To carry out work on loading (unloading), lifting, transportation, a crane beam is used, the technical characteristics of which allow working with bulky and heavy loads. Most often, such a device can be found in construction, in industry, in warehouses. The designs are diverse, as are their characteristics. But the principle of operation is the same for all types.
The principle of operation of the device
The crane beam is a certain design, which consists of the following elements:
- mechanism for lifting goods;
- a guide along which the mechanism moves (span beam);
- two end beams, which are necessary for the movement of the crane along the guides.
The lifting mechanism moves along the span in two directions: horizontally and vertically. The mechanism itself is driven by a drive that is controlled by the control panel.
The whole process of the crane beam can be divided into several stages:
- lifting of goods;
- movement of goods to their 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 views can be installed even in small angles, which very often remain empty due to their uncomfortable position.
The beam crane in its design can be divided into two types: supporting and suspended.
Overhead devices
The mobile mechanism of the suspended crane-beam moves along the suspended beams. They, in turn, are installed on the farms of the building. Instead of a farm, flyovers can be installed. Typically, the latter option is used outdoors.
The main elements of a mobile crane-beam are:
- end beam with hard mount;
- end beam movable;
- supporting beam;
- span beam, which is an I-beam;
- running carriages;
- lifting hoist (hoist) ;
- drive with remote control.
Jib Cranes
The supporting crane-beam in its design has a guide, which is mounted on supports. Supports are made in the form of rails or a square of concrete or metal.
A device of this type is represented by the following elements:
- span beam;
- end beam, which is attached to the span;
- the end beam is supported by crane tracks;
- load lifting mechanism;
- drive unit.
The remote control for the crane beam can be located inside a special cabin. And it can be lowered down. Then control is carried out from the floor using a push-button station.
type of drive
Two types of drive are installed on the crane-beam: electric and manual.
The manual crane crane is suitable for work with loads having small weight. The speed of movement of such devices is lower than that of electric ones. 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 via a chain.
The electric drive is more common. It uses a hoist or a winch mounted on special trolleys to move goods. The mechanism is driven by an electric motor, gearbox and cart wheels.
Key Features
The weight of the lifted load is the main parameter that characterizes the crane-beam. Capacity depends on the design. For support, 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 may vary. So, the supporting crane-beam is able to move the load at a speed of 0.4-1 meter per second. Hanging devices are a little slower. Their speed does not exceed 0.5 meters per second.
The characteristics also always indicate the span of the crane beam. It ranges from 3 to 28.5 meters. Under the span, it is customary to consider the space (area) that the device can service.
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 corresponds to a value from 7.5 to 12 meters.
Suspended crane beams can be lifted to a height of 6 to 36 meters. For supporting mechanisms, this value is lower, it reaches 6-18 meters.
Metal construction cranes
The main beams are usually made in the form of a rectangular box by welding four steel sheets. Sometimes bent sheets or trellised trusses can be used. This is done in order to increase the stability of the structure to bending under the action of strong loads.
The wall of the bridge, which is located inside, is the main one. Accordingly, the outer wall is auxiliary. For the auxiliary wall, metal with cutouts is sometimes used. Due to this, the weight of the entire structure is reduced. But cuts are made so that the bearing capacity of the structure does not decrease.
The frame design described above characterizes a two-beam device. A single-beam crane-beam is most often made of an I-beam with a rectangular or triangular section. It, as in the previous case, is performed in the form of a leaf or truss.
To strengthen the structure, diaphragms are welded inside the main beams. 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 the large weight of the transported loads. To eliminate this drawback, the beams are bent upwards in advance, creating the so-called building lift. Do this at the stage of cutting steel sheets.
End beams in their design resemble rectangular boxes. On them axle boxes and limiters of movement of cranes are established. In devices that are used outdoors, additional anti-theft mechanisms are installed inside the end beams. They protect movement under the influence of wind.
The use of crane beams greatly facilitates the implementation of many works. And in some cases, this is the only option for lifting and moving goods. It is because of this that their prevalence is so great.