Jib Crane

What Is A Jib Crane

A jib crane is a type of overhead lifting equipment that's often used in a smaller work cell area for repetitive and unique lifting tasks. Jib cranes are extremely versatile and can also be paired with overhead bridge cranes to maximize production.

For small capacity jib cranes, they are often used as one of workstation cranes for lifting tasks in production. Simply design, efficient work and low cost make jib crane very popular in workshops, factories, warehouses, and processing lines.

Industrial Jib Crane Design and Components

Simple design, means less maintenance. For the most application, industial jib cranes have a very basic design and construction. Compared with other workstation cranes and bridge or gantry cranes, they're simple to operate, and require less maintenance because they have less parts that could potentially breakdown or fail.

Below are some of the components and terms for general jib cranes:

Components

• Boom – the horizontal beam that the trolley travels back and forth on. It determines the working range of the jib crane system.
• Mast/Pillar – the vertical beam used to support the boom on freestanding and mast systems.
• Movable Hoist – the hoist as the core lifting mechanism of jib crane, is used to lift, position, and lower a load.
• Trolley – the motion of the trolley can be manual, motorized, or pneumatic. The trolley carries the hoist, wire rope or chain, and the hook along the entire length of the boom.
• Controls – on motorized or air-powered jib systems, you can use a push button controller to control the rotation of the boom, as well as the motion of the trolley and the lifting and lowering motion of the hoist. Multi-speed or variable speed controls are available for the hoist and trolley.
• Rotation Stop – if the crane is located close to a wall or other obstruction, a rotation stop will limit the crane's motion before it collides with a nearby object.

Terms

• Rotation – on free standing and mast type jib cranes, you can achieve 360° of boom rotation. On wall and column-mounted jib cranes, you can achieve 180-200° of rotation.
• Electrification/Pneumatic Power – electric collector rings or pneumatic air lines can be added to the top or bottom of the mast to provide rotation assistance and allow for continuous 360° boom rotation.
• Hook Height – How high can you or do you want to go with your lifts? You'll need to know the lowest overhead obstruction to know how tall your jib crane can be.
• Environmental Considerations – the components of the jib system can be galvanized to resist corrosion for outdoor applications. Also, special control enclosures can be designed for explosion proof applications, and other environments where heat, dust and dirt, or moisture may be a factor. 

Different Industrial Jib Crane Types

Freestanding Pillar Mounted Jib Crane

Foundationless Jib Crane

Freestanding jib crane is the most common type of jib system because they can be installed virtually anywhere including indoors or outdoors. Freestanding jib systems can be used underneath large bridge crane systems, or in open areas where they can support individual work cells. They can be used outdoors at marinas or loading docks, and indoors for machining and assembly operations where multiple jibs can be used in conjunction for staged operation.

Freestanding Pillar Mounted Articulating Jib Crane

Wall Mounted Articulating Jib Crane

Compared to traditional jib cranes with one boom, articulating jib cranes have two swivel arms that can lift loads around corners and columns, and reach into or under machinery and containers. The primary boom arm allows for 200° swivel and the outer arm allows for up to 360° of rotation—providing a greater coverage area and more flexibility closer to the mast or column.

Mobile Jib Crane

Portable Jib Crane

Mobile jib crane is different with all the other type jib cranes. The most important feature of mobile jib crane is it can move / leave to the working area with wheels when you need/don't need it. This makes it very flexible. With up to 2 ton lifting capacity, it can finish your lifting tasks easily.

Wall-Mounted Jib Crane

Wall-Mounted Jib Crane

Wall-mounted jib crane systems can be used in individual bays, along structurally adequate walls or building support columns, or as a supplement to an existing monorail or overhead bridge crane. The main advantage of using a wall-mounted system is the space-savings that it offers. They don't require any type of floor or foundation support, and they can also be installed very close to the underside of the lowest ceiling obstruction, providing maximum clearance both under and above the boom.

Wall Travelling Jib Crane

Wall Travelling Jib Crane

Wall Travelling Jib Cranes can be operated below overhead cranes, enabling several logistical flows in production areas. They can also handle heavier loads when compared to standard workstation lifting systems. Wall travelling jib cranes also provide a cost efficient and flexible means of lifting and handling loads with hook coverage.

Cost-effective Industrial Jib Crane System for Your Lifting Tasks

Yuantai Crane has over 30 years of experience in the industrial jib crane industry and can build custom solutions ranging from light-duty economical cranes to large-capacity, high-duty cycle cranes. Our expert team can help you design and specify a cost-effective industrial jib crane system for your facility, production or budgetary needs. If you're interested in scheduling a consultation, please don't hesitate to contact us today.