Which Industries Use Overhead Cranes
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- 07-09-2022
This article looks at which industries use overhead cranes. Find out more about overhead cranes sectors including aerospace, manufacturing and production.
Uses Of Overhead Cranes
Overhead cranes are versatile pieces of lifting equipment that can be incredibly useful on any number of many job sites. Of course, they're particularly helpful in many industries where you need to lift heavy loads. Still, the added benefits of increased floor space, efficiency and safety can help throughout the construction and manufacturing industry.
There are many types of overhead cranes to choose from, including smaller gantry cranes and yard and bridge cranes, among many others. Each of these provides unique advantages and disadvantages for the industries cranes are used in. But how are overhead cranes used in these industries?
Here we'll take you through some of the most common applications of overhead cranes throughout various industries.
Storage
The storage and warehousing industries are the primary places you're likely to find overhead cranes. Needing to move and store large quantities of goods and heavy materials efficiently and safely can be facilitated by using overhead cranes.
This method of lifting not only ensures no damage is done to the goods, but it helps to arrange storage and large warehouses in an effective method to prevent loss or confusion. With a proper network of overhead cranes, warehouse operators can easily access large and heavy crates, containers and other storage items, keeping things organised and efficient.
Assembly lines
From its inception, the assembly line process has relied on a smooth and efficient operation. After all, that's why the concept was invented, to improve the speed at which things could be produced. Therefore, to move things smoothly from one step of the assembly process to another, why wouldn't you rely on the efficiency of overhead cranes?
Bridge cranes are probably the best choice in this scenario, while gantry cranes are better suited to repair shops for lifting car bodies or pulling engines out of chassis. Most assembly lines are fully automated systems, meaning you would have to employ a qualified crane operator who could programme and maintain the overhead crane while it is being used.
Heavy Equipment Repair
Repairing heavy industrial equipment naturally requires lifting equipment with plenty of power. Again, this is where overhead cranes come into their own.
Repair shops working with heavy equipment, such as industrial HVACs or other factory equipment, can use both gantry and bridge cranes to lift and load them into the appropriate areas.
The height and power of overhead cranes mean you can lift these heavy loads over repair stations for easy and efficient operation.
Metal Manufacturing
Overhead cranes also prove essential in the metal manufacturing industry. Moving crucibles of molten ore or stacks of finished sheet metal mean overhead cranes are vital in this industry. Automated overhead crane systems also prove invaluable when working with molten metal, given the dangerously high temperatures.
Therefore, these pieces of specialised equipment make things easy and efficient and ensure the safety and precision demands of metal workers are met. Operators can also fit them with C-hooks for moving spools of metal wire or other atypical types of metal.
Concrete Manufacturing
Another notoriously heavy material, concrete manufacturers also rely heavily on overhead cranes during their operations. Whether they need to transport heavy bags of premix cement or move finished precast sections, overhead cranes bring vital benefits to those working in the concrete industry.
Bridge cranes inside and gantry cranes outside is the usual configuration you'll find in most concrete manufacturers. A precise bridge crane system can also come in handy when pouring concrete.
Power Plants
Power plants are an essential part of our infrastructure, meaning any downtime can be catastrophic.
Therefore, the efficiency of overhead cranes for moving large turbines or generators inside the site can help keep things running smoothly.
General maintenance and repairs can also be helped with the use of versatile lifting equipment, such as bridge cranes for large, open areas full of heavy machinery and components.
Ship Building
As you can imagine, some components of large container or cruise ships can be vast and incredibly heavy. Therefore, in drydocks and shipyards, overhead cranes are essential for shipbuilding.
Once the slanted hull has been constructed, overhead cranes offer easy access inside for lifting heavy tools or large machinery for working on the interior. Wide-spanning gantry cranes can also provide untold benefits to shipbuilders and those loading and unloading ships.
Plastic Injection Moulding
While they work with drastically different materials, both plastic and metal industries require heavy lifting equipment like overhead cranes. Even the plastic injection moulding industry must work with heavy loads, requiring a strong and nimble system to move equipment, tools and materials around their active plants.
