Jib cranes are a cost effective solution to material handling problems. They are ideal for lifting processes that are to take place in a small vicinity where the full coverage of an overhead crane is not necessary. They are also very popular for situations where an overhead crane system is already in place and the customer does not wish to tie up the cranes use in one area when it can be more effectively used in several other areas.

They come in two types, with two configurations and two methods of support depending on the applications requirements.

The two types are standard and knuckle designs. With a standard jib the arm of the jib is rigid and this allows the trolley of the hoist to run along the beam covering from the tip of the arm to close to the point of rotation. With a knuckle jib the hoist is fixed to the end of the arm and the arm itself is hinged in one or two places, this restricts the coverage of the hoist close to the point of suspension but with the knuckle allows the hoist to reach places a standard jib would be restricted from reaching.

The two configurations are over and under braced designs. The over braced option is most common and allows the hoist to reach as close to the point of suspension as possible. The under braced design is popular in low headroom applications because although it has restricted access close to the point of suspension, by being braced from underneath it is possible to get the jib arm higher and therefore also the hook or lifting point.

There are two main types of suspension for jib cranes, column mounted and free standing. Column mounted, as it sounds, is when a jib arm can be suspended from an existing building column or structure. This is good for situations where floor mounted support steelwork is not practical. Free standing, again as it sounds, are suitable for applications positioned far from building steelwork where the jib must be self supported. A free standing system may also be needed in situations where the building steelwork is not of a sufficient size to support a column mounted option.

Additional options are choice of manual or power slew and can even include 360 degree endless rotation for free standing models.

Whatever your lifting requirements Granada can specify and supply the ideal jib crane to suit your lifting application. Please contact one of our sales team to discuss your exact requirements.