Cranes; Their Parts And Uses

We all are familiar with the term crane and almost every person has sighted them himself. We are well aware of their purpose as well. Cranes are the best option when it comes to heavy lifting. Different industries have different purposes for using cranes, but all of them are related to lifting loads.

Parts of crane and their usage

Hook

A hook is the main part that serves the main purpose of lifting the objects. There are many different types of cranes out there, but every single one of them will have a hook. Hooks are made from very strong materials as they have to bear the load of the whole subject while the crane moves and does its work. The durability and maximum load-carrying capability of the hook play a heavy role in determining the overall strength of the crane.

Ropes

A few crane types use very strong ropes to hold the objects. These ropes, in reality, are wires made of smaller twisted wires to form one strong one, capable enough to lift tons of weight. These wires mark the strength of the crane’s hook as well.

Boom

Boom is one of the most obvious and important parts of the crane as it connects the hook to the rest of the crane. It is responsible for lifting the weight and moving the subject from one place to another. The size of the boom varies with the size of the crane. Boom is further categorized into two types, i.e., lattice boom and hydraulic boom.

Counterweight

Cranes have a lot of weight in themselves because it acts as an opposing weight to the weight of the object to be lifted. Also, the weight of the twisted ropes and hook add to the total of the object side, which must be less than the actual weight of the crane.

These weights can be adjusted for every piece of work. Also, removing some of them makes it easier to drive the crane. At sites that need greater counter-power, large weights are used as counters and otherwise, smaller weights can serve the purpose.

Wheels

This segment also varies according to crane types. But generally, wheels play a huge part in the smooth functionality of a crane. The wheels of cranes are usually in the form of a track chain. This gives it better stability. Though there are some cons to it as well as it works best on even lands, drivers prefer them based on their safety ratio.

Outriggers

They also play part in maintaining the weight of the crane. Their basic job is to lift the crane a little bit off the ground, to make sure that if the weight of the object is too much, or the soil is slippery, the crane does not move forward due to forward wheel movements.

Conclusion

Cranes are a great part of the machinery, which not only helps in construction areas but in various other fields. They are a great mechanical invention, containing discrete parts, having simple functions, making them a useful tool of industry.