Gantry crane is a type of crane that lifts objects by a hoist fitted in a trolley. Its metal structure is similiar to door frame. A pair of supporting legs are fitted under the girder, which makes the crane move horizontally on a rail. Both ends of the girder can be provided with cantilever beams. Featuring high space utilization, large operating range, and wide scope of applications, gantry cranes are widely used for loading and unloading operations in the port yard.
Types of Gantry Crane
There are many different types of gantry crane available and the one which is best for your business is going to be dependant on what you need to use it for and the weight and size of the object you are trying to move. To make life a little easier, I have listed some of the main types and the features of each, so you can quickly find the perfect fit for your requirements.
Bridge Gantry Crane
A bridge gantry crane is widely used for indoor and outdoor lifting operations in the mining enterprise, steel, chemical, rail transport, port yard, and other areas.
Features of Bridge Gantry Crane
- It uses isosceles triangle honeycomb girder, with light weight, high loading capacity and good wind resistance.
- Unique steel pin connection, which is not only firm, but also quick to install.
- Flexible pole outrigger, which is easy to be dissembled into pieces for convenient transportation.
- Minimum installed capacity solves the electricity problems on construction site.
Frame Gantry Crane
A frame gantry crane has the features of small frontal area, light weight, strong lifting ability, and can be used together with electric hoist. This gantry crane can be used to lift goods and commodity in a factory, construction site, or steel company. However, it is unsuitable for molten metals, inflammable and explosive materials.
Shipyard Gantry Crane
A shipyard gantry crane or ship crane is a type of harbour crane used to assemble ships within a shipyard. It is usually equipped with two trolleys; one with two main hooks moves on the rail of the top flange; the other with a main hook and a secondary hook moves on the rail of the bottom flange.
Features
- Centralized control system, over-voltage protection
- High speed, great efficiency
- With upper and lower trolleys, it can turn over the goods in the air
Double Girder Gantry Crane
Heavier industries tend to utilise double girder cranes in processing.
Features of Bridge Gantry Crane
- Box girder, high strength.
- Both girder ends with cantilever, spacious working place.
- High speed, great efficiency.
- Capacity up to 100 tonne
- Spans up to 30 metres
- Internal or external bracing
- 4 Wheel Drive
- Girder walkway
- Trolley platform
- Pendant or radio control
- Cable reel or conductor rail power supply systems
Single Girder Gantry Crane
Single girder cranes are utilised in lighter industries.
Features of Bridge Gantry Crane
- Capacity up to 20 tonne
- Spans up to 26 metres
- Internal or external bracing
- 4 Wheel Drive
- Onboard maintenance platform
- Pendant or radio control
- Cable reel or conductor rail power supply systems
Girder Gantry Crane
This girder gantry crane is specially designed to lift the concrete girder of high speed railway. Its load capacity can be from 450t to 1200t, being able to satisfy your different requirements.
Features of Girder Gantry Crane
- The main girder of the gantry crane adopts innovative box girder design for high load capacity and strong wind resistance
- Flexible rod legs are used for easy disassembly and convenient transportation
- Electric hoist is installed in the lower part of the main girder to remove small objects like template
- The winch is provided with two-stage brake, and the electrical control system uses inverter technology
Points to Consider
When buying a gantry crane online, it would be advisable to keep the below points in mind. As these cranes tend to be on the larger side, you are going to want to make sure that whatever type and model you choose, it is right for your business and requirements.
- Customer reviews: This is an obvious point but one of the most important. By looking at the reviews of other customers, you are able to ensure that the brand or model you are buying is of a sufficient quality. It is also worth remembering that buying a cheaper crane with poor or bad reviews, just because it is a little cheaper, is likely to cost you more in the long run.
- Reputable manufacturer: It is a fact that some manufacturers are better than others, in that they make better products than there competitors. So as well as checking out the reviews of a particular model, it is a good idea to look at other customers reviews of the actual manufacturer or brands, especially for areas such as customer service and return policies.
- Return policy: As you can see from the sheer number of types of gantry cranes available and the numerous options for each one, you may make a wrong decision and end up with a crane that does not fit your exact requirements. So buying from a brand or manufacturer who has a flexible returns policy can provide you with peace of mind, knowing that you can always return it if you end up with the wrong one.
- Product support: The last thing you should consider before making any purchase is the support you can get in installing, operating and maintaining the crane. Take your time to ensure that the manufacturer or brand you have chosen has adequate options available to you in your location to support your initial setup and ongoing needs. Online forums and websites like Youtube offer lots of experiences from existing users and companies, showing you everything you need to know. But having the peace of mind that comes from knowing that the manufacturer can also offer you support will make your purchasing experience a lot less stressful.