Overhead cranes in production halls

Why are cranes so crucial?

The use of overhead travelling cranes in halls involves an increase in operating and investment costs for the company in question. Nevertheless, it is financially justified and very convenient. With this solution we obtain many possibilities for hall use. Overhead cranes make it possible to quickly carry out the task of moving a load to another location. They also increase the safety and accuracy of a specific operation.  

Before deciding to purchase an overhead crane we should consider a number of issues. The state of the shop-floor equipment will determine whether work runs smoothly and without problems. This is a particularly important aspect when larger materials are used in production. The right shop-floor equipment can make our work much easier, so it is worth asking ourselves at the installation stage what we will need. During installation, it is necessary to remember about special reinforcement which will secure its operation. Good adaptation of the crane to the place and its purpose will allow it to work effectively.  

Technical specifications 

In production halls, the most common type of crane is the overhead crane, which is mounted inside the hall. It is important to note the essential characteristics of cranes, i.e. construction and purpose. 

Construction, i.e. whether it is single-girder or double-girder

The type of machine we choose will determine the price we have to pay for it, how the hall is constructed and the costs we incur for the construction of the building in question. 

Purpose 

This is an essential parameter for us to know the elements that will affect the machine in question. We can then adapt the measures to protect the machine so that it remains in working order for a long time. The design of the crane, the accessories we use, the tightness of the machine and the corrosion protection, all depend on what we want to use the machine for. As far as the design is concerned, we can mention two types of cranes that are most commonly used in production halls: 

• overhead travelling cranes, 
• overhead cranes. 

Such cranes are usually used in low halls where other cranes cannot be used, due to their large design. Their use allows full use of the room. 

Overhead cranes 

These are machines that are used to transport heavy objects. They allow us to lift and then lower an object at a chosen location. They are called overhead cranes because of the fact that they lie on rails. Their track is located above the area where the work is carried out and positioned at a suitable height. When the crane is to be used only inside the building, the crane tracks are placed on the supporting components of the hall. They are also made up of a so-called truss platform, by means of which the crane moves the loads.  

Application of overhead travelling cranes

This type of crane is used for lifting the largest sized materials. An important note is that they can lift goods weighing up to several hundred tonnes. It most often uses cylindrical steel profiles for this. They are convenient and often used in production halls as they take up little space. They handle the movement of materials along running tracks, which in this case are crane beams. They can be operated from the ground or from a cab, and the latest models can be controlled wirelessly. 

Suspension cranes 

These are cranes that are highly automated and versatile in their application. They are built with a lightweight construction, so they are often used in low halls where there is not enough space to use another type of crane. They are the perfect solution for transporting various loads in production halls and warehouses. They allow the safe and rapid coordination of the transport of loads of different weights. They make it possible to work on very large working areas. The lifting height of modern cranes is up to 40 metres. 

Using suspended cranes, the track is fixed to the roof, using rigid hollow sections that are suspended from the ceiling of the building. A common feature of such structures are:

• electric chain hoists,
• mechanisms with two poles,
• low-headroom linear hoists,
• radio control systems. 

Overhead cranes of this design are not ordered from a catalogue, they are always manufactured from scratch according to the customer's needs. The industry and technical conditions of the hall in question are taken into account, taking the customer's concepts into account. 

When choosing overhead cranes, it is important to pay attention to their technical parameters. They may differ from each other: 

• the speed of the crane, 
• lifting capacity, 
• lift height of the hoist, 
• span, 
• the travel speed of the hoist, 
• the operating intensity of the crane, i.e. the GNP parameter. 

Advantages of using cranes 

Using cranes in production halls has a number of benefits. Here are the main ones: 

• greater safety at work, 
• rapid and efficient transport of loads, 
• no need to involve an employee, 
• we can easily move heavy and problematic goods in terms of size, 
• In the long term, it is a good financial investment, 
• does not take up a large area. 

Questions and answers

What kind of cranes are used in production halls?

Due to their relatively small size, overhead and overhead cranes are used for factory work. 

Is it worth getting an overhead crane?

If you need to move loads in your factory, using a crane for this will definitely improve the efficiency of your work.