Overhead Crane Design

2023-01-06 15:10:35

Brief Introduction to Overhead Crane Design

Bridge cranes, commonly known as overhead cranes, are hoisting equipment placed horizontally above the application site for material lifting. Overhead cranes are a common type of crane in industrial environments. Bridge cranes are generally composed of a bridge frame (also known as a cart), a cart moving mechanism, a trolley equipped with a lifting mechanism, a control room, and an electrical system. The bridge frame of the bridge crane runs longitudinally along the tracks laid on the elevated sides on both sides, and the lifting trolley runs horizontally along the tracks laid on the bridge frame. Overhead cranes can make full use of the space under the bridge frame to lift materials without being hindered by ground equipment. (Below are two videos of the overhead crane at work)

Bridge Crane Design

1. Bridge

The bridge frame is the basic component of the bridge crane, which consists of the main girder, end girder, walking platform, and other parts.

The main girder is also called a load-bearing girder, which is generally in the form of a box, truss, web, round tube, and other structural forms. There are guide rails on the main girder for the trolley to move on the girder. And the main girder is driven by the traveling mechanism of the cart to move along the track direction of the bridge crane. The main girder is supported on the crane rail by end girders at both ends. There are guide rails above the main beam for the trolley to move. The entire EOT crane moves along the guide rails along the length of the workshop under the drag of the cart-moving mechanism.
The end beam is composed of a plate girder or truss, wheel group, and so on.
Some bridge frames have walking platforms on the outside of the main girder, and safety railings are installed on the edges of the walking platforms. The trolley moving mechanism is installed on the walking platform on one side of the cab, and the power supply device for the electric equipment of the trolley is installed on the other side of the platform, that is, the auxiliary sliding line.

According to the number of load-bearing beams, bridges can be divided into single-girder bridges, double-girder bridges, and multi-girder bridges. According to the relative position of the crane and the track, it can be divided into a top-running bridge and an underslung bridge.

2. Cart moving mechanism

The cart moving mechanism provides the power for the cart to run. It mainly includes the cart drags motor, transmission shaft, coupling, reducer, wheels and brakes, and other components. There are two driving modes: centralized driving and separate driving.

3. Trolley Moving Mechanism and Lifting Mechanism

The lifting trolley is placed on the guide rail of the bridge frame and can move along the direction of the bridge frame. For the bridge crane in the workshop (factory), the trolley can move along the width of the workshop. The trolley is mainly welded by steel plates and consists of a trolley frame, a trolley moving mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. The moving mechanism of the trolley includes the trolley motor, brake, coupling, reducer, and wheels. The trolley motor drives the driving wheel of the trolley through the reducer and drags the trolley to move along the guide rail. Since the driving wheels of the trolley are close to each other, it is driven by a motor.

The lifting mechanism includes a lifting motor, a reducer, a reel, a brake, a hook, etc. The lifting motor is connected to the reducer through the coupling and the brake wheel, and the output shaft of the reducer is connected to the reel where the wire rope is wound. The other end of the wire rope is equipped with a hook, and when the drum rotates, the hook rises and falls as the wire rope is wound or released on the drum. Besides hooks, common pick-up devices include grabbing buckets and electromagnetic suckers.

4. Operation Method

Overhead cranes have operation modes such as cab operation, wired operation, and wireless operation. Cab operation is a way for the crane driver to operate the crane through handles, buttons, etc. in the operating pod.

Wired and wireless operation is achieved through wired or wireless handles.

The driver's cab is also called the control room and the driver's cab. There are large and small car moving mechanism control devices, lifting mechanism control devices, and crane protection devices in the room. The driver's cab is generally fixed at one end of the main beam, and a few are installed under the trolley to move with the trolley or installed in the center of the main beam. There is a hatch leading to the walking platform above the control room, for the maintenance personnel to go to when inspecting trolley machinery and electrical equipment.

Some Hot Lifting Equipment Design

QD double girder overhead electric winch crane

Load capacity:5-550 ton
Span:10.5m~35.5m
Working Duty: A4-A7
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

LH electric hoist double girder overhead crane

Load capacity:5-63 ton
Span:8m~32m
Working Duty: A3-A5
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

QDX European double girder overhead

Load capacity:5-550 ton
Span:10.5m~31.5m
Working Duty: A4-A7
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

QC electromagnetic double girder EOT crane

Load capacity:5-32 ton
Span:10.5m~31.5m
Working Duty: A5, A6
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

NLH FEM double girder overhead crane

Load capacity:5-80 ton
Span:10.5m~31.5m
Working Duty: A4~A7
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

QE double trolley overhead crane

Load capacity:(2.5+2.5)~(200+200) ton
Span:10.5m~35.5m
Working Duty: A5, A6
Ambient Temperature:-20℃~40℃

Why Custom a Crane Solution?

At Yuantai, we know that there is no "one size fits all" in the lifting field. Universal cranes are suitable for general factories, warehouses, etc. Besides, different applications have different needs for cranes. For example, steel industries often lift steel plates, so need electromagnetic cranes. Ports and docks often need to load ore, gravel, and other bulk goods, so need to grab bucket cranes. Chemical dangerous places often need to carry flammable and explosive materials, so need explosion proof cranes.

So, we provide customized cranes according to the special needs of our customers. Custom crane solutions offer many benefits in a variety of applications：

Improve efficiency: Cranes can use automatic controls, and special accessories to improve efficiency.
Break space constraints: In limited spaces, standard cranes may not fit due to their size. Custom cranes can be designed as compact or lightweight cranes.
Cost savings: Customized cranes can lead to long-term cost savings. Customized crane solutions ensure crane's performance is all necessary for your business.

Get Your Free Quote

I'm happy to help you with a crane solution and pricing. Please provide me with the following crane specifications:

What type of overhead cranes do you need? (i.e., overhead crane, gantry crane, etc.)
What lifting capacity do you need for your overhead crane?
What span of crane do you need?
What lifting height of overhead cranes do you need?
What material will the crane lift? (i.e., steel, concrete, etc.)
Will the crane be used indoors or outdoors?
Any special requirements for the crane? (i.e., explosion-proof, etc.)

If you have any crane needs, please contact us online or email us at cherry@ytcrane.com. WhatsApp/WeChat：+86 15093126500 . Our crane engineers will give you a suitable crane solution and a specific crane price within 24 hours.