Overhead cranes can vary so much in terms of specifications and configurations. No two crane builds are exactly alike! A crane that worked in a similar building structure, or similar lifting application, may not be the best crane for your facility or your application. So, selecting the right type of crane for your business is critical to maximizing efficiency, streamlining workflow, and getting the best bang for your buck.

An overhead crane, commonly called a bridge crane, is a type of crane found in industrial environments. An overhead crane consists of two parallel rails seated on longitudinal I-beams attached to opposite steel columns by means of brackets. The traveling bridge spans the gap.

the different types of overhead cranes including:

Bridge Cranes
Gantry Cranes
Monorail Cranes
Jib Cranes
Workstation Cranes

What is an Overhead Bridge Crane?

An Overhead Bridge Crane is a type of material handling equipment that lifts and moves heavy loads within an industrial space, typically using a bridge-like structure that moves along overhead runways. It's characterized by its ability to move loads horizontally and vertically within the crane's operating area.

Structure:
The crane consists of a horizontal bridge, which is supported by and moves along elevated parallel runways built into the building's structure.
Movement:
A hoist trolley (the mechanism that lifts and lowers the load) travels along the bridge, allowing for controlled horizontal movement of the load.
Operation:
Bridge cranes can be operated manually, via a wired pendant station, or with wireless controls.
Applications:
They are commonly used in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and other industrial settings for tasks like lifting and transporting heavy materials, loading and unloading trucks, and moving products between workstations.
Types:
Bridge cranes can be configured with either a single girder (one beam) or a double girder (two beams) design.
Advantages:
Overhead bridge cranes offer a wider range of motion and more flexibility compared to other overhead crane types, making them suitable for moving heavy loads in multiple directions.

What is a Gantry Crane?

A gantry crane is similar to a bridge crane, but instead of moving on suspended runways, the crane uses legs to support the bridge, trolley, and hoist. These legs travel on rails that are embedded in, or on top of the floor or ground structure.

A gantry crane is ideal when you require a lightweight and quick knockdown crane for applications that require portability and corrosion resistance. They are also considered when there is a reason not to incorporate an overhead runway system and are most traditionally used in outdoor applications where full beams and columns can’t be installed, or they can be used below an existing bridge crane system. Gantry cranes are commonly found in shipyards, railyards, special construction sites like where a bridge is being built, or in places like steel mills where overhead room may be an issue.

Gantry cranes come in a wide range of designs, including:

Adjustable Gantries – used for warehousing applications requiring the movement of materials through aisles, doorways, around obstacles, and over or under obstructions. Welding and fabrication shops can use gantry cranes for lifting parts and equipment into position.
Portable Gantries – used for plant maintenance applications requiring replacement and relocation of equipment and machinery. Service truck applications requiring quick knockdown for fast, easy movement to and from a work site.
Track-Mounted Gantries – used for applications requiring lifting and moving heavy loads over a fixed route, either manually or motorized.
Moving and lifting heavy materials doesn’t have to involve installing expensive equipment or permanently changing your facility. Gantry cranes do the job efficiently and economically and are ideal lifting solutions because:

No permanent installation is required—making gantry cranes ideal if you rent or lease your facility
Quick and easy assembly and tear-down
Portable design allows for use in more than one facility or work area

What is a Monorail Crane?

Most commonly found in a production or assembly line, this type of crane uses a trolley to carry the hoist along a single path. Monorail cranes do not utilize a bridge or girder design—instead, the trolley is designed to connect to an I-beam, often already built into the ceiling structure, and runs along the flat surface (flange) on the bottom of the beam. They can also utilize a configured support structure as well.

Material can be run back and forth in a straight line, or the rails can be designed with curves, branches, switches, and with changes in elevation. Monorail cranes follow a singular path and are designed for lifts that do not require the side-to-side trolley movement provided by the bridge in an overhead or gantry style crane.

Monorail cranes are perfect for lifting applications where a full-blown crane design is not required. They’re a cost-effective and versatile solution for many assembly line and production applications.

What is a Jib Crane?

Jib cranes come in a number of different styles and types but do not utilize a runway or track system. They can be stand-alone or column / wall-mounted and offer a wide variety of capacities, heights, and spans.

Jib cranes are space-saving, economical, and are ideal for jobs like maneuvering or moving items for assembly within a smaller radius. They can typically offer 180-360° of rotation, and even small ones can hoist several tons of material.

The best way to determine what type of jib crane is best for your application is to consider the following:

What type of operation or usage will this equipment see?
What height clearances or spans are required in this work area?
Is there available support structure available for mounting, or will this be a standalone unit—(floor, wall, and ceiling)?
What other special options or considerations are required?
What is the available budget for the system and installation?

What is a Workstation Crane?

Workstation cranes are designed to allow the operators an ergonomic means of moving or lifting loads with limited effort in a smaller size work area. Workstation cranes are typically lighter-duty systems—lifting materials from 150 lbs. up to 2 tons in capacity. They’re designed for repetitive lifting of loads, positioning of loads, increasing worker productivity and ease of work flow.

They can be built and installed easily using a modular design for greater flexibility and do not require an existing support structure for installation.