This official account will focus on sharing knowledge related to Cranes, with content covering models within these classifications. Cranes are versatile equipment used for vertically lifting and horizontally moving heavy loads, widely applied in industries, construction, energy, transportation, and other fields. They can be classified through various dimensions such as structural form, movement mode, and application scenarios. Below are common classifications and their core characteristics:
These cranes use a "bridge" as the load-bearing structure and move along tracks on the bridge to achieve horizontal coverage, suitable for large-range operations in
Fixed areas like workshops and warehouses.
-
Overhead CraneStructure: Composed of main beams, end beams, trolley mechanism (including hoisting mechanism), and 大车 running mechanism. The ends of the bridge move along tracks on both sides of the factory building, while the trolley moves transversely along the main beam track, forming a rectangular working range.
Features: Wide lifting capacity range (5–500 tons) and large span (10–30 meters). It is a core lifting equipment in industrial plants (e.g., machining and metallurgical workshops), divided into single-girder overhead cranes (for light loads, ≤20 tons) and double-girder overhead cranes (for heavy loads, ≥20 tons).
Examples: Single and double-girder overhead cranes for lifting machine tools and steel in workshops, and metallurgical overhead cranes.
-
Gantry Crane (Gantry Crane)
Structure: The bridge is supported on ground tracks via legs (forming a "gate" structure), without relying on factory walls for load-bearing. The trolley runs along the bridge.
Features: Suitable for open-air locations (e.g., ports, yards) with larger spans (10–50 meters) and customizable large lifting capacities (up to over 1000 tons). Some models have cantilevers (single or double-sided) to expand the working range.
Examples: Container gantry cranes in container terminals and large gantry cranes in shipyards.
These cranes feature a "rotatable or luffing jib" as the core structure, with adjustable working radius via jib length and angle, offering high flexibility and suitability for outdoor mobile operations.
-
Tower Crane
Structure: Consists of a tower body (vertical support), jib (horizontal or inclined), and slewing mechanism. The jib can rotate 360°, and the working radius is adjusted via a luffing trolley (or jib luffing).
Features: Large lifting height (attached tower cranes can reach over 200 meters), suitable for high-rise building construction. Lifting capacity ranges from 5–100 tons, requiring strict stability calculations (to prevent overturning) based on working conditions.
-
Truck Crane
Structure: The lifting mechanism is mounted on a truck chassis, with its own tire driving system. The jib can telescope and rotate (360° full rotation).
Features: High mobility (can travel on highways at ≥60km/h), suitable for emergency rescue and small construction site lifting. Lifting capacity ranges from 5–500 tons, but requires outriggers to support the ground during operation (to avoid chassis load-bearing).
-
Crawler Crane
Structure: Uses a crawler chassis as the walking mechanism, with a telescopic or folding jib and a large ground contact area (crawler-type movement).
Features: Strong off-road capability (can travel on muddy, mountainous, and other complex terrains) and excellent lifting performance (maximum lifting capacity over 3000 tons). Suitable for lifting large equipment (e.g., wind turbine towers, chemical installations), but slow moving speed (≤5km/h).
-
Portal Crane
Structure: Installed on a portal base (can move along tracks), with a luffing and slewing jib. Vehicles or goods can pass under the base.
Features: Combines the mobility of bridge-type cranes and the flexibility of jib-type cranes, widely used in ports (lifting containers and bulk cargo) and hydropower stations (installing gates). Lifting capacity ranges from 10–500 tons.
Structure: Uses two fixed cables (main cables) as the load-bearing track, with a trolley moving along the main cables. The two ends are fixed on the ground via towers or brackets (e.g., on both sides of a valley).
Features: Covers a "fan-shaped" or "linear" range, suitable for scenarios where bridges are difficult to build, such as across canyons and rivers (e.g., water conservancy projects, bridge construction). Lifting capacity can reach hundreds of tons, with spans over 1000 meters.
Such as construction elevators (for carrying people and goods), elevators (in the narrow sense), and material hoists. They feature vertical movement along fixed guide rails with small lifting ranges (usually ≤5 tons).
-
Fixed Cranes
Fixed on the ground or foundation and unable to move, such as fixed-base tower cranes and fixed cranes on wharves, suitable for long-term operations in fixed areas.
-
Mobile Cranes
Equipped with independent movement capabilities, including:
- Tire-type (truck cranes, tire cranes);
- Crawler-type (crawler cranes);
- Rail-type (overhead, gantry, and portal cranes, moving along tracks);
- Walking-type (special engineering machinery that moves via "legs," suitable for extreme terrains).
-
General-Purpose Cranes
Suitable for multiple scenarios, such as general gantry cranes, general overhead cranes, and truck cranes.
-
Special-Purpose Cranes
Designed for specific industries, for example:
- Metallurgical cranes: High-temperature resistant (≥500℃) and dust-proof, used in steel plants to lift ladles and billets;
- Explosion-proof cranes: Equipped with explosion-proof motors and electrical components (e.g., in coal mines, chemical workshops) to prevent sparks from causing explosions;
- Shipbuilding cranes: Large-span and high-lifting height, suitable for lifting hull sections;
- Power station cranes: Such as shaft cranes in pumped storage power stations and overhead cranes in workshops, with high precision and reliability;
- Container cranes: Equipped with special spreaders (for quickly grabbing containers), such as port quay cranes and yard cranes.
- Light-duty cranes: Lifting capacity ≤5 tons (e.g., manual hoists, small electric single-girder cranes);
- Medium-duty cranes: 5–50 tons (e.g., workshop overhead cranes, small truck cranes);
- Heavy-duty cranes: 50–300 tons (e.g., large gantry cranes, crawler cranes);
- Ultra-heavy-duty cranes: ≥300 tons (e.g., thousand-ton crawler cranes, special shipbuilding cranes).
The core of crane classification is "structure determines application, and scenarios adapt to performance": Bridge-type cranes are suitable for efficient operations in fixed areas; jib-type cranes are suitable for flexible movement and complex terrains; special-purpose cranes target industry-specific needs (e.g., high-temperature, explosion-proof, deep shaft environments), such as "shaft gantry cranes" and "special cranes for laying flue plates in tunnels."
The figure below is quoted from Page 1, Chapter 1, Volume 1 of the second edition of Crane Design Manual, showing the crane classification table.
