5 Key Things to Know Before You Buy a Crane | AME

27 May.,2024

 

5 Key Things to Know Before You Buy a Crane | AME

Five Key Things to Know Before You Purchase a Crane

Buying a crane and ancillary heavy lifting equipment can be a minefield for the uninitiated. Here, we take you through everything you need to know when considering your first (or subsequent) crane purchase to ensure you&#;re not caught short.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Crane Rail. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Unlike your everyday car, van or truck, overhead cranes are complex pieces of equipment &#; each uniquely manufactured to fit the buyer&#;s requirements.

As well as your budget, here are five key things to know before you purchase a crane.

1. What will the crane primarily be used for?

You should approach the purchasing decision for your crane much in the same way you would think about buying a new family car. What will it be primarily used for? What are the mandatory requirements of the purchase? And what could perhaps be considered as optional extras?

Before you rush off to the dealer or private seller, it&#;s important to firstly clarify your objectives with regards to the crane and invest some time into researching exactly what you will need.

Things you need to consider include:

  • What kind of materials will you be moving or lifting most often?
  • Will you be lifting a small number of large loads or more frequent but smaller loads?
  • What is the maximum height you would be lifting? One or two storeys or something even higher?
  • How often will you be using the crane? And for how long?

It&#;s also important to think beyond your immediate need for the crane, in the instance that your requirements may change down the track. Even if it seems a long shot now, you don&#;t want to get to that point where you realise you&#;ve made a huge investment in a one trick pony.

2. Where will you be using the crane?

Consider the main area the crane will be working in. Will your work areas be wide open or more confined? Will you have the room to move in a 360 degree radius? Will you have to work mostly overhead or mostly in front of the body of the crane? Assessing your most typical work environment can help you understand which crane will suit your work, rather than possibly having to adjust your work to suit the crane after the fact.

It&#;s also important to consider the environmental conditions you&#;ll be working in. Eg. An area with an excessive amount of dirt, shavings or other particulates will have a greater negative impact on the efficiency of oil lubrication than grease lubrication.

3. Cranes are made up of a number of different components

You may be shocked to find when you order the crane, you get just that &#; the crane. Your purchase will not necessarily include the rails, the monorail beams, the electrical power supply, the rising cable or even a set of engineering calculations.

Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge and understanding of what&#;s involved, companies can find themselves with a crane that either:

  • is not fit for purpose
  • is not compliant to the standards and/or
  • may not be legal for use.

The end result of one or more of these scenarios is likely to be lost time and earnings for the construction company or professional, or at the very least they&#;ll be faced with the risk of mechanical failure, damage or additional maintenance for the crane.

4. Go over the General Arrangement (GA) drawing of your crane with a fine tooth comb

Reviewing the General Arrangement (GA) drawing of the crane is critical and shouldn&#;t be signed off flippantly. This is your chance to discover exactly what is and isn&#;t included with your purchase and make sure all your essential criteria are satisfied.

Some key questions to ask at this point include:

  • Does the crane comply with the right Australian Standards?
  • What are the servicing requirements and costs?
  • Are there any ongoing scheduled maintenance requirements?
  • How easy will it be to acquire parts if repairs are required?

If you&#;re not confident that all of your questions are answered satisfactorily at this point, it&#;s wise to refrain from signing the GA. Once you&#;ve signed it off, you will have little recourse if you discover you missed something later on.

5. Get wise on the safety requirements and legislation

Under State legislation, there are specific items that are mandatory for operating a crane. There are also some parts of the Australian Standards mandating the safety devices and features you should have on your crane.

If the crane is over 10 tonne (metric) or 11.02 ton (imperial) capacity, it must be registered. This process requires engineering design drawings and calculations for the crane, the supporting structure and the building to be compiled, verified and submitted to State government departments. Be aware that this process can take up to 8 weeks and you will be unable to use the crane during this time.
If you are found to be using an unregistered crane you will face relevant prosecutions and penalties.

Of course, much the same as a car, you&#;ll need to make sure you obtain the appropriate licence for your crane. Depending on the scope of the work you&#;ll be doing, you may also require a High Risk Work (HRW) Licence.

So, as you can see, there&#;s a little more to think about before you get carried away and rush into a purchase you might regret.

Need expert help before buying a crane?

Asset Management Engineers are experienced in the specification, ordering and evaluation of cranes and lifting equipment, ensuring that you get the right piece of equipment to suit your requirements.
Our experience could mean that you get the widest and best choice from what is available through competitive tenders or multiple quotes. We can expedite, review, survey and inspect, ensuring you receive exactly what you need from the supplier, the builder and the engineers.

