Cranes have been used in one form or another to help construction sites for centuries. You understand that, but what do you need to consider when buying a crane or upgrading to a different crane?

Here is some crane buying advice to help you with your decision.

Buying a Crane for Your Specific Needs

Crane buying advice doesn’t start with thinking about the crane but your job sites. For example, what are the typical weather conditions? What type of terrain will you be working on?

When choosing a crane, you want to match the crane you upgrade to with your job’s load weights and dimensions. For example, multi-level jobs require longer booms, so your weight limit won’t decrease with higher lifts. 

Make sure to check the National Load Charts when looking at cranes. They will help you find the perfect fit based on the height and weight of your average job.

Remember that your rigging accessories weight will need to be deducted from the gross weight of the charts. This will help you find the actual load-bearing capacity of the crane for your jobs.

Crane Buying Guide

The type of work you do and the location will help you decide the type of crane you need. Here is a quick guide to some of the most common types of cranes.

Mobile Cranes

Mobile cranes can offer greater maneuverability and carry a lot of weight for their size. You want a rough terrain crane or a crawler crane for off-road construction.

Crawlers work great off-road because of their tracks and great counterweight control. In addition, they can handle loads in the 80-825 ton range. The carry deck crane is one of the most popular upgrades because of its ability to carry loads on site.

Carry deck cranes are hydraulic and can be operated by one person. Their load capacity is in the range of 7.5-15 tons. Most decks on the carry deck can transport between one to nine tons. 

Fixed Cranes

Fixed cranes are assembled on-site and used for long-term jobs and can handle more significant amounts of weight than mobile cranes.

Tower cranes have a jib extending from the mast, which rests on a concrete base. They can grow with a building while helping to build it. Hammerhead tower cranes have a swinging lever attached to a fixed tower.

They give you the ability to move loads horizontally. They are also modular, and their ability to adapt to your site makes them a versatile option for your construction needs.

Crane Buying Tips

When buying a crane, think through the type of work, the weight loads, and whether you need a mobile or fixed type of crane. This will guide you on the type and size of crane you get.

Kor-Pak partners with companies worldwide and helps them find the perfect cranes to meet their needs. Contact us and let us help with your equipment needs.

Construction contributes about $1.4 trillion worth of new structures every year.

Different types of cranes play a part in construction work. Cranes use a combination of cables and pulleys to help lift and lower heavy materials. With construction showing no signs of slowing, it’s no surprise that estimates put the global crane market growing by a CAGR of 2.96% through 2027.

This crane guide will seek to help answer the question, “what are the different types of cranes?”

Static Cranes

A static crane has a fixed path. It remains fixed to the ground or building with the intent of lifting and moving materials along a set path.

Overhead Crane

An overhead crane looks and functions how it sounds. It has a horizontal beam fixed to a ceiling, often inside a warehouse. A trolley and hoist are attached to this beam and move along the beam to transport loads.

Tower Crane

When you see a skyscraper under construction, you often see a tower crane beside it. A tower crane is made up of a mast and a jib.

The jib can rotate 360 degrees, and a trolley and hook block travel along with this component.

Level-Luffing Crane

A level-luffing crane has a rotating jib that can slew and move in and out from the base. Attached to the jib is a vertical mast. A level-luffing crane is ideal for moving heavy loads that need to stay near ground level.

Mobile Cranes

A mobile crane is the opposite of a static crane. A mobile crane isn’t a semi-permanent or permanent structure. Instead, it comes mounted on either wheels or treads. This allows the mobile crane to move to new job sites when needed.

Crawler Crane

Sometimes called a lattice crane or telescopic crawler, the crawler crane is one of the largest cranes. They have heavy-duty treads and can lift and move materials that weigh more than 2500 tons.

Rough Terrain Crane

When there’s difficult off-roading work involved in conditions like mud or snow, the rough terrain crane is what you’ll find on-site. 

Also called an RT crane, they come mounted on four tires. A telescoping boom picks up and carries the load, weighing up to 165 tons. An RT crane is ideal for moving around in a confined area.

All-Terrain Crane

Think of the all-terrain crane as a mobile truck. This type of crane can travel on the highway since it is quite literally a crane mounted to a truck.

