Both bridge cranes and gantry cranes play a vital role in various industries when it comes to lifting and moving heavy objects. Understanding the differences between bridge cranes and gantry cranes can save a lot of time, effort, and money during installation and use.
Three Key Differences
Space Utilization Capability:
Bridge cranes are mounted on elevated tracks over existing structures, making full use of the space under the bridge to move materials without being hindered by ground equipment. On the other hand, the outriggers of gantry cranes can limit the available working area.
Flexibility/Maneuverability:
Bridge cranes are fixed to the internal structure of a building and are permanent fixtures with a fixed span and lifting area. This limits their flexibility. Gantry cranes, on the other hand, offer greater maneuverability and flexibility. Since they are not mounted on a building structure, they are easier to disassemble and move to different locations. They are self-supporting and can be easily moved both externally and internally to accommodate changing needs and applications.
Application:
Bridge cranes are installed in working buildings and are very suitable for warehouse-type factories, because warehouse-type factories are usually overcrowded and every inch of space is valuable. They are widely used in heavy-duty applications in industries such as manufacturing, steel production and automobile assembly, and are usually used in workshops and warehouses. Gantry cranes are more versatile and can be used in a wider range of industries, including construction, shipping and warehousing. They are mainly used in outdoor yards and bulk cargo loading and unloading operations, and are widely used in port terminals.
Two real cases to guide you to choose the most suitable crane for your factory
The first example:
The user wants to install a bridge crane, but the original factory design does not reserve a crane, which means that the load-bearing capacity of the factory steel structure is not enough to meet the standards for installing a bridge crane. If a bridge crane is to be installed, columns and load-bearing beams need to be added, which is costly.
In order to save costs, another option is to install a gantry crane in the factory. The track of the gantry crane is on the ground, so only the foundation and track need to be installed, without columns and load-bearing beams. Compared with a bridge crane, this can greatly reduce the overall cost. Some users may consider whether installing the track will affect other handling equipment in the factory, such as forklifts. However, this problem can be solved by embedding the track at least 100mm above the ground to ensure that it is level with the floor.
Installing a gantry crane requires excavation of the foundation, which also costs a lot of money. If it is a gantry crane below 5 tons, you can consider laying a steel plate foundation on the ground and fixing it with high-strength bolts, which can save the cost of the track foundation, but it may cause some inconvenience to the passage of other vehicles.
Second example:
The user intends to install a gantry crane in the factory. Traditionally, it is more convenient and slightly cheaper to use a bridge crane in the factory. However, there are several disadvantages to installing a gantry crane in the factory, such as the relatively small lifting space, the need to lay a foundation for the track, the time-consuming and labor-intensive installation, and the inability to place items on the surface and sides of the track. However, since the factory is designed for a 5-ton bridge crane and the user requires a 10-ton crane, there is a concern that the factory's load-bearing capacity may not meet the requirements of a 10-ton crane.
Many users have encountered similar situations, and in some cases, it is still okay to choose a bridge crane. The load-bearing capacity of the plant structure is determined by the wheel pressure of the crane. Traditional bridge cranes have 4 wheels, but can be customized to 8 wheels to disperse the wheel pressure. In other words, compared with 4-wheel bridge cranes, 8-wheel cranes exert less force on the plant structure, even if both have a load-bearing capacity of 10 tons. In addition, European cranes can be selected to reduce the deadweight of the crane.
Conclusion:
Bridge cranes are generally used in industrial facilities, but if the existing conditions of your facility do not support the installation of traditional bridge cranes, you can install gantry cranes or customize bridge cranes that meet the requirements of your facility.
The above are two situations that users often encounter, and the choice of bridge cranes or gantry cranes should be determined according to the specific circumstances and requirements of the customers.
