single girder cranes

Single Girder Cranes are typically the most economical choice for light to medium duty bridge cranes. They are available up to 100’ span at 10 ton capacity, up to 80’ at 15 ton, up to 60' at 20 ton. Single girder cranes are available as both top running, or under running where the crane runway beams hang from the existing facility overhead structure. Equipment Fabricators builds nearly 100 single girder cranes each year.

The advantages of single girder cranes (as compared to double girder) include economy and slightly lower loads delivered into the building or foundations.

Some things to consider with single girder cranes include:

1. The crane main girder is above the hoist, therefore reducing the available hook height in a given facility.
2. The hoist trolley wheels ride on the relatively soft steel of the main girder bottom flange, therefore, the life expectancy of the structural beam is limited.
3. The trolley mechanical components are often less durable when compared to double girder top running trolleys.
4. Special features are often difficult to incorporate into single girder cranes – i.e. service walks, lights, fast speeds, heavy service components etc
   

double girder cranes

Double Girder Cranes are typically used when the limitations of single girder cranes are reached. Double Girder cranes are available up to almost limitless span and capacity. Additionally, a vast number of special design features are available. Equipment Fabricators has built these cranes up to 130’ span and has built major components for cranes handling up to 600 ton loads.

The advantages of double girder cranes (as compared to single girder) include:

1. Traditionally are more durable than single girder
2. Excellent hook height relative to facility overhead obstructions
3. Better serviceability compared to single girder
4. Wide range of special features available: much higher speeds, maintenance, serviceability and durability options, and special controls

The disadvantages of double girder cranes (as compared to single girder) include:

1. Higher initial cost
2. Slightly higher loads delivered into facility and/or foundations
3. Slightly reduced end approach due to longer wheel base endtrucks

jib cranes

Jib Cranes are often a very economical choice when desired work area is limited. Jib cranes are commonly available and reasonably priced up to 5 ton x 25' boom length. Jibs are commonly used in smaller work station applications and are often used for removing boats from the water where ramps are limited. They are available with motorized rotation as well manual push/pull rotation.

The above pictured EFI built jib crane is used for moving boats in and out of the water. The waterfront location invoked a number of special design features including hot dip galvanized column, sandblast and two coat paint of all other steel, anti-condensation heaters in all motors and controls, higher horse power motors due to operations in the wind, and hurricane tie-downs.

The above pictured EFI built Jib crane is mounted to existing facility structure. When this approach is considered, thorough evaluation of the facility structure must be performed.

wall traveling jib cranes

Wall Traveling Jib Cranes are somewhat rare due to their high initial cost for both the crane, runway system and the cost for facility structural reinforcements. However, when properly applied and used, they offer tremendous benefits to production while causing little interference with other equipment and operations in the facility. The bridge cranes typically pass over the top of wall traveling jibs.

There are a number of manufacturers of light duty wall traveling jib cranes. Spanco, Gorbel and O-Brien to name a few. EFI has developed a very heavy duty wall traveling jib that utilizes swiveling and articulating connections for all major load carrying wheels. While expensive, our wall traveling jibs are providing years of heavy service with very little maintenance long after the other jibs have been taken down and thrown into the "bone yard".

The above pictured EFI designed and built Wall Traveling Jib is one of 5 units in use by a large fabricating plant. The jibs serve a dipping tank for trusses as well as fabrication areas. A number of our jibs are also in use serving production plate burning lines as well.

Scorpion Welding & Workstation
Another application for wall traveling machinery is EFI's Scorpion Welding and Workstation system. This EFI designed and built wall traveling work station system eliminates shop floor clutter and damage to wire feed welders, torch lines, air lines, 110 v power lines etc. The system puts all (or part of) these utilities up on the swinging and traveling boom instead of on the floor in harms way.

truss girder cranes

Truss Girder Cranes are a variation from the typical beam or box girder that becomes economical when long crane spans are required. Additionally, many truss girders allow the hoist to be located "up into" truss thereby offering much better hook height than a single beam or box girder crane. Also, truss girder cranes are typically more economical than long span beam or box girder cranes. Truss girder cranes offer almost limitless span - but capacity is often limited with longer spans. Truss girders are also used on outdoor long span cranes in order to reduce effects of wind on the crane drive system.

