Cranes are a crucial part of the construction process. Primarily known for lifting and moving heavy objects, these machines have been around since the ancient times.
Let’s take ancient Egypt for example. Back in the day when they wanted to transport water up, and down the Nile River they used a crane called a shaduf.
This crane consisted of a bucket/weight system where the user would pull the bucket down on one side and allow the heavyweight to pull the bucket up on the other side.
Thanks to technology, modern cranes don’t require that much arm work. With a push of a button, heavy objects are now lifted and placed precisely how where you need them.
So the question is: How are cranes built now? How did we evolve? Let’s take a look.
Let’s Talk About The Basics: How Are Cranes Built?
What does it take to construct one of these monstrous machines? How are they able to work so effectively?
Depending on the size, a crane can weigh anywhere from 10 tons to 300 tons and can hold up to 400,000 pounds. So when it comes to the crane structure, clearly every manufactured part is vital to make this move and lift exactly how it’s supposed to.
1. Making Steel Components
When it comes to figuring out how cranes are made, steel is the essential material in the manufacturing process. Melted iron is taken through a furnace where carbon is removed via the oxygen blasted in the liquid.
Much like the welding process, the steel is melted and molded in high temperatures to form flat sheets, rods, and bars that make up the crane material.
2. Assembly
After the components are intricately cut and formed – it is then moved into an assembly line where the welding and bolting process begins.
Different cranes require different types of machine operation. For instance, a mobile crane is usually assembled to the blueprint of a truck or crawler. Contingent upon the size, the cranes may either be assembled in the factory or broken down and put together on site.
3. Quality Check
Every single crane has to go through a quality check inspection. Assuring the security of the crane is one of the most important factors in this process.
From the largest sheet of metal to the smallest cable, these pieces arrive at a crane manufacturer where they go through lathes, drills, and precision machinery where they’re shaped to form mobile crane parts, hoists, and other important parts that make up the crane design.
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There you have it. Everything you need to know about how cranes are built.
Here at Kor-Pak, we focus on everything industrial. From supplying machine parts to aiding engineers who need to custom solutions for their industrial environment – allow us to help you with your manufacturing needs.
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