Mounted onto the bed of the truck is the telescopic boom. This is what lifts and moves the loads. An all-terrain crane is capable of lifting 1200 tons.

Truck Crane

The truck crane is a smaller, lighter version of the all-terrain crane. It consists of a boom affixed to the truck bed. They lift lighter loads than the all-terrain crane, only able to hit a load capacity of up to 45 tons.

Many Different Types of Cranes for Your Job

There are different types of cranes to choose from for a construction job. No matter how big or sturdy the crane, equipment wears down. Once that happens, Kor-Pak is here to help with replacement parts.

Kor-Pak is here to be your supplier for crane controls and materials handling needs. Whether you want to upgrade your crane or outfit it with the newest technology, we can help.

Did you know that the demand for mobile cranes has increased by almost 30 percent in the last year? No other type of crane has seen this spike in demand. The main reason for this is that mobile cranes offer a wide variety of benefits to make your job easier.

Is a mobile crane the right option?

Let us look at some of the advantages they can offer.

Mobile Cranes Offer Flexibility

A mobile crane has excellent mobility and flexibility. If you need to use it in urban areas, where you will encounter obstructions, you have to know the crane can maneuver around them.

It can access narrow passages and can save space on a construction site. In addition, mobile cranes do not have a large footprint, so they are ideal for more crowded locations, like projects on city streets.

Unlike tower cranes, where you set them up and remain there for the project’s duration, that is not the case with a mobile crane. Instead, you can use it where you need to and move it to the following location without any trouble.

Quick Setup

Setting up a mobile crane is fast and straightforward. If you can get the crane up and running, you save time and money. For people using mobile crane rentals, this also means having to pay for fewer days since you do not have any delays.

A mobile crane is a single piece of equipment, and it is compact, making it likely that you can start operating it almost as soon as you get it to the site.

Saves Space

With its compact build, a mobile crane does not require a lot of space to function. They can fit through narrow passages and are shorter, making them better suited for passing under bridges. With a mobile crane, you can tackle the same project that a static crane could handle, but you save space.

Lifting Strength

Looking at a compacter crane, you may think it would provide weaker capabilities than a larger crane. That is not the case. A mobile crane uses heavy-duty axles, outriggers, and hydraulic power to lift the weight you need to the heights you require.

Many mobile cranes can lift more weight than a tower crane, and you have the benefit of being able to move it around the job site as needed.

Cost Efficiency

A mobile crane is a more affordable choice. It is easy to set running, with no added setup costs and wasted time. In addition, its speed and mobility allow you to get the most out of the crane if you are renting it since it minimizes downtime.

Keep Your Mobile Crane Running

With mobile cranes in high demand because of all of the benefits they bring to a job site, you want to keep yours running efficiently.

Turn to us at Kor-Pak for crane parts and repairs!

Cranes are an integral part of construction projects lifting heavy materials vertically and horizontally. Without cranes, much of our modern infrastructure would not exist. 

If you have ever noticed tall cranes silhouetting a skyline, you may have wondered, “How are cranes transported?” Keep reading to find out more about crane transportation techniques and methods.

How Are Cranes Transported?

To answer “How are cranes transported?” you first must determine the type of crane needed for the job. Here are the two main categories of cranes that dictate transportation options.

Mobile Cranes

As the name suggests, mobile cranes can move around on their own. For example, rough terrain cranes have large wheels designed for moving over almost any surface. You can drive some of them on certain roads and highways.

However, like crawler cranes, some of these are made for moving around a construction site but not for driving on roads.

Truck-mounted cranes also are appropriate for road use. They usually have telescoping or folding booms. However, these cranes have limited applications due to their size and smaller load capacities.

Other cranes, like “pick and carry” cranes, are designed for moving around on the bed of a vehicle. These are very small machines and are not used in major building construction.

Fixed Cranes

All fixed cranes need some assembly on-site. Hanging cranes, for example, are permanent or semi-permanent machines that are built in coordination with the warehouse or building in which they operate. Similarly, engineers construct bridge cranes over some time by construction crews.

