FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about crane selection, the quotation process and after-sales support.
01 What is an overhead bridge crane?
An overhead bridge crane consists of one or two main girders travelling on two runway rails that are fixed to the building columns or to a separate support structure. The bridge travels along the building, the hoist or trolley travels along the girder and the hook lifts the load vertically, so a load can be moved to any point within the runway area.
02 What is a gantry crane?
A gantry crane carries its main girder on its own legs instead of the building columns and travels on rails at ground level. It is used where a runway cannot be built: open stockyards, loading areas and other outdoor applications.
03 What is a rotating-trolley overhead crane?
A rotating-trolley overhead crane is a bridge crane whose trolley, carrying the hoist, can rotate about its own axis. A standard overhead crane moves a load along three axes but does not turn it; a rotating trolley changes the orientation of the suspended load in a controlled way.
04 What is a jib crane?
A jib crane consists of a horizontal arm (boom) that slews around a pillar or a wall bracket, with a hoist travelling along the arm. It lifts and lowers loads around a fixed working point; the arm length and slewing angle define the area it covers.
05 When is a custom-engineered crane needed?
When a span, height, motion, operating environment or integration with a production line cannot be met by standard crane types, a project-specific lifting system is designed. Special production equipment such as wind turbine blade grinding booths falls into this category.
06 Is an overhead crane the same as a bridge crane?
Yes. Overhead crane, bridge crane, overhead travelling crane and EOT (electric overhead travelling) crane all describe the same type of crane: girders travelling on an elevated runway inside a building. They are further divided into single girder and double girder designs.
07 What is the difference between an overhead crane and a gantry crane?
An overhead crane runs on elevated runway rails mounted on the building columns or a separate support structure. On a gantry crane the girder is carried by legs that travel on ground-level rails, so no runway or columns are needed and it can be installed outdoors. Inside a building with a runway an overhead crane is usually chosen; in open yards or column-free areas a gantry crane.
08 When do you need a rotating-trolley crane?
When long parts must be turned in narrow aisles, placed on a machine at a precise angle, or moved between a loading bay and a production line with different axes, turning the load by hand is slow and risky; a rotating trolley makes the turn a standard crane movement. Explained with examples: When Do You Need a Rotating-Trolley Crane?
09 Where are jib cranes used?
For machine and workstation loading, assembly stations, loading docks, maintenance workshops and independent lifting at points an overhead crane cannot reach or is busy elsewhere. With suitable surface protection they are also used outdoors, for example on jetties and in harbours.
10 How does a custom crane project work?
It starts with a needs analysis: load, span, lifting height, operating environment and building or site conditions are defined. Technical design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning follow. You can send your requirements through the quote form.
11 What is the difference between single girder and double girder overhead cranes?
On a single girder crane the hoist runs suspended from the bottom flange of the girder, giving a lighter structure and lower runway loads. On a double girder crane the trolley travels on rails on top of two girders; it gives more lifting height in the same building and more stiffness for high capacities, wide spans and heavy duty classes. Detailed comparison: Single Girder or Double Girder?
12 What should be considered when choosing a gantry crane?
Besides capacity, span and lifting height, outdoor conditions decide the design: wind load and storm safety, ground and rail foundations, travel distance and the power supply method (cable reel, energy chain and similar), and protection against rain and corrosion.
13 Jib crane or overhead crane — which one?
A jib crane gives fast, independent lifting within a circular area around a fixed point; an overhead crane serves the whole rectangular area of its runway. For repetitive work at a single station a jib crane fits; where loads must travel along the building an overhead crane does. The two are often used together.
14 What information is needed for an overhead crane quote?
At minimum: the heaviest load to be lifted (capacity), the distance between the runway rails (span), the highest point the hook must reach (lifting height), how often and with which loads the crane will work (duty class) and the operating environment (indoor/outdoor, temperature, dust). You can leave unknown fields blank in the quote form; missing details are clarified with the engineering team.
15 What is the span of an overhead crane and how is it determined?
The span is the distance between the centre lines of the two runway rails the crane travels on. In an existing building the column spacing and rail level are measured on site; for a new building the crane span and wheel loads should be given to the building designer as input.
16 How is the lifting height determined?
Lifting height is the vertical distance between the lowest and highest hook positions. It follows from the height of the tallest part to be handled, the height of the lifting gear (slings, spreader beams) and the obstacles the load must clear. The highest achievable hook position is limited by the building height and the crane type (single or double girder).
17 Why does the duty class of a crane matter?
The duty class describes how intensively the crane is used (operating time, number of cycles) and its load spectrum (how often it works close to full load). Motors, brakes, gearboxes and the steel structure are sized for this class: a maintenance crane used a few times a day and a crane feeding a shift-based production line are not built with the same equipment. Classification follows the groups of standards such as FEM 1.001 and ISO 4301.