Using AME for asset management consulting and to assist with your crane purchase will result in a simplified, timely and cost efficient experience, allowing you to put the crane into action sooner.

Contact our Lifting Equipment Engineer Scott Agnew on (08) for more information on how we can assist with your next crane and heavy lifting purchase.

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Buyer Guide for Overhead Crane: How to Buy an Overhead ...

Buyer Guide for Overhead Crane: How to Buy an Overhead Crane


How to buy an overhead crane for your particular use at cost-effective price? Check what to consider & how to confirm your bridge crane specifications?

An overheadcrane is a massive investment, and the choice to buy one has long-term effects. As crucial as making the decision itself is thoroughly evaluating the requirements a bridgecrane must meet. You'll stay on the right track if you follow these advice.

Confirm the purpose of the overhead crane

Is the electric overhead crane designed for a regular industrial material handling or perhaps particularly designed with unique features for special loads handling, like storing paper rolls? Your operations' nature should constantly be taken into account. There are many different types of overhead cranes available, and alternative features can be incorporated to suit a variety of applications and industries.

List the fundamental requirements.

The fundamental requirements, such as capacity, duty class, span, and lift height, ought to be confirmed clearly. The surrounding environmental factors, such as,the temperature, must also be considered. Facilities might be visited in order to assess the working environment and its specific requirements if necessary.

Determine whether any more additionalfeatures are necessary.

We offer a huge range of extra features for bridge cranes such as,radio remote control, Variable lifting speeds, or Sway Control and Target Positioning, etc. These characteristics can improve a crane's productivity and performance.

Your Trusted Overhead Travelling Crane Manufacturer & Supplier

How to Buy Overhead Cranes for Your Use?

Factors to consider to buy a bridge crane

An overhead crane is a basic material handling lifting equipmentthat eliminates the need for humans to lift and move objects manually. An electric crane hoistusedto lift the load, a girder or beam, and a trolley to move along the girder are the basic components of an overhead crane.

Manufacturing floors frequently offer little room for workers. overhead crane systems, installed on the top of facilities are ideal for workshops or facilities that have limitedfloors space . With support columns , it willtake littlevaluable floor space. With ceiling mounted design, overhead cranes can freely completely avoid any occupying of floor space.

Consultation with a knowledgeable architect or engineer is the first step in determining whether an overhead crane is the best option for your business. Professionals are the best experts to decide whether a building structure can support the crane system. In order to ensure that the bridge crane is engineered optimally and that a well-engineered turnkey solution is sought after, it is crucial that all purchasers engage openly with the crane manufacturer and freely give them with all relevant information.

We'll now talk about the numerous factors that can helpa buyer to make wise investments and purchase the suitable material handling overhead crane.

Type of overhead cranes

Different kinds of electric overhead cranes can lift a variety of loads. Some of the most common overhead crane types are listed below.

  • Single-girder electrically operated/ semi-electric/ hand-operated overhead cranes.
  • Double-girder electrically operated/ semi-electric/ hand-operated overhead cranes.
  • Gantry crane including single or double-girder cranes gantry cranes & semi-gantry cranes.
  • Special cranes. Custom overhead crane with special below hook devices, such as, magnets, grab bucket, c coil, sheet lifter, c hook, etc.

Single girder overhead crane
500 kg-20 ton overhead crane top running

Double girder overhead crane
3 ton -320 ton overhead crane top running

Underhung overhead cranes
500kg-10 ton overhead crane underhung design

The first two types of overhead craneare usually employed in indoor applications, but the third type ofgantry crane, is typically usedin outdoor applications.Single girder cranes are used for lighter loads handling with capacity up to 20 ton, and double girder cranes are used for heavier loads handling with capacity up to 100 ton with standard design and with builtin design, the capacity can be up to 320 ton.

Location

An overheadcrane may be found indoors and outdoors, . It's crucial that the buyer appropriately specifies this. Specifying this is crucial since an outdoor overhead crane must be constructed taking wind pressures into account. If the buyer provided more information than just "outside," such as the location's climate, the designer would be able to design the crane with the greatest efficiency. In addition to the wind loads, epoxy painting may be required on the crane if it operates in a coastal region rather than conventional synthetic enamel paint. This might also apply to indoor duty cranes working in an alkaline or acidic environment.

Safe working load with proper below hook devices

The maximum weight that could be lifted by the crane hook is known as the safe working load. If a magnet, "C" hook, grab, ladle, or any other equipment is going to be used with the crane, its dead weight needs to be added to the weight of loadsso that the safe working load of the crane may be calculated. Never include safety features that go beyond what was previously stipulated, as this would overengineer the crane and increase expenses. Futher information on How to calculate the lifting capacity of your overhead crane? 