The most common way to transport taller cranes to the construction site is in pieces. Tower cranes, for instance, can reach several hundred feet in height. So they are disassembled into smaller pieces and transported by truck.

Once the pieces arrive at the construction site, reassembly can begin. This is often accomplished using smaller, mobile cranes. These cranes usually have a telescopic boom that reaches the necessary heights for putting the tower crane parts back together.

Self-erecting tower cranes are a newer technology and are driven to construction sites as a single unit. As a result, they often need special equipment for crane transportation. These cranes use a hydraulic system to unfold, taking as little as an hour.

Learn More About Crane Transportation

Now that you have an idea of how cranes are transported, you can determine the best method for your business. Crane manufacturers can also provide insight into crane transportation methods based on your particular construction demands.

Kor-Pak supplies both OEM and aftermarket parts to a variety of industries. We carry only the highest-quality products in our inventory and pride ourselves on meeting our customers’ parts needs. 

Reach out to us today for pricing and to learn more about products.

Did you know that cranes can operate from long distances? This is done by an overhead crane remote control and allows industrial machinery to be run remotely. Overhead cranes are an excellent choice if you’re looking to add efficiency and safety to your warehouse procedures.

The primary function of the crane remote is to increase the productivity and efficiency of your warehouse. By eliminating the need for workers to operate the crane while being inside it, you can streamline and improve your entire process.

To learn more about how a remote control crane can help your business, read on! 

What Is a Crane Remote Control?

A crane remote control is a remote-control system that consists of a portable transmitter unit. That transmitter unit is what generates the control signals which the crane receives.

There are several different types of cranes, including self-erecting, top-slewing, and flat-top. Each type has the potential to have remote control capabilities. This functionality is quickly becoming the standard for crane operation.

How Does It Work?

An overhead crane remote control handles the hydraulic winches and conveyor system in the overhead crane. This is what allows for the lifting and moving of heavy objects.

These controls can use radio frequencies to communicate with the crane and control its functions. You can use the remote controls in any location, but they must be within the distance required by the remote to function properly.

They can operate the boom of the crane, the main hoist, and the outriggers. It can also run with additional functions like jib angles, luffing, extending top jib, etc.

So how does it work exactly? The remote-control device works through communication between a transmitter and a receiver. 

When pressing any of the buttons on the transmitter, a signal travels to the receiver as radio waves. Those radio waves are perceived as data sent by the transmitter in an encrypted form. The purpose of this is to reduce any issue of potential external interruption within the system.

The transmitter works from as far as 200 meters away from the receiver. 

After the receiver gets the data, it decodes it and converts it into plain text. This is how the crane can mimic the functions inputted using the remote.

Benefits

Using a remote control crane allows operators to start and stop the lift and even set up automatic cycles to operate independently. This will enable people that once had to operate the crane by hand to work in other capacities, increasing productivity.

This increased automation also helps prevent accidents from occurring in your workplace. For example, there is less room for error during operation with an overhead crane remote control system in place.

Bring Your Cranes to the Next Level

Overhead crane remote controls are essential for productivity. In addition, they offer the benefit of additional safety by allowing operators to control the crane from far distances.

Although this type of machinery increases productivity and safety, it also poses an additional concern for some aspects of safety due to its remote capabilities. When using a crane remote control, remaining observant and conducting necessary safety checks are always necessary.

Whether you are just getting started in the industry or already established and need new machinery, crane parts, or crane repair, click here to find out more on how to get started.

Did you know the market size of overhead cranes is expected to reach $5043.7 million by 2027? A 4.9% increase from 2020 to 2027 suggests increased use of cranes. Why do you think the demand for cranes continues to grow?

An overhead crane system is a valuable asset to your company. It saves you the stress and time of lifting and transporting bulky loads.

What is an Overhead Crane System

An overhead crane is heavy-duty machinery. It is used to move bulky or heavy loads from one location to another.

The crane makes your manufacturing movements safe and precise. The crane system capitalizes on the overhead space of a manufacturing facility.

There are many types of cranes in terms of sizes, shapes, and configurations.

The diversity in configurations improves the capacity and performance of cranes when need be. Cranes’ primary function is loading and unloading, moving materials, lifting, and feeding raw materials.