Therefore, the precision and power of overhead cranes are invaluable here. The precision ensures that when you handle raw materials, you can do so delicately, while the power ensures operational efficiency.
Aviation
Again, much like shipbuilding, the aviation industry works with some seriously heavy components. Whether you're lifting engines, ailerons or other vital components, overhead cranes are a must-have for any hanger.
Not only do they help with aviation assembly, but overhead cranes can be used for effective hanger management once the planes are built.
The control overhead cranes provide is also very handy when moving very expensive pieces of machinery, like aeroplanes. Additionally, maintenance and repairs become that much easier when using overhead cranes.
Transportation
Some of the most visible overhead cranes posted on the shorelines and seaports of the UK are those used in the transportation sector. These are used to load or unload products from freight ships with giant containers.
This ensures that our supply lines, international commerce and trade can flow smoothly, keeping our economy turning. Again, if these grind to a halt, it can mean serious trouble. Therefore, reliable and powerful lifting equipment is a must.
Overhead Cranes Sectors
Just as there are various ways to use overhead cranes, there are just as many sectors in which they can prove beneficial. Almost any industry dealing with heavy loads can find some use for overhead cranes.
Again, it's the reliability, power and control these cranes offer that makes them such a vital part of most industries. Here are some of the most common industries that use cranes.
Aerospace
Everyone from military manufacturers to commercial airlines makes use of overhead cranes in their operations, whether for assembly, maintenance or repairs.
Utilities
Utilities, like water companies, electricity or nuclear power plants, use overhead cranes in their operations. A lot of our infrastructure uses very heavy components, meaning heavy lifting during fabrication is essential.
Think of electricity plants or refineries, and you'll no doubt be able to see why having a powerful automated handling system can help workers keep a safe distance.
Subterranean / combustible
Bespoke overhead cranes are also often used in work below ground. In the mining industry, for example, overhead cranes are often used to transport the vast amounts of loose material they mine from one location to another.
They can also be used to automatically and safely move explosive materials throughout the mine.
Manufacturing & production
Industrial cranes or heavy-duty lifting equipment are required in almost every part of the manufacturing and production sector.
Bridge, gantry and monorail cranes provide the versatility needed in most manufacturing plants to carry out most of their operations.
Plastics, pulp & paper
Again, working with large amounts of loose or oddly shaped materials can be difficult if you don't have the right lifting equipment. With numerous versatile specialised attachments available, overhead cranes are the perfect piece of machinery for the job in the plastic, paper and pulp sector.
Science & high-tech
Overhead cranes are also often used in the science and technology sectors since they often work with heavy or dangerous materials. From pharmaceuticals to chemicals and electronic components, overhead cranes and automated systems ensure hazardous processes are safe and easy to perform.
Automotive
Like the other manufacturing processes on this list that deal with heavy components, the automotive and car manufacturing sector frequently uses overhead cranes for building, maintaining and repairing cars.
Concrete, steel & aluminium
Again, very heavy materials require powerful lifting, so the high operational capacity of an overhead crane when working with concrete, steel or other heavy materials is essential.
Transport
Whether you need to lift trains, train carriages or trams onto tracks, assemble buses or repair heavy vehicles at depots and factories, overhead cranes offer fantastic benefits to the entire transportation sector.
Food & drink
While you might not think of food being the heaviest goods out there, since you can usually handle your shopping on your own, entire warehouses full of the stuff can be more difficult to manage.
Therefore, overhead or jib cranes can also help with storage, stacking and retrieval in the food and drink sector. Automated systems can also help maintain good hygiene standards.
Schools, colleges & universities
Academic institutions and research centres, like schools, colleges and universities, can also benefit from cranes, for example, when lifting large pieces of equipment or machinery into place.
Shipping & freight
Again, the shipping industry deals with some seriously heavy loads on a daily basis, so having overhead cranes to deal with this heavy-duty freight is essential. They also come in handy for maintaining and repairing ship hulls on large ships or other vessels.
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