- Messages
- 14,356
- Location
- UK
I've spent a few months on and off trying to find a gantry crane somewhere near the right size for our unit. We can cut and carve an existing frame to fit, but they are either too big or too small, meaning it's not financially viable to alter. So, we'll make our own.
Set of columns left and right of the building with runway beams along the tops of the columns (to reduce loading on the connections). Is it better to have the runway beam (The yellow one in the picture) sitting ontop of the beams, or hanging off the bottom flanges? Hanging off seems to be easier as we can make use of runway clamps (See pic) with pair of drive motors to move the runway beam, however means i will have to offset the supporting columns with a nasty connection.
We can buy an off the shelf chain hoist with integral drive to shift it along the runway beam.
SWL? As much as possible. Realistically no less than 5 tonne. We're alright for headroom, but i want to keep it all as tight as possible to give us as much height to hook as possible. Unfortunately we're in a rented place so cant make use of the building structure to hang the crane off. Its only a portal frame anyway, so not a lot of steel in it. Area covered by the crane will be around 30' x 40'. Gone imperial there for some reason.
Any ideas before i fire Solidworks up?
Set of columns left and right of the building with runway beams along the tops of the columns (to reduce loading on the connections). Is it better to have the runway beam (The yellow one in the picture) sitting ontop of the beams, or hanging off the bottom flanges? Hanging off seems to be easier as we can make use of runway clamps (See pic) with pair of drive motors to move the runway beam, however means i will have to offset the supporting columns with a nasty connection.
We can buy an off the shelf chain hoist with integral drive to shift it along the runway beam.
SWL? As much as possible. Realistically no less than 5 tonne. We're alright for headroom, but i want to keep it all as tight as possible to give us as much height to hook as possible. Unfortunately we're in a rented place so cant make use of the building structure to hang the crane off. Its only a portal frame anyway, so not a lot of steel in it. Area covered by the crane will be around 30' x 40'. Gone imperial there for some reason.
Any ideas before i fire Solidworks up?