Buying Used Gantry Cranes For Sale
Buying used gantry cranes can be a good way to save money since they can be quite expensive pieces of equipment. These machines basically work by using a hoist fitted on a trolley which moves on a straight line down the tracks. They are known by several different names including overhead crane and suspended crane. They are for the most part designed for the lifting and transporting of heavy objects and are useful for a wide range of applications, from factory work to even building ships. These devices use a system of rails and beams that allow the device to travel in all directions as needed.
When you are in the market for used gantry cranes, it is first important that you are sure of the exact model that you need. So it is a good idea to become familiar with the three different variants: the container crane, workstation crane, and rail mounted crane.
The container crane is ship to shore mounted and features cantilevered rails and supporting beams in a unique frame type that features spaced apart uprights. They are intended primarily for unloading cargo from ships so they are specially designed with the average freight container in mind. Uprights feature tracks of wheels which allow the hoists to move to any positions needed when lifting containers out of the quay. Because the first of these models were known as Portainers, this is a name that they are still referred to often.
Next there are the workstation used gantry cranes which are much smaller than the work station bridge crane and are used to lift and transport lighter loads. They are perfect for the factory or machine shop so this is probably closer to what you had in mind. There are many different models to choose from, each one possessing its own list of special features such as an enclosed track, I beam, and extruding shapes. However, despite all the different types available, the one thing that they all have in common is that they remain in a stationary position while they are being loaded and are able to move when they are being unloaded.
Finally, there are the automated rail mounted or EOT used gantry cranes. These can be found in a wide variety of applications such as in factories, steel yards, paper mills, and even repair shops for trains. In many respects they operate in a similar fashion to the overhead bridge crane, but the main difference is that the rails are installed on the ground and they are supported with gantry style legs. They come in many different weight capacities from 2 tons to 200 tons. They are typically painted yellow for safety reasons and are powered with electricity.
Now that you have a better idea of the different used gantry cranes that are available, it will be easier for you to determine which one will best suit your needs.