5 Common Uses for Overhead Gantry Cranes

A gantry crane is a type of overhead heavy-duty crane - featuring one of two beams that are supported by freestanding legs and move on wheels, a track or rail system. They are a popular choice for workshops, warehouses, freight yards, railroads and shipyards as an alternative to overhead or bridge cranes. They benefit from their excellent lifting capacity and their versatility - they are available in a number of sizes, making them a valuable tool for small and large industrial use.

With so many types of cranes available, all with their own unique properties, it can be hard to determine which would be the best fit for your workplace. This guide will cover some of the most common uses of an overhead gantry crane to help you decide whether or not it would be a suitable lifting solution for your requirements.

Manufacturing

Gantry cranes are widely used in industrial manufacturing to move materials and products. They are a vital piece of equipment in the auto, steel and aircraft industries due to the nature of their production processes. In auto and aircraft manufacturing, gantry cranes are a part of the installation and placement of engines.

Repair Shops

In smaller engine repair shops, engines have to be positioned just so in order for the technician to accurately diagnose the problem. Large overhead cranes and winches are inefficient in this regard, which is why many repair shops rely on portable gantry cranes that have the load capacity to not only lift an engine but also the mobility to reposition it.

Shipyards

Heavy-duty cranes are most commonly used at shipyards, where they move extremely heavy supplies and ship parts. Every single aspect of a transport ship - from its parts to the loads it carries - are substantially weighty. The added mobility and versatility of a gantry crane make them the ideal choice. Shipyards will often implement a variety of differently-sized gantry cranes for shipbuilding, repair, unloading and material movement.

Construction

Another industry that heavily relies upon gantry cranes for their mobility and load capacity is construction. They will be required to lift heavy loads such as concrete blocks, steel support girders and lumber. When a structure is being built, a crew will move in for the duration of construction before rapidly moving on when the job is done. This swift turnover necessitates tools that can fulfil the requirements of the operation but can also be easily torn down and removed. This is where gantry cranes come in handy - it’s relatively straightforward to move them onto and off of a site.

Warehouses

The versatility of overhead gantry cranes is the predominant reason that they see widespread use in warehouse operations. Although it might seem as though a standard warehouse wouldn’t have the space for an overhead crane, because gantry cranes come in so many different sizes, warehouses tend to use an assortment of them depending on the types of loads being sorted.

Specialist Overhead Gantry Crane Installation Service

At Crane & Lifting Services Ltd, our specialist team of engineers install, maintain and repair all types of cranes, providing solutions for the specific requirements of your site. We supply single-girder, double-girder, underslung and dockside cranes, as well as heavy-duty crane components and machinery. For more information, please get in touch.