Various Types Of Electric Overhead Crane
Electric overhead cranes, also known as EOCs have acquired a reputation for being the centerpiece of efficiency in matters of running factories and warehouses. The movement of large items, which are usually heavy and or bulky is very challenging. The energy needed to move such items around a factory floor physically is too much to run an efficient operation. There are also the safety issues involved in moving large items.
A solution to this is using an overhead crane that hoists item up and moves them to different parts of the building overhead. One of the most effective overhead cranes is the electric version. The electric overhead cranes are some of the most popular cranes due to their power, ease of maintenance and ease of running. There are several version of this type of crane. Herein is a brush over the cranes.
The Single Girder EOCs ?The crane consists of a single girder, the part that supports the hoist. The bridge girder is in turn supported by two end trucks on the sides. The girder also features a trolley mechanism which enables it to move the length of the end trucks. Typically, such cranes have a span of between 20 and 50 feet. The lift height is typically 15 to 50 feet. The load capacity can be anything from 1 ton to 15 tons. They are the best option when the crane is infrequently used.
Double Girder EOCs ?This type of crane is similar in form as the single girder. However, one main distinction is that this version of the EOCs consists of two bridge girders. The majority of this types of crane have the girder placed on top of the end trucks, with very few being placed on the flanges. Such EOCs have an increased weight hoisting capacity to the tune of around 9 to 10 times as they can handle up to 100 tons of load. They are the best option for intermittently to frequently used cranes where the loads have a high weight. Due to the weight capacity, they are also good to use in cranes that require the installation of a magnetic mechanism.
Gantry Cranes ?These cranes are quite different from the above two, in form and structure. For one, the bridge girder is permanently fixed to the supporting structure, usually two or four legs. The legs run on a rail or other runway systems that are installed on the floor. This negates the need to have a runway that is installed above.
Monorail ?These types EOCs are similar to the single girder EOCs with the difference being that the hoist mechanism on the bridge does not move.
The Different Types Of Configurations
There are two different configurations for EOCs, which are:
The Top Running Cranes ?Top running cranes have the bridge laid and supported on top of the end truck girder. They are most common for cranes that require a high load capacity.
The Under Running Cranes ?In contrast to the top running cranes, the under running cranes are supported by the bottom flanges of the end truck girder. The weight load capacity of such cranes is usually a maximum of 15 tons. They, however, offer better use of the bridge girder width and runway girder length, offering maximum use of the building space.
