Overhead bridge cranes are one of the most widely used pieces of material handling equipment. To safely move material from point A to point B there is not a piece of equipment as versatile. Bridge cranes take many forms and are highly adaptable to many environments. Following is a list of reasons why this piece of equipment is invaluable.
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1. No need to clear aisles. Overhead cranes can move places where no other piece of equipment can reach. Have you ever had your fork trucks path blocked and you had to divert manpower to clear an aisle. Well an overhead bridge crane can make it around the obstruction with ease. If an independent running pushbutton station (a pushbutton station on its own track so it can be controlled anywhere along the bridge) or radio remote control is provided as the control method, your operator can be in guide himself around the obstructions and still control the crane. You can arrange your plant floor around how you do business and not worry as much about obstructions on your factory floor.
2. Clean Floor space. Your floor space is cleared up because your supports for the crane are out of the way. Typically your crane provider can come up with a column design that is freestanding and can be aligned with your building columns or along walls. You can choose a ceiling mounted crane (typically on new building designed for the loadings) or you can support the crane from the floor. Sometimes a combination of the two can be used with some supports from the floor and some from the ceiling of your building.
3. Safety. The crane operator can put himself into the optimum location to safely move the load. The fork lift creates blind spots which are inherent with the structure around the operator. The fork lift can be prone to overturning (which is the leading cause of death with a forklift), Pedestrian can be struck by a forklift, driver or employee can be crushed by a forklift, or the driver can fall from the forklift. Overhead bridge cranes can also be outfitted with anti-collision devices to keep them from colliding with cranes in the same bay or end stops.
4. Customizable and adaptable. Overhead bridge cranes are very versatile when it comes to below the hook accessories. The types available are limitless. Below the hook accessories include spreader bars, c-hooks, weight scales, custom designed lifting tooling, manipulators, and vacuum lifts to name a few. Many cranes have several different below the hook tools which are changed out for the particular job.
5. Heavier payloads. Heavier loads can be handled while keeping your plant personnel away from the load. Forklifts require your operator to be within close proximity to the load. With an overhead bridge crane the operator can rig the load and then move away from danger when using the above referenced radio or independent traveling pushbutton station.
6. Complete coverage. Your entire plant can be covered with no dead spots of coverage. A crane can travel right over the load, even without a clear path or aisle. This allows the most flexibility when setting up your plant design.
7. Inexpensive operating costs. Operating costs are very inexpensive with a bridge crane. From no energy requirements for a completely manual system, to a very economical three phase system. There is no need to charge batteries or have tanks filled. The bridge crane is always ready to work!
8. Ergonomically friendly. A recent trend is to help the worker in their work cell. Small ergonomic work cell bridge cranes have replaced the worker moving the product manually and allowing them to pick up the product with a lift assist. A typical 50 pound load can now be picked up with the crane and the operator will only see one half of a pound of push pull force at the hook. When a work station crane is equipped with custom lifting tools the job can be done with higher productivity and less product damage.
9. Increased productivity. Whether it is handling larger loads or taking the load off of your workers, they will be more productive with an overhead crane. In high cycle applications with lighter loads a work station crane is easily justified with ROI in a very short time.
10. More diverse work force. With an overhead bridge crane your work force can include both sexes, as well as smaller workers who might not be able to do the job of manually handling the load. As our work force ages, and includes more females this is an even more important consideration.
Zora Zhao
Expert in Overhead Crane/Gantry Crane/Jib Crane/Crane Parts Solutions
With 10+ years of experience in the Crane Overseas Export Industry, helped 10,000+ customers with their pre-sales questions and concerns, if you have any related needs, please feel free to contact me!
Overhead cranes, or bridge & jib cranes, are used extensively in many industrial situations to facilitate the processing and handling of heavy, oversized objects that other material handling methods and equipment cannot. They are utilized in a variety of areas, including:
Warehousing : To move heavy, large objects to and from the dock areas.
Assembly : To move unfinished products through their production processes.
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Transportation : To load manufactured products onto railcars or open trailers.
Storage : To transport bulky and/or heavy loads to and from storage areas.
When it comes to running a warehouse or large industrial business, you not only require high-quality tools, but also the right tools to keep your processes running smoothly. With an overhead crane, you will be able to maximize productivity, quickly transport goods and objects around your facility, and enjoy a range of other benefits, including:
Increased Safety :
Forklifts carry the risk of imprecise stacking, dropping goods as well as accidents (due to crashing). Since an overhead crane moves objects through the overhead space of the facility, they dont carry any of these risks and are capable of moving heavy and bulky loads more quickly than forklifts.
Improved Load Control :
Overhead cranes, more often than not, come with precision controls that will position objects precisely and without much trouble. This allows the operator to place the load exactly where they want it to be, while minimizing human error.
Avoid Floor Obstructions :
Since overhead cranes are positioned as high as your facilitys ceiling, they avoid just about everything on your warehouse floor. This, in turn, allows you to install the device just about anywhere you desire. Also, you will be able to carry items safely above any obstacles, thereby reducing product damage.
Improved Ergonomics :
Because the overhead cranes do the heavy lifting for you, they remove strain on your operators, which reduces risk of injury, while reducing worker fatigue.
Easy Lifting of Loads :
As mentioned earlier, overhead cranes come with high lifting capabilities. Once you have your crane, you can depend on it to lift and transport your goods to other parts of your facility. However, every cranes have a specified lift capacity, so make sure you dont exceed it to avoid the risk of accidents or failure.
Customizable:
Overhead cranes can be easily customized by adding one of many Below-The-Hook accessories including lifting beams, spreader beams, roll & coil lifters, tongs, sheet lifters and pallet lifters.
Inexpensive operating costs :
Operating costs are very inexpensive with a bridge crane. From no energy requirements for a completely manual system, to a very economical three phase system. The bridge crane is always ready to work!
With an overhead bridge crane your work force can include both sexes, as well as smaller workers who might not be able to do the job of manually handling the load. As our work force ages, and includes more females this is an even more important consideration.
Overhead cranes can move places where no other piece of equipment can reach. Have you ever had your fork trucks' path blocked and you had to divert manpower to clear an aisle. Well an overhead bridge crane can make it around the obstruction with ease. If an independent running pushbutton station (a pushbutton station on it's own track so it can be controlled anywhere along the bridge) or radio remote control is provided as the control method, your operator can be in guide himself around the obstructions and still control the crane. You can arrange your plant floor around how you do business and not worry as much about obstructions on your factory floor.