Cranes

Lifting Crane Systems by Ultimate Lifting Solutions Ltd

Choosing a crane system may seem complicated, but talking to Ultimate Lifting Solutions today (Tel 01384 986 026) about your lifting needs is the first step in finding the correct crane for your needs. From a simple A-frame Gantry and lightweight braced Jib crane to the wall or column-mounted Jib arms, we can also offer bespoke and unique crane systems, including low-height swing jibs and I-Beam style freestanding Jib Cranes to meet your requirements – we can supply Jib cranes for tool rooms, and supply Jib cranes in machine shops and offer crane solutions for rooms with height restrictions.

All ULS cranes are manufactured from quality materials, and all Ultimate Lifting Solutions cranes are supplied with certification and warranties.

Main crane systems available – Overhead crane systems, Under Braced Swing Jibs, heavy-duty Jib Cranes, Lightweight Profile Track & Trolley Jib Cranes, Swing Jibs, Gantry Cranes, Monorail Cranes, Special purpose cranes and A-Frame cranes and portable A-Frame Cranes.

What is a lifting crane? The primary purpose of a crane is to lift and lower heavy objects or manufactured components from point to point. A crane system's added benefits are they transport materials along a boom or Jib arm, which means they can reach into most corners or any factory space, so companies can utilise the entire shop floor by adding a crane into the building.

How do cranes work? A crane is generally equipped with a hoist. This hoist can be a wire rope hoist, an electric hoist, a manual hoist, or a tool balancer. The hoist fitted to the crane will lift an object off a machine, such as a lathe or a finished component from a bench, or if the crane is in a loading bay, it can aid in loading or unloading vehicles. Once the load has been lifted, the crane can move sideways and up or down across a factory floor. The materials can be raised above any machines or other items around a factory, moved sideways along its boom arm and then placed down in most positions in a factory, workplace or outside the factory yard. 

Where did cranes come from? Cranes are believed to date back to Circa 3000BC and were known as the Shadouf, a straightforward design with a lever mechanism to lift water. The ancient Greeks were first thought to use a crane for lifting, and it is believed the heyday of the crane in ancient times came during the Roman Empire. The first modern cranes were installed at busy harbours for loading all types of cargo, the design has changed a lot since the first cranes, but the principles have always stayed the same.

Main cranes used today – Gantry Cranes or Jib Cranes. 

Gantry cranes come in two main designs; both are goalpost designs with a hoist fitted at the top; the difference is that a gantry crane can be equipped with a single beam known as a monorail across two goalposts. These are suitable when the crane's span is relatively tiny. If the span required is more extensive, such as stretching the entire width of a factory floor, then a two-beam design is better, also known as a twin girder gantry crane. The twin girder crane can stretch and fall across a factory and run the entire length of a factory and is fitted usually with a wire rope hoist. 

The Jib Crane or Swing Jib is a type of crane with a hoist fitted to a horizontal beam commonly called a Jib arm or boom arm. The hoist can move along the jib arm, giving flexibility with a long reach. The Jib arm can be fixed, a swivelling or even an articulated jib arm. Swing jibs are commonly used inside factories and outside at harbours, or Jib cranes are also used on construction sites. If fitted to a vertical post or column, the Jib crane can be floor mounted, commonly known as freestanding and is usually fixed to a concrete floor. A Jib Crane or Jib Cranes are very flexible and can be fitted to a factory wall, and a swing jib can be fitted to a vertical I-beam or factory steelwork. They can be fixed at any height required. The benefits of a swing jib are that they are very cost-effective, used in most industry sectors and are easy to install on a floor or a wall; once fitted, the swinging jib arm creates a crane system that reaches parts of a factory that forklifts cannot get.

In addition to the Ultimate Lifting Solutions range of cranes, jib cranes, freestanding jib cranes and wall-mounted jib arms, we also supply an extensive range of crane accessories and our prevalent scaffold runway systems - Crane accessories include cable festoon systems which help get power cables along a track to feed overhead hoists and other machinery that needs a power supply or control supply. We also supply remote radio systems and radio remote spare parts such as replacement radio remote batteries for the Arc Flex range of radio remote systems and replacement directional legends and radio remote replacement stickers - one of our most popular ranges of radio remote systems is the Arc flex radio remote system, these can be easily retro-fitted any most electric chain hoists or overhead cranes.

Our Scaffold Runway Systems clamp directly to existing scaffold structures and, once fitted with a suitable hoist, will help lift and transport building materials to 1600 kg (1.6 tonnes) up the scaffold system to your desired level. The track can be bought in 3m sections and comes complete with an integral trolley to help you transport your building materials or site waste around the scaffold system to the desired position. We can even supply bends if required. The great advantage of the scaffold runway system for hoists is that we deliver our systems in modular form to keep the weight down for easy and fast assembly or dismantling and re-positioning to a new level or dismantling for easy storage. 

If you have any questions on Jib Cranes or require a quotation for a Jib crane, contact Ultimate Lifting Solutions today to discuss your requirements: tel 01384 986 026 or email sales@ulslifting.com.