Tower Cranes Bellevue

Tower Crane Rentals and Sales Bellevue - A popular machine within the materials handling family is the crane. Oftentimes, they are equipped with chains, wire ropes, a hoist rope or sheaves. These components enable cranes to lift and lower items vertically as well as transporting items horizontally. Heavy crates, shipping containers, machinery and similar items can be efficiently moved thanks to a variety of crane models. Freight Transportation Cranes can lift difficult loads to make unloading and loading safer and more efficient. Their lifting capacity varies depending on the model. Cranes offer a great job site support and the mechanical advantage of an extended lifting capacity. Cranes are found in many industries and often seen on construction sites. Specified Use There are different cranes for many applications. Jib cranes can be used for tighter environments including workshops. Extensive tower cranes can be seen in construction. There is a crane perfectly suited for a variety of applications. Some cranes can allow access to tight spaces. Floating cranes can be utilized for maritime applications such as salvaging sunken items or on oil rigs. Tower Cranes The type of crane that is fixed on a concrete slab is a tower crane. This model is commonly attached to the sides of structures. It offers precise height and lifting reliability. These cranes are used in residential and commercial construction. The base is mounted to the mast which can create further reach by extension. The crane is capable of rotating thanks to the mast that connects to the slewing unit. Above the slewing component, the operator cab is situated, along with the long horizontal jib and the counter jib. The main component responsible for carrying the load is the long horizontal jib. Concrete blocks may be used with the counter-jib to create the counterweight. The jib handles the load to and from the center of the crane. Typically, the operator is found inside of a cab located on top of the tower that is attached to the turntable; however, it can be mounted on the jib alternatively. There is a radio remote control feature that operators can access from the ground. The crane operator uses electric motors to operate the lifting hook and control wire rope cables within a system of sheaves. The long horizontal arm houses the cargo hook and its’ motor. The operator commonly works together with a rigger to safely hook and unhook loads. Daily safety requires many important hand signals. The rigger has an important job dictating the crane’s lifting schedule. They are responsible for making sure all rigging is reliable and safe. Truck-Mounted Cranes Truck mounted cranes consist of two parts including the boom and the carrier. These two pieces rely on a turntable to attach them and allow the upper portion to swing from side to side. Typically, modern hydraulic truck cranes feature single engines. This engine has the responsibility of providing power to the undercarriage and the crane. Hydraulics are responsible for providing power to the upper via the turntable from the pump mounted on the lower portion. Back in the day, older models of hydraulic crane trucks often had two engines. The first engine enabled the crane to travel down the road while the second engine controlled the hydraulic pump for the outriggers and jacks. Certain operators prefer the two-engine models due to the turntable leaks that commonly occur in newer design models. Cranes commonly have to travel via roads to get to different jobs. This can eliminate industrial transportation requirements unless the crane is sizeable with certain weight restrictions. Transportation falls under local laws. Generally, bigger cranes have trailers to help the load become distributed over many axles. There are some crane models that can be taken apart to accommodate particular requirements. Typically, another truck with the disassembled counterweights will follow the crane. Outriggers & Stability Outriggers are extended horizontally from the chassis of the crane. These are used vertically to stabilize the machine and keep it level during hoisting and stationary activities. Some truck crane units can travel at slow speeds even while carrying a suspended load. Care is given to ensure the load doesn’t swing during travel. The stiffness of the chassis suspension delivers most of the anti-tipping aspect. Moving counterweights are included in a variety of models to amplify stabilization further than what the outriggers offer. Suspended loads are among the most stable due to the majority of the crane’s weight acting as a counterweight. Electronic safeguards are in place to monitor the maximum safe loads for stationary work and traveling speeds. Overhead and Bridge Cranes An overhead crane is a kind of crane commonly called a bridge crane. This concept features a hook-and-line mechanism and a crane with a horizontal beam that is made to run along rails. This type of crane resembles a gantry crane. They are common within factory buildings and attach to rails that run down two walls. Overhead cranes may feature single or double beam construction and may use regular steel or complex box girder beams. Certain overhead cranes have the ability to use a control pendant for operation. Locations requiring heavy lifting from ten tons and higher may use a double girder bridge. The box girder style produces a system with a lower deadweight but offers higher system integrity. The hoist is another item that is utilized to lift the cargo, the bridge spanning the portion covered by the crane and a trolley to move along the bridge. The steel industry is familiar with overhead cranes throughout the manufacturing process. An overhead crane typically handles steel until it exits the factory as a completed item. All steel is handled by an overhead crane from raw materials being poured to storing hot steel for cooling and transporting finished coils. Overhead cranes lift steel components onto trucks. Metal fabricators and stampers use this equipment every day including the auto industry to transport raw materials. Pulp & Paper Mills Pulp mill maintenance commonly relies on bridge cranes. They are responsible for removing items including heavy press rolls. Bridge cranes utilized in paper machine construction help to install large apparatus’ and equipment including huge components such as cast-iron paper drying drums and similar items. Loader Crane Powered with an electric articulated arm attached to a trailer or truck for loading and unloading, the loader crane is complete with many joints to facilitate folding the machine into a small space between jobs. Telescoping sections are popular. There are models that have the ability to stow or load themselves without any operator instruction. To complete viewing access of the load, the operator must move around the vehicle. Hydraulic controls that are mounted on the crane may work with a portable cabled control system and a radio-linked system. Gantry Crane There is a hoist on the gantry crane found in a fixed machinery house or a horizontal trolley that runs along rails often fitted between two beams or a single beam. The crane frame is supported on a gantry system with equalized beams and wheels that run on the gantry rail, usually perpendicular to the trolley travel direction. These cranes come in all sizes, and some can move very heavy loads, particularly the extremely large examples used in shipyards or industrial installations. Tower Cranes PDF