The fast pace of today’s industry requires modern, versatile, and cost-efficient materials handling equipment that will increase productivity in order to answer for the growing demand. In a warehouse or another industrial setting, whenever there’s a need to move, lift, or lower material – the jib crane is the piece of equipment that allows you to get the job done quickly and with ease. Because this type of crane is used for transporting delicate or valuable material, it’s incredibly important to make a good choice. For that reason you should consider a few important factors regarding jib cranes.
Lift Capacity
In order for the jib crane to lift efficiently and safely, the maximum weight of the load should not match nor exceed the total weight of the jib crane’s design. Instead, to calculate the maximum lift capacity of a jib crane, you should consider its safe working load plus an additional 15% for any trolleys or hoists used.
The Types of Mounts
There are three basic types of jib cranes you can find at a warehouse: floor-mounted, fixed wall-mounted, and travelling wall-mounted. The floor mounted jib crane has the widest range of uses. It has a strong vertical shaft for self-support which allows it to be used anywhere, whether it’s a warehouse or a construction site. There are also wall-mounted jib cranes which are attached to a wall structure and have no vertical shaft. The fixed wall-mounted cranes only cover the working area in which they can rotate, while the travelling wall-mounted cranes have a mobile chassis which allows them to move lengthwise across the structure they are attached to.
Degree of Rotation
Floor mounted jib cranes usually have a maximum rotating ability, being able to rotate a complete 360 degrees around their axis. These mobile types of cranes can mostly be found around construction sites. In industrial settings however, the most common jib cranes are wall mounted. The wall mounted types, both fixed and travelling, offer 180-200 degrees of rotation.
The Advantages of Using Jib Cranes
Regardless of the type or brand, every jib crane is built with great precision and undergoes detailed quality testing to ensure it’s powerful, secure, and durable. Because they have few mechanical parts and are easy to operate, jib cranes are your best option when it comes to tasks such as moving and handling materials from one place to another, and hoisting in tight areas. Using these machines helps save a lot of manpower, maintain the safety in the facility, and speed up operations, which in turn boosts productivity.