But larger floor space consumption shouldn't be the single reason urge you to buy a crane. You should also be keeping your handling staffs' safety and operational efficiency in mind. You should check some questions:

What are the required total load weights?
What boom length will the overall space require?
Can the ceiling, ground or wall support the crane?
How will the crane access and leave the site?

Certainly, these are just a few questions to ask, but this set you on the right track. It is also wise to take the time to review the four major types of cranes and to familiarize yourself with each of their strengths and weaknesses.

1. Overhead bridge crane

Also known as overhead gantry crane, looks and functions exactly what it sounds like. In an "H" configuration, a bridge between two side rails is presented. In between the side rails, the crane bridge slides. In most of the cases, overhead bridge cranes are roof-mounted or freestanding and can have several bridges. The benefits of using an overhead gantry crane are that it covers a much larger area than a jib crane, as well as a wider area than a monorail. Overhead bridge cranes are usually designed to cover an entire manufacturing workspace and are also extremely useful for loading and unloading trucks.

2. Gantry Crane

Gantry crane is increasing popularly as an alternative to the overhead travelling bridge crane, the gantry crane is widely used in many industries even as an outdoor solution. The main differentiation between the two types of bridge cranes is that the freestanding gantry crane has two rigid steel legs that allow it to be used outdoors.

Gantry cranes are usually available in spans up to 150 feet with a capacity of 150 tons and are often used in rail and shipyards. It is stunningly a fact that these gantry cranes sometimes cost less than a bridge crane of similar size. Several trackless gantries are also wheel-operated and can move about freely without the use of end trucks.

3. Jib Crane

The most popular type of crane, static and rolling jib cranes can pivot perpendicular to a stationary axis. The 180 to 360-degree rotation is most useful in construction projects and as individual workstations in welding or fabrication. Jib Cranes really run the gamut in terms of specifications and costs. The one pictured is more common, and may have a capacity of a ton or so, but larger construction cranes can carry up to 100 tons or more. In every situation, Jib cranes are usually less expensive than a bridge or gantry cranes and can be used to very precisely spot lighter loads. Jibs are functionally very flexible, but the obvious problem is that they don't have a wide coverage area.


4. Monorail

A small alteration of the overhead travelling bridge crane, the monorail hoist and trolley run on a single stationary beam. While this may seem restricting, monorails actually have much more track flexibility. They can wind, loop and twist their way around complex floor spaces and stations. Monorails are strategically designed when workflow necessitates the use of curved tracks, multiple switches, and interlocks that allow the monorail to interface with other systems. Widely used for repetitive production jobs, they are often designed to be computer-operated.