Crane beam: technical characteristics, purpose

To perform work on loading (unloading), lifting, transportation, a crane-beam is used, the technical characteristics of which allow working with large and heavy loads. Most often, such a device can be found in construction, in industry, in warehouses. Constructions are diverse, as are their characteristics. But the principle of work is the same for all species.

Principle of operation of the device

The crane-beam is a certain construction, which consists of the following elements:

• Mechanism for lifting loads;
• The guide along which the mechanism moves (flyway beam);
• Two end beams, which are necessary for the movement of the crane along the guides.

The lifting mechanism moves along the fly beam in two directions: horizontally and vertically. The mechanism itself is actuated by the drive, which is controlled by the control panel.

The entire process of the crane-beam operation can be divided into several stages:

• Cargo lifting;
• Movement of cargo to the destination (working stroke);
• unloading;
• Return to the place of loading (idling).

This design is very convenient. It can be used both indoors and outdoors. Individual species can be installed even in small angles, which very often remain empty due to their uncomfortable position.

The crane-beam can be divided into two types according to its design: supporting and suspended.

Suspension devices

The mobile mechanism of the overhead crane-beam moves along the suspension beams. They, in turn, are installed on the farms of the building. Instead of trusses trestles can be installed. Typically, the latter option is used outdoors.

The main elements of the mobile crane beam are:

• The end beam with rigid fastening;
• The end beam is movable;
• Bearing beam;
• A span beam, which is an I-beam;
• Running carriages;
• Lifting hoist (tal) ;
• Drive with control panel.

Support crane beams

The supporting crane-beam in its design has a guide, which is fixed to the supports. Supports are made in the form of rails or a square of concrete or metal.

The device of this type is represented by the following elements:

• Span beam;
• Beam end, which is attached to the span;
• The end beam is supported by crane tracks;
• Mechanism of lifting cargo;
• drive unit.

The console for the crane beam can be located inside a special cabin. And can be lowered down. Then the control is carried out from the floor using the push-button station.

type of drive

On the crane-beams are installed two types of drive: electric and manual.

The hand crane-beam is suitable for working with goods that have a low weight. The speed of movement of such devices is lower than that of electric devices. In them the working mechanism is represented by mobile worm hoists. The drive is assembled from a shaft that is connected to the running wheels. The transmission is connected to the traction wheel by means of a chain.

Most often there is an electric drive. It uses hoists or hoists to move loads, which are mounted on special carts. The mechanism is activated by means of an electric motor, reducer and wheels of the trolley.

Main characteristics of the device

The weight of the lifted load is the main parameter by which the crane beam is characterized. The carrying capacity depends on the design. For reference, this value is from 1 to 10 tons. Suspension devices have a lower value, which does not exceed 5 tons.

The speed of movement of the mechanism can vary. So, the supporting crane-beam is capable of moving the load at a speed of 0.4-1 meters per second. Suspension devices work a little slower. Their speed does not exceed 0.5 meters per second.

Characteristics also always indicate the span of the crane beam. It is in the range of 3 to 28.5 meters. Under the span it is considered to be a space (area) that can be serviced by the device.

This parameter allows you to divide into two categories:

• With one span, which are characterized by a length of 3 to 15 meters;
• With two spans, which correspond to a value of 7.5 to 12 meters.

Suspended crane beams load can be raised to a height of 6 to 36 meters. For support mechanisms this value is lower, it reaches 6-18 meters.

Metal constructions of cranes

The main beams are usually made in the form of a rectangular box by welding four steel sheets. Sometimes bent sheets or lattice trusses can be used. This is done to increase the stability of the structure to bending under the influence of strong loads.

The wall of the bridge, which is located inside, is the main one. Accordingly, the outer wall is an auxiliary wall. For the auxiliary wall, metal with notches is sometimes used. This reduces the weight of the entire structure. But cuts are made in such a way that the load-carrying capacity of the structure does not decrease.

The above described frame design characterizes a two-beam device. One-girder crane-beam is most often made of I-beam with rectangular or triangular cross section. It, like in the previous case, is executed as a leaf or a farm.

To strengthen the structure inside the main beams are welded diaphragms. They are placed at an angle of 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the beam. Their height is almost identical to the height of the walls.

With a large length of the main beams, there are often cases of their deflection inward under the influence of a large weight of the transported loads. To overcome this disadvantage, the beams are bent upward in advance, creating a so-called building uphill. Do this at the stage of cutting steel sheets.

The end beams in their design resemble boxes of rectangular shape. On them are installed axle boxes and limiters for the movement of cranes. In devices that are used outdoors, additional anti-theft mechanisms are installed inside the end beams. They protect the movement under the influence of wind.

The use of crane beams greatly facilitates the performance of many works. And in some cases this is the only possible option for lifting and moving loads. It is because of this that their prevalence is so great.