The above pictured EFI designed and built Truss girder crane spans 92'. The building was too low for traditional box girder crane design, so the truss girder was the appropriate choice. In this particular application, the Truss had to be designed shallow enough for the marble sheets to stay below the truss yet high enough get on and off trucks - while in the vertical position.

gantry cranes

Gantry Cranes offer an economical solution to bridge cranes when the building is inadequate to support a bridge crane or the crane system is to be located outdoors.

While Gantries offer significant cost savings, there are a number of things to consider as well:

1. When floor mounted, the gantry legs will be constantly traveling in the area of workers – thereby creating a workplace hazard. Warning bells must be installed to alert the workers of gantry movement, but after a while, workers tend to get used to the noise and fail to notice it. If the noise is too loud, it aggravates the workers and they disconnect the warning bell: which is even worse!
2. Powering the gantry is problematic: cord reels can be used – but have limited range – and create a hazard in that it is a high-voltage “extension cord” on the ground. Another alternative is a buss bar system running along the length of the runway, but this is yet another added cost that is often unanticipated.
3. Heavier capacity Gantries must have some type of steel rail system to ride on – this rail often impedes forklifts and other equipment.
4. Gantries have a relatively high wheel load, which means the concrete must be quite thick, or strip footers must be installed.

The above pictured pair of 10 ton by 50' span gantries was designed and built by EFI to be used in a concrete bucket handling operation. Notice the substantial bracing used to maintain structural rigidity.

The above pictured Elevated Leg 30 ton x 35' span gantry was designed and built by EFI for a South Florida pump station.

These cranes have a full compliment of outdoor service options: Oversized motors and controls to allow operation in high wind conditions, sandblast and high performance paint systems, Nema 4X enclosures, galvanized fasteners, space heaters in motors and controls, hoist covers, motor covers etc.

monorail systems

Monorails can either be designed as self-supported (as shown in picture above) or supported by existing facility overhead steel. Capacity is limited, up to about 20 tons in most cases. Lengths of the rail are almost limitless.

The above pictured EFI designed and built monorail system is used to service boats. Here again, the outdoor service caused the customer to require a high-performance paint system.

The above pictured EFI designed and built monorail system is used in conjunction with a free-standing bridge crane system in a re-bar fabrication yard.

load beams & rigging

Once the appropriate crane is in place, connecting it to the load must then be considered. A set of chains or chokers often doesn’t work correctly. Appropriate selection of rigging, spreader beams and other under-hook devices is critical to safe and productive use of cranes. EFI has built a number of special below the hook devices.

The above pictured EFI designed and built load beam is 23’ long rated at 150 tons.

The above pictured very unique load beam was designed and built by EFI to provide a method for a boat manufacturer to install the motors – after the boat was nearly complete. The load beam features a movable counterweight and an electric winch to lower the motor into position.

The above pictured specialized load beam arrangement was designed by one of EFI’s distributors, Royce Crane of Atlanta. EFI built the crane and load beam system for Royce Crane. The System is used to store and retrieve.

crane runway systems

The importance of proper crane runway system design, fabrication and installation is critical to the durability and life span of the crane system. EFI builds runway systems for most of our cranes. Our shop’s crane builders implement the same exacting standards for accuracy and workmanship on the runways as they do the cranes. Many runway systems are built by “red-iron" shops and are un-aware of the importance of the runways.

The above pictured EFI designed and built 25’ tall freestanding A-frame runway system sees column loads in the area of 100,000#, 3 shifts per day, 5 days per week. All steel is shot blasted, epoxy primered and top-coated with Alkyd Enamel. Additionally, all un-welded joints are caulked with polyurethane caulk.

The above pictured EFI designed and built 30’ tall freestanding runway system is ready to have the roof installed. The facility features 60,000 sf of floor space. All steel is shot blasted and epoxy primered.