How to Choose an Overhead Bridge Crane Step by Step

Overhead cranes come in various styles, including monorail cranes, jib cranes, bridge cranes, and gantry cranes. They can help you deliver your production, logistics, or construction projects on time and support a host of other applications.

Choosing the best overhead bridge crane for your requirements is a challenge, and in this guide, we’ll give you tips on how to make the right decision.

Overhead Bridge Crane Criteria

There are several criteria to consider when selecting an overhead bridge crane. These include your functional purpose, the relative strengths and weaknesses of different manufacturers, and how you will install it.

Why Do You Need an Overhead Bridge Crane?

Here are vital questions to ask when determining what type of crane you will need.

What type of materials are you lifting (weight, mass)?
What are environmental conditions (heat, humidity, stress factors)
Are there any health and safety concerns?
Is there a lot of dust, dirt, or loose particles which could affect performance?

Factors that might mean you need specific crane types include humidity below 90 percent, an extreme temperature, outdoor use in inclement weather, or a very low or high altitude.

Some cranes have protective features that make them specially designed to overcome some of the above challenges. Using an unsuitable crane could be inefficient and lead to expensive faults and repairs or injury. Cranes can even collapse in some of the worst cases.

There Are Several Types of Overhead Bridge Cranes

Here are some of the different types of overhead bridge cranes.

Bridge/Overhead Cranes. In either Single or Double Girder Format
Gantry Cranes. These use rails Instead of suspended runways. They come in track-mounted, adjustable, and portable styles.
Jib Cranes. They don’t use a track or runway but instead are a standalone column or wall-mounted design.

Know Your Overhead Crane Manufacturers

Different manufacturers are geared up for various industries and use cases, so the crane you use should reflect that. Here are some questions you can answer to choose the right one.

Who is your company, business purpose, and target market?
What are your current workflow requirements and future ones so you can make a purchase that could also be useful in the future?
Do you have any lifting or handling limitations?

A good manufacturer or supplier will also ask you these questions to assess the best product for your specific business needs.

Overhead Crane Parts

For the best solutions that function overhead, shop crane suppliers who understand your industry, challenges, and working processes.

Finding the best overhead crane for sale involves a financial factor too, and it might be worth buying a used crane or buying a new crane to rent it out or resell in the future. Some manufacturers may also buy back cranes and recondition them for resale, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Overhead crane operator requirements are all listed on the NCCCO website, and you can also bear these in mind to ensure your team is prepared to follow regulations when using your new crane.

Overhead Bridge Crane Options

Many options are available for businesses interested in purchasing an overhead bridge crane.