Jib & Gantry Cranes

Jib & gantry cranes are two popular varieties of freestanding cranes often found in environments such as factory floors. These are usually lighter and smaller cranes used right at work stations or by workers engaged in specific tasks.

Jib Cranes

A jib crane is a free standing crane that looks a bit like the cranes used on construction sites. It usually consists of an arm mounted on a small tower with a winch or hoist at one end. A wire rope or other lifting mechanism runs up the arm from the hoist providing the lifting power.

Jib cranes have the advantage of being free structures that can be easily moved. They are usually only useful for lifting unless they are mounted on some sort of wheeled carriage or rail system for movement.

It is not uncommon for jib cranes to be mounted directly upon walls and other structures. Jib cranes are often used outside because they are not overhead cranes.

Gantry Cranes

The difference between jib & gantry cranes is that a gantry crane is an overhead crane or bridge crane. It usually consists of a crane mounted upon a girder or girders or span held up by supports similar to a bridge.

The difference between a gantry crane and a traditional bridge crane is that a gantry crane is usually mobile. In many cases the gantry crane is mounted on rails or wheels so that it can be moved. In other cases it can be easily broken down for easy movement.

A popular trend in gantry cranes is smaller gantry cranes designed for home and small business uses. A popular brand of smaller gantry crane is the Snaptrac which is small enough for use in home garages and mom and pop shops.

Giant gantry cranes are often used in outdoor industrial facilities such as lumberyards and intermodal shipping yards. In these facilities huge gantry cranes are used to move large objects such as cargo containers.

In some cases the gantry crane will be mounted upon wheels or rails and motorized so it can be moved around. Outdoor gantry cranes maybe moved around a yard for easy lifting.

Gantry cranes usually have a much heavier load capacity than jib cranes and have the advantage of sometimes being traveling cranes. A drawback to gantry cranes is that they take up quite a bit of space on the floor.

Advantages to Jib & Gantry Cranes

The biggest advantage to jib & gantry cranes is that they are free standing structures. This means that their installation involves no construction or engineering work on the building. Since they are not attached to the building, jib & gantry cranes can be used in older structures and larger structures where traditional overhead cranes can’t be used.

Another advantage to jib & gantry cranes is that they can be quickly installed and set up. This makes them ideal for situations when a lifting solution is needed fast.

A disadvantage to jib & gantry cranes is that they can take up quite a bit of space on the floor. This can get in the way of work and manufacturing processes.