
Cranes are important machines for construction and industrial processes because they enable the movement and manipulation of extremely heavy goods and materials. As a Rader Vogel wheels suppliers, Yorkshire-based YB Components present this quick look at two of the most common cranes in industry, as well as the world’s largest crane currently at work right here in the UK.
Overhead Crane
One of the most frequently used cranes in industry is the overhead crane, sometimes called a bridge crane. You will find overhead cranes in factories as they are specialised for indoor use, and they are especially popular in the steel industry.
This type of crane features a hook-and-line mechanism that travels along either a double or single horizontal beam attached to separate rails that often reach from one end of the factory to the other.
As well as being popular in the steel industry, overhead cranes are frequently used in the automobile manufacturing industry and in paper mills, where for the latter they are employed installing cast iron paper drying drums and removing heavy press rolls.
Tower Crane
Perhaps the most recognisable crane to the layman is the tower crane, as they are often spotted on large outdoor construction sites. Their huge height and familiar ‘crossed-T’ shape make them a familiar sight in cities all over the world.
Tower cranes are a type of balancing crane that are fixed to the ground via various means such as on a purpose-built concrete slab or by drilling deep holes into the ground to house the anchoring legs. Their height makes them necessary in the construction of tall buildings, though they serve many other purposes for lifting and moving heavy materials and equipment on ground level.
The operators of tower cranes usually sit in a cab at the top of the tower and keep in constant radio contact with another controller on the ground. The tower crane operators undergo rigorous training and must attain certification before being authorised. Some tower cranes can also be operated via remote control by an operator on the ground.
Ring Crane
From the most frequently-used and most well known cranes to one of the rarer varieties in the form of the ring crane. Ring cranes are enormous, even dwarfing tower cranes, and are used for especially large or heavy single lifts.
Their usage and hire costs are often prohibitive in industry, but they are necessary and ultimately cost-effective for certain large scale construction projects. The ring crane’s jib arm has an especially long reach as well which enables them to operate across larger areas than other cranes. This reach often eliminates the need to use other expensive high capacity machinery.
The world’s largest crane is a ring crane, or a double ring crane to be precise. It is officially called the Sarens SGC-250, though affectionately nicknamed Big Carl. It has a reach of 275 metres and can lift a maximum of 5,000 tonnes. Big Carl is currently operating at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset, England.
Rader-Vogel Crane Wheels
Rader-Vogel manufacture fixed-connection drive wheels that are ideal for stabilising the transmission from the engine through to the ground. The Rader Vogel wheels also enhance the braking and acceleration capabilities. They do not require castors, although there are lots of boring, groove and clamping kit recess options.
If you require any crane wheels such as Rader Vogel wheels, then contact YB Components who are the UK’s leading crane wheels suppliers in Yorkshire.