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Gantry Cranes & Semi Gantry Cranes

Gantry Cranes Are Very Effective in Outdoor Applications

Gantry cranes, Semi-Gantry cranes are very effective in outdoor applications where there is no current runway structure or building to support this structure. In today's modern material handling facilities, it has also become common to see Gantry and Semi-Gantry cranes utilized for indoor applications due to a few essential factors, as defined below.

Gantry Cranes - A Practical Solution

Becoming more common are material handling facilities housed in buildings with long unsupported spans. Though this creates a challenge for a more traditional overhead crane, the spaces often have a less congested floor area, making a Gantry or Semi-Gantry crane operating directly on the floor an economical and practical material handling solution.

When using a Gantry or Semi-Gantry crane system there is no longer a need for existing beam structures, runway columns, or concrete foundations; allowing you to better control your floor layout for safety, traffic and space.

In recent years there has been a trend for smaller manufacturing business and fabrication shops to operate in leased properties such as industrial style 'mini mall' units. These types of buildings typically do not ideally support the dynamic loads that would be forced upon the structure by an overhead bridge crane, making a Gantry or Semi-Gantry crane solution an ideal fit for feasibility and cost effectiveness in material handling.

Another great feature of the Gantry or Semi-Gantry crane is portability, allowing business to relocate the entire crane with them to a new location when required. Gantry and Semi-Gantry crane systems remain a portable solution with no negative effects to the current or proposed housing location.

Gantry Cranes Components

Gantry crane pictureA gantry crane is a complex piece of machinery composed of numerous parts. Here are some of the primary components of a gantry crane:

  • Girder or Bridge: the horizontal beam along which the trolley travels. In a gantry crane this is usually a single, solid beam, but in larger, more complex systems, it could be a double girder.
  • Hoist: This apparatus does the actual lifting of the load. It is usually a wire rope or chain hoist and travels along the trolley on the girder.
  • Trolley: The trolly moves back and forth along the girder and carries the hoist. The movement of the trolley allows the load to be moved horizontally.
  • Supporting Structure (Legs): The legs are the vertical or nearly vertical beams that hold up the girder and it can be fixed or movable depending on the design of the crane. In a gantry crane, these are typically large, wheeled structures.
  • End Trucks: Located on either side of the gantry crane, the end trucks house the wheels that enable crane movement. They're typically found on each supporting leg of the crane.
  • Controls: The operating system that controls the movement of the crane. This could be a wired pendant, remote control, or a cabin control.
  • Drives: These are the motors that move the trolley along the girder and the entire crane along its runway.
  • Wheels: Gantry cranes often have wheels for mobility which allows them to move along a track or floor.
  • Power Supply System: It supplies power to the motors. This could be electrical, battery-powered, or even manual in the case of some smaller cranes.
  • Cables and Wires: These carry power and control signals to different parts of the crane.
  • Braking System: To safely stop the crane's movement when required.

The design and components of a crane can vary based on the specific type of gantry crane. Some gantry cranes are adjustable, portable, or fixed, and the design can vary based on the load capacity and the environment the crane is being used.

Gantry and Semi-Gantry Designs

Full Gantry Crane
Full Gantry Crane
Semi-Gantry Crane
Semi-Gantry Crane
Track Mounted Gantry
Track Mounted Gantry

What is Lean Manufacturing?

Many different type of business are now dividing their manufacturing process into 'cell process zones'. This is an increasingly popular manufacturing model that defines precise component processes as key pieces of a larger overall process, and then further designates physical zones dedicated to those smaller component processes.

Example of Lean Manufacturing Model

An example of lean manufacturing model would have a central processing zone utilizing an overhead travelling crane with a 60-foot span. Within this zone then could also be one or many component processes requiring a crane with a 30-foot span. In this scenario a semi gantry crane would be ideally suited as one end would be free standing or self-supported, allowing the other end to utilize a single side of the existing overhead runway.

The Munck Tracker Gantry crane is readily installed on any smooth concrete floor. The floor track utilized on one side of the Tracker Crane is easily removable or expandable should it be necessary to relocate the system.

Multiple Tracker Gantry Cranes

For larger applications, multiple Tracker Gantry Cranes can utilize the same track easily. Installation is simplified using the pre-engineered kit design, and the Tracker Gantry Crane arrives at its destination bolted with electrical connections pre-wired and ready to connect.

If you don't feel confident assembling the tracker yourself, your local Munck Crane Service Systems Technician is fully equipped to perform the setup safely and economically for you.

The Tracker is available in both Gantry and Semi-Gantry designs with capabilities of 1 to 5 Tons. Standard span are available up to 30 feet and lifts from 8 to 20 feet with single or two-speed motions.

The Tracker is a bold approach to material handling with safety, economy, versatility in mind.

Before You Invest in Material Handling Equipment, Talk to Munck Cranes!

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