How Does an Overhead Crane Work?

Moving bulky items in your facility, navigating aisles and floor spaces can be challenging. The overhead crane system has unique features to reduce the burden.

Power systems, electrical, mechanical, and controls facilitate its function. The electric hoist moves along the bridge to lift objects. Chain hoIsts are chain motors used to lift loads.

Cabins in cranes give visibility in the fieldwork.

Most cranes use an electric power supply, while others run on pneumatic power. The overhead controls give the operator complete control of the loads.

Start and Stop buttons command the crane’s movement. Advanced cranes feature joysticks and tablets to control a wide range of motion.

Crane parts differ depending on the type of crane. However, each overhead crane features a combination of configurations resourceful to its different functions.

You need an agile maintenance system for maximum functionality of your crane.

Benefits of Using Cranes

The value of overhead cranes is underestimated. Cranes facilitate the processing and handling of materials. The systems are relevant in assembly, transportation, staging, storage, or warehousing.

Cranes are adaptable and customizable to accommodate changing needs. For example, you may need the crane covering larger distances as your business grows. You can adjust the bridge and other features to match your emerging needs.

The machines have lower maintenance costs and labor expenses. However, employing staff to move bulky and heavy items can be costly.

You need long hours of labor and numerous staff to execute a single task. A crane will take a few minutes and a minimal power supply for the same job.

Overhead cranes automated system enables precise maneuvering through limited spaces.

Improve Your Operations with an Overhead Crane System

If your company requires the frequent movement of weighty load materials, it’s convenient to use overhead cranes.

Installing an overhead crane system makes work more efficient, cost-effective, and safer. In addition, overhead cranes can be engineered to fit your target applications.

Don’t struggle to navigate through your limited space or risk your employee’s life.

If you need overhead cranes or crane repairs, contact us for assistance.

Your overhead gantry crane is essential for your project. If it breaks, it can mean things halt until you fix it. 

The overhead crane market is worth $1,854.1 million. So there are plenty of others who know how much you rely on yours.

But there are so many options for crane repair. And when the pressure is on, choosing one can add to your stress.

Luckily, there are qualities to look for when picking a crane repair service. 

1. They Follow Safety Regulations

Choose a service that complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.

Proper equipment assessments are vital. You don’t want to deal with a repair service that cuts corners to save time. Safety comes first, no matter how much you need to finish your work.

OSHA compliance gives you peace of mind. 

2. They Have Been Around For a Long Time

This is an indicator of their competence. The crane repair business is unforgiving to those with low work standards. Things look promising if they have been in the game for a while and have a solid customer base.

Their reputation is critical. Look for online reviews. Or ask contacts in your trade for an independent opinion.

You want to deal with true professionals. And you need to trust them to do the job. Years of satisfied customers can lead you to the right place.

3. They Use High-Quality Equipment

Different types of cranes need different treatments. Crane parts can be specific to models and brands. A professional inspection can tell you which components you need.

See if they have partnerships with well-known brands. Strong affiliations can be a sign of quality. Big brands avoid links to poor service providers.

Their equipment should be modern. Some services only replace their gear when it is falling apart. Look for well-maintained, clean equipment.

4. They Have Excellent Customer Service

Give them a call or send them a message. What are they like to deal with?

You want to feel welcome and in safe hands. Professional communication reflects professional conduct. And if they are friendly, that is a significant plus.

Reliable companies want to help. You want to trust them to help in case of delay or error. Can you reach them if you have any problems?

The best crane repair services have time for you.

5. They Can Repair Your Overhead Gantry Crane On Time

Ask for an average timeframe. And check any special requirements for your crane. For example, if they need to order parts, this could add days or even weeks. 

Avoid using a service with a hectic schedule. Things should be well-organized. If they take on more work than they can handle, expect to get pushed back.

Check if they offer any insurance for delays. Your overhead crane is a keystone. The longer it is out of action, the more time (and money) you could lose. 

Get Things Moving Today

Your overhead gantry crane is a vital tool, and getting it back to its best should be simple. Kor-Pak can help you do that.

Time of the essence? Just tell us what the problem is, and we’ll help you get things fixed fast.

Contact us for a quote today.