Cranes

Lifting Crane Systems by Ultimate Lifting Solutions Ltd

What is a Lifting Crane?

A lifting crane's primary function is to lift and move heavy objects or manufactured components efficiently from one location to another. Additionally, crane systems facilitate the transport of materials along a boom or jib arm, providing access to most areas within a factory. Integrating a crane into your facility can significantly maximize your shop floor utilization and dramatically improve productivity.

How do Cranes Work?

Typically, a crane is equipped with a hoist, which can be a wire rope hoist, an electric hoist, a manual hoist, or a tool balancer. The hoist attached to the crane lifts objects from machinery like lathes or finished components from workbenches. In loading bays, cranes are invaluable for loading and unloading vehicles. Once lifted, the load can be moved horizontally and vertically across the factory floor. These warehouse cranes can maneuver materials by lifting them above obstacles, moving them along the boom arm or jib arm, and precisely placing them in desired locations within a factory, workplace, or even outside in the factory yard.

Where Did Cranes Come From?

The history of cranes dates back to around 3000 BC with the Shadouf, a simple lever mechanism for lifting water. The ancient Greeks are credited with the first use of cranes for lifting heavier objects, and the Roman Empire saw the peak of crane technology in ancient times. Modern cranes first appeared in busy harbors for cargo loading. While designs have evolved significantly, the fundamental principles of lifting and moving heavy loads remain the same.

What Types of Crane Are There?

Gantry Cranes: These come in two main designs, both featuring a goalpost structure with a hoist at the top. A single-beam (monorail) gantry crane is suitable for shorter spans, while a two-beam (twin girder) gantry crane is ideal for wider spans, such as across an entire factory floor. Twin girder cranes are usually equipped with a wire rope hoist and can cover the full length and width of a factory.

The Jib Crane or Swing Jib: This type of crane features a hoist attached to a horizontal beam, commonly known as a jib arm or boom arm. The hoist can travel along the jib arm, providing excellent reach and flexibility. Jib arms can be fixed, swiveling, or articulated. Swing jibs are frequently used inside factories and at harbors, while jib cranes are common on construction sites. When mounted on a vertical post or column, a jib crane can be floor-mounted (freestanding floor crane) and is typically anchored to a concrete floor. Jib cranes offer great versatility and can also be mounted to factory walls or steelwork at various heights.

ULS Cranes For Sale

At ULS, we are proud to supply a wide variety of cranes, including overhead crane systems, under-braced swing jibs, heavy-duty jib cranes, counterbalanced floor cranes, bridge cranes, lightweight profile track and trolley jib cranes, swing jibs, gantry cranes, monorail cranes, special purpose cranes, a-frame cranes, and portable a-frame cranes. If you don't see the specific crane you need on our website, please contact us. We have access to thousands of products not listed online, and our team will be happy to help you source the perfect cranes and hoists for your requirements.

In addition to our range of warehouse cranes, jib cranes, freestanding jib cranes, and wall-mounted jib arms, we also offer an extensive selection of crane accessories and our innovative scaffold runway systems. Our crane accessories include cable festoon systems for powering overhead hoists and other machinery, as well as remote radio systems and spare parts like batteries and replacement stickers for the Arc Flex range. The Arc Flex radio remote system is a popular choice and can be easily retrofitted to most electric chain hoists or overhead cranes.

Our Scaffold Runway Systems clamp directly onto existing scaffold structures and, when used with a suitable hoist, can lift and transport building materials up to 1600 kg. The track is available in 3m sections with an integrated trolley for easy material transport. Bends are also available. These systems offer a significant advantage due to their modular design, which keeps weight down for easy assembly, dismantling, and repositioning.

Looking to Buy a Crane?

If you are in the market to buy a crane and have any questions or need a quotation, contact Ultimate Lifting Solutions today to discuss your requirements. Call us on 01384 986 026 or email us at sales@ulslifting.com.