How gantry cranes are designed and used

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

A gantry crane is a type of overhead crane. Unlike the latter, the bridge of this device does not move along the rails directly, but through special supports. In this case, the rails themselves are not installed at a height, on the walls of the workshop, but on the ground. The main distinguishing feature of equipment such as gantry cranes is their versatility.

There are both single-beam and double-beam designs. Any kind of this equipment does not require complex maintenance and is easily operated by one operator. The use of structures such as a bridge gantry crane will greatly increase labor productivity. According to the experience of applying such models, the cost of production can be reduced by about 25%.

This equipment is used in many industries. Below we list the main areas of their application:

• Warehouses. In these premises, gantry cranes are used to move piece goods, containers, etc.
• Open areas of productionworkshops. In this case, this equipment is also mounted to move mainly piece products.
• When installing prefabricated buildings - warehouses and industrial, as well as civil structures.
• In shipbuilding and hydropower plants.

In all these cases, the cranes may differ slightly in their performance. When used to move goods in warehouses, equipment with a fairly low lifting height (up to 12 meters) is used. For the installation of prefabricated structures in industry and agriculture, special assembly and construction gantry cranes are used. For the movement of goods in the shipbuilding industry, special models are also used. Most often it is the KKS. Lightweight structures are also produced, which can be used even in individual construction. These models are extremely smooth and therefore very easy to operate.

To move the goods themselves, a variety of tools can be used: hooks, both one-horned and two-horned, electromagnets, tongs, grabs (special tong buckets used to carry bulk goods), etc. The lifting mechanism itself is located directly on the bridge, on which it moves.

Gantry crane operation can be carried out by the operator either from the cab, mounted on a support or cargo trolley, or outside, directly from the ground. In the first case, some models may be equipped with a remote control. At the same time, forcontrol uses a special key, without which it is impossible to turn on or turn off the engine.

This type of overhead crane is considered the most popular and frequently used. The point here is ease of assembly, transportation and management. In addition, this equipment is not too expensive, and it consumes very little fuel. Single girder gantry cranes are the easiest to maintain. Such an interesting name, most likely, was chosen for these models because they are somewhat similar to an old device for sawing firewood. There is a bridge between the two pillars, and one or more cargo carts move along it.