Class of duty

Overhead bridge crane can be classified into different working duty. The price would increase in direct proportion to the level of duty. Crane mechanisms vary depending on their use as well. While the overheadcrane is always accessible, it should be kept in mind that no overheadcrane ever runs continuously at its rated load and speed. The use of the electriccrane, as well as its frequency and pattern of use, largely determine the class of duty. The buyer should ideally offer a load spectrum.

This would be too hard, so the class of duty should be determined after thoroughly describing the crane's application to the manufacturer. Maximum consideration should be given to this factor because the choice of the class of duty would not only influence the crane's cost but also have an impact on all other factors mentioned above.

Speeds

The usage and application of the crane directly affect the choice of speeds. Increased speeds (in situations where they are not necessary) would result in higher power ratings for the motors, raising the cost of the crane as well as its owningand operation expenses.

Control system

There are numerous control options available, including fixed cabin controls, mobile cabin controls, radio remote controls, and more. Again, the application determines the proper choice.

Hook approaches and end approaches

No overhead crane allows the hook to be in line with the column or extend all the way to the end of the workshop. In other words, it is impossible to prevent some built-up area loss. In order to maximize the use of the built-up space, the optimum approachwould be to minimize this loss. The overhead crane must be designed optimallywhich will largelydepend on the duty class selected. We emphasize once more the requirement for the buyer and the manufacturer to properly comprehend the application and using requirements because the crane working dutyis entirely dependent upon the application. More information on What Is Crane Coverage & Hook Coverage of Your Overhead Cranes?

Crane span of bridge crane

Lifting height of overhead crane

Crane runway and overhead travelling distance

Crane headroom

This is defined as the crane's highest point above the long travel rail top. The lower this dimension, the lower the building height could be. This, too, is determined by the class of duty, which is determined by the application. A lower building height would undoubtedly lower construction costs.

Hook headroom

This is the distance between the hook's highest elevation and the long travel rail top. This should be kept to a minimum in order to optimize column height and reduce building costs. For a given crane, the sum of dimensions six and seven would be constant. As a result, if the crane is to be installed in an existing shop, this sum could be distributed in order to maximize shed utilization. Further information on What is Overhead Crane's Lift Height, Headroom & C-dimension?

Crane lifting height and hook approach will affect your overhead crane working coverage

C Dimension

Crane headroom

Wheel loads

The higher the wheel load for a given crane, the heavier the crane and trolley. This has an immediate impact on the gantry girder, column design, and foundation. It is a common misconception that a heavier crane is stronger and safer. As long as the crane is designed to meet all of the relevant IS specifications, the weight of the crane and trolley should not be used to determine the crane's strength and safety. In fact, the buyer should choose the crane with the minimum wheel loads.

Down shop leads and LT rails

The power supply system used to power the crane is known as down shop leads. There are several systems that could be used. The safest system is shrouded busbars, which provide maximum safety while having no effect on end approaches. Bus bars must be chosen based on the connected load. If multiple cranes are to be operated, the connected loads of all such cranes must be taken into account when determining the busbar rating. As a result, the buyer must provide this information. The same is true for LT rail selection.

Owning and operating costs

A crane is always installed at a height of 6 m or higher above the floor level. As a result, a crane that requires little maintenance should be preferred. This goal can be met by providing leak-proof gearboxes, lifelong lubricated bearings, appropriately selected wire rope, and optimally selected electrics.

Other factors

  • Provision for a full-length platform on both girders,
  • hydraulic or spring buffers.
  • Underbridge lighting installation.
  • Closed, glazed, and air-conditioned cabin provision

It is crucial to thoroughly assess the requirement for all of the aforementioned additional features.

After the parameters are confirmed, suppliers must be chosen in order to get quotes.

Any workshop that needs to save valuable workspace while handling materials efficiently should give overhead cranes serious consideration. However, due to the variety of overhead crane alternatives available, careful evaluation and consultation should be made before making a purchase. The crane solution you choose must actually be the best fit for your company's requirements.

The company is the world’s best Railroad Track Parts for Sale supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.

Selection parameters

Making the appropriate overhead crane choice is essential to simplifying operations and increasing output. Following are 12 parameters that consumers can use to select a well-designed and reasonably priced lifting overhead cranesolution:

  • Correct determination of the necessary crane type.
  • The location is chosen (indoors, outdoors, or both).
  • The safe working load selectedis reasonably.
  • the duty class is in accordance with the application.
  • The speeds are suitable for the intended use.
  • The control system complies with the requirements of the application.
  • The hook and end approaches are kept to a minimum to maximize retail space utilization.
  • The crane headroom is kept to a minimum to lower the shop height.
  • The hook head room is minimal in order to raise the lift's height.
  • Wheel loads are kept to a minimum, allowing for the smallest possible gantry girder and column sizes, which lowers building and foundation costs.
  • It is necessary to determine the LT Rails and Down Shop Leads.
  • The costs of crane buyingand operation are minimal.

