The heavy lifting industry has managed to keep abreast with a fast changing world, and there are many different types of crane commonly used today. With mobile solutions and extendable booms, it is now possible to safely lift very heavy pieces of machinery and equipment, and for those who are interested, here are some of the common types of heavy crane in use at the moment.
- The Mobile Crane – This is without a doubt one of the most popular types of cranes in use today, and typically, the crane is part of a vehicle that has 4 or even 6 outriggers, which gives the vehicle enough stability to perform heavy lifting operations. This vehicle is normally on wheels, however, mobile cranes also are set onto rails and sometimes caterpillar tracks, which help the vehicle move through boggy or uneven ground.The boom is telescopic, with several extendable sections that fit inside each other, and this allows the crane to fully extend, giving a much higher capability. If you require something heavy lifted, the chances are that a mobile crane would be ideal for the job, and with affordable crane hire services in Stockport and surrounding areas, finding a hire company is easy when searching online.
- The Telescopic Crane – Although most mobile cranes are telescopic, there are also some that are not mobile, but use an extendable boom. Some units have 3 or even 4 steel sleeves that extend out to give a very long boom, which is often necessary when lifting large and bulky items. These are mainly used on construction sites, and typically, the builder would hire the machine and operator on an hourly basis from a local crane hire company, who would be fully insured for all lifting operations.
- The Tower Crane – Used for tall building construction, the tower crane can be as high as 1,000 metres and is made up of separate extensions that are bolted together to form the main pillar. This type of crane gives a better height and weight range for heavy lifting, and when ascending to great heights, the main tower would likely be fixed to a building to give it extra strength and stability. The lifting mechanism runs along a set of tracks along the top boom and using a series of heavy cables, the connecting hooks can be raised or lowered, as well as being moved laterally, which allows for greater manoeuvrability.
- Truck Mounted Crane – Also known as a HIAB, this type of crane is used for loading and unloading materials from a truck. The single boom arm might be pivoted in the centre and is normally located just behind the driver’s cab, and with outriggers that can be lowered, this gives the crane much needed stability, and these cranes do not lift more than 50 tonnes. Builder’s merchants will use this type of truck to deliver building materials to a construction site, as the heavy load can easily be unloaded and stacked safely. The truck driver would be fully trained to operate the crane extension and this makes for very quick loading and unloading, and the operation does not require a lot of manpower.
If you should require the use of a crane for any reason, there are specialist crane hire companies that are fully equipped to handle any type of heavy lifting, and for most tasks, this is the safest and most affordable solution.
