. Because it occupies very little ground space, it is particularly suitable for facilities with limited space, which is difficult for traditional large overhead cranes to achieve.

4.2  Applicable conditions for Workstation Overhead cranes

Workstation overhead cranes are widely used in various industrial scenarios, especially in environments with limited space. Its typical application scenarios include manufacturing plants, assembly lines and specific areas within workshops, mainly used to efficiently complete the movement tasks of materials and equipment between workstations.