Choosing the right vendor

  • Experience including clientele, years in operation, the number of cranes now produced each year, and technical collaborations or tie-ups, if any.
  • Existing design team and their background.
  • Manufacturing facilities with handling capacity and skilled, knowledgeable artisans and managers.
  • Subcontractors and their level of technical expertise.
  • In-house load testing capability, including a test pit and calibrated test loads.
  • Shot blasting and a separate paint booth should be included in the surface treatment and painting facility.
  • Experienced, empowered, and independent Quality Assurance Team.
  • Dedicated after-sales and servicing personnel.
  • Quick and constant availability of spare parts.
  • Adherence to industrial standards for safety and environmental friendliness.

There are numerous things to think about before buying an overhead crane in order to get the best overhead crane. Usually, the facility you buy has a positive impact on safety and production. In order to save money and get the best overhead crane for your application, you need definitely think about a few factors before purchasing an overhead crane. After talking about the things needs to consider before buying an overhead crane, the following buyer guide is presented for your reference.

Your Trusted Overhead Travelling Crane Manufacturer & Supplier

0.5 Ton- 320 Ton Bridge Crane for Sale

Guide to Buy an Overhead Crane

  • 1. Number of cranes : ___________
  • 2. Type of crane : 3. Capacity : ___________ Kg or : ___________Lb
  • 4. Span : ___________ M
  • 5. Lifting height required : ___________ (Max. including pits or wells below the floor level)
  • 6. Approximate length of the crane runway : ___________
  • 7. Number of cranes on the runway : ___________
  • 8. Name of company : __________________________________________
  • 9. Person in charge : __________________________________________
  • 10. Contact details : __________________________________________

Detailed Information OverheadCrane Buying Guide

I. Customer Information

Name

Customer Company

Address

II. Application Occasion

Lifting material

Temperature

Highest temperature

_______&#;

Lowest temperature

_______&#;

Environment

Inflammable

YES

NO

Explosive

YES

NO

III. Bridge Crane Specification

Underhung crane -single girder crane design 

Top running overhead crane- single girder crane design 

Top running overhead crane -double girder crane design 

Crane drawing for you to confirm the overhead crane specifications

SPECIFICATION

Option

Types of Bridge Cranes

A.Top running B. Underhung running

Beam Configuration

A. Single Beam B. Double Beam

Capacity(ton)

Main hook

Auxiliary hook

Speed(m/min)

Main hook

A. Single ____ B. Double ____ /____ C. Inverter Control ____--____

Auxiliary hook

A. Single ____ B. Double ____ /____ C. Inverter Control ____--____

Cross travel

A. Single ____ B. Inverter Control ___--____

Long travel

A. Single ____ B. Inverter Control ____--____

Working Class

Main hook

A. M3 B. M4 C. M5 D. M6 E. M7 F. M8

Auxiliary hook

A. M3 B. M4 C. M5 D. M6 E. M7 F. M8

Cross travel

A. M3 B. M4 C. M5 D. M6 E. M7 F. M8

Long travel

A. M3 B. M4 C. M5 D. M6 E. M7 F. M8

Industrial Voltage

____V ___Hz 3phases

Control Mode

A. Remote Control B. Pendent Line Button Control C. Cabin Control

Hook Attached Accessory

A. C-hook B. Grab Bucket C. Magnet D. Magnet spreader E. Ladle D. Other____

We are a modern manufacturer of European standard cranes. The business maintains its focus on the advancements in cutting-edge technology and European-style crane improvements. Based on the design of European standard cranes, each of our overhead cranes offers low headroom, light weight, exceptional free maintenance performance, continual working efficiency, advanced configuration, galvanized steel rope, disc brake for lifting safety, hardened reducer, PLC lifting limit switch, etc. These features make our overhead cranes cutting-edge in the Chinese crane industry.

According to the customer's industrial requirements and application conditions, electric overhead cranes can designed into top running cranes, under running cranes, double girder cranes, and single girder cranes. Get a free quotation on overhead crane today!

Article by Bella

&#;who has been in the hoist and crane field since . Bella provides overhead crane & gantry crane consultation services for clients who need a customized overhead travelling crane solution.Contact her to get free consultation.


If you are looking for more details, kindly visit American Standard Rail.