Glossary Of Terms

Lifting Gantry Direct Glossary

We are hoping our glossary will help you to understand some industry terminology related to cranes.

Mobile Lifting Gantry – a mobile lifting gantry, also known as an ‘A frame’ is a crane that is raised on side supports. They can be both mobile or in a fixed position.
Aluminium Gantry – an aluminium gantry is also known as a lightweight portable gantry. It is a crane that is raised on side A frame supports, that can be errected and taken down quickly. Ideal for site work.
Jib Crane – a jib crane is a crane which has an arm or boom which can rotate in order to move loads within its arc. Our jib cranes can rotate up to at 280 degrees. The arm can either swing or be fixed into place.
Crane Accessories – crane accessories are the parts that are utilised with the crane to conduct lifting and lowering tasks. For example a beam trolley and hoist.
Lifting Equipment – lifting equipment is any equipment which is used for lifting and lowering loads, whether this is the cranes themselves, or the lifting accessories that are used to do the actual lifting
A Frame – A steel frame with bracing for strength and stability, typically forming the letter ‘A’ shape and used to support a runway beam on a gantry crane.
Lifting Capacity – the capacity or safe working load (SWL) is the maximum load (usually in tonnes or kilograms) that a crane is able to lift, lower and move.
Abnormal Operating Conditions – abnormal operating conditions are environments that can cause harm or unfavourable damage to your crane and lifting equipment. This may be due to too high or low temperatures or corrosive substances in the area.
Brinell Hardness Number – also called BHN, this is used to measure the hardness of a material.
Bumper – also called a buffer, this is a device which will reduce the impact of a crane reaching the end of its permitted route of travel.
Clearance – this is the minimum distance from a crane to the nearest possible obstruction, whatever this may be.
Dead Loads – loads which remain within a fixed position on a crane.
Fail-safe – a safety measure that has been put in place to safely stop or control a fault or malfunction that may occur within a piece of equipment.
Floor Crane – a floor crane is a much smaller type of crane, typically found in garages and is used for out engines. Also called an engine crane.
Hoist – a lifting accessory which is used for lifting and lowering. It may be manually operated or powered.
Lift Cycle – a singular lifting and lowering motion, which may or may not have a load.
Material Handling – material handling is the moving, protecting, storing and control of any materials.
Overhead Crane – an overhead crane, also referred to as a bridge crane, is a permanently fixed larger crane that is more often than not found in industrial environments. They generally feature parallel runways with a gap in the middle, along which the lifting accessory itself travels.

Conclusion

We hope you have learned some new terms from this glossary and if you would like any more specific terms added please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always happy to add to our brief glossary.