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Overhead cranes are generally divided into Bridge Cranes, Gantry Cranes, Monorails, and Jib Cranes.  Most overhead cranes are electric-powered, while some cranes are hand-pushed and some are driven by a local generator that powers the electric motors.  Bridge cranes are made of one or two bridge girders that are affixed to a end-truck at either end, housing wheels. These wheels ride on an elevated runway system, either on top of a beam or on the bottom flange of a beam. A gantry crane is similar to a bridge crane with one exception – a gantry crane has legs that support the bridge at least twenty feet above the working floor. At the bottom of the legs are end-trucks, housing wheels for running along floor-mounted rails. Both gantry cranes and bridge cranes have at least one hoist/trolley unit that runs along the bridge. The trolley houses wheels similar to the end-truck, and provides for movement across the bridge or gantry structure. The hoist has a motor, gearbox, and winding drum for raising and lowering the load itself, which is typically rigged to the crane by sling or chain. A monorail is simply a hoist/trolley unit running along a stationary bridge. This bridge can be hung from the ceiling or self-supported from gantry-like legs.

Overhead cranes such as bridge cranes and gantry cranes must meet three different groups of standards: Safety standards endorsed by OSHA B1910.179; Capacity and dimensional standards set by the buyer, and Duty standards that aren’t set by any one body, but rather determined by the nature of the work. The Alliance Group has a worksheet one can use to determine the duty cycle as expressed by the CMAA lettering system, with “A” the lightest duty and “F” the heaviest duty. Most overhead cranes are “C” duty.

When it comes time to specify, purchase, finance, install, and troubleshoot an overhead or gantry crane, The Alliance Group has buyer’s tools for each step, including links to financing specialists and third party professionals not affiliated with an overhead crane manufacturer or The Alliance Group.

The Alliance Group is not affiliated or owned by any overhead crane manufacturer.  The Alliance Group provides a service for sourcing overhead crane and other heavy machinery purchases, as well as transporting, installing, financing, and resolving technical and commercial issues.