Free Standing Workstation Bridge Cranes: Lightweight, Easy Installation Crane

Free standing workstation bridge crane is a kind of rail-running crane supported by independent steel columns installed on the ground and erected with rails on the columns.

Workstation bridge cranes are flexible and adaptable, widely used in various types of workstations. It is suitable for workstation where the plant structure does not have load-bearing capacity, open-air work sites, project sites that need to be relocated, and other places. The design can be evaluated and programmed according to your actual usage. It mainly consists of rail system, column device, lifting trolley, electrical system and some functional parts. All components are modularized design, can be freely combined and transformed according to the workstation layout needs, mainly based on the work lifting capacity, work span, lifting height and the use of the environment to determine.

Overview of the Free Standing Workstation Bridge Cranes

Flexible Free Standing Single Girder Bridge Crane

Flexible Free Standing Double Girder Bridge Crane

Rigid Free Standing Workstation Single Girder Bridge Crane

Rigid Free Standing Workstation Single Girder Bridge Crane

Aluminum Alloy Free Standing Single Girder Bridge Crane

Free Standing Top Running Workstation Bridge Crane

Flexible Free Standing Single Girder Bridge Crane

Flexible Free Standing Single Girder Bridge Crane: The track structure of flexible connection is mostly Ω shape, flexible connection method, both ends are fixed on the steel frame of independent structure, not supported by the plant structure. The hoist trolley travels inside the beam, and this structural form can be adapted to light load and short distance handling operations. The electric hoist trolley moves flexibly under the main beam and handles the goods easily.

Main technical parameters:

• Lifting capacity: 80kg-1t
• Span:3.5m-7.75m
• Control mode: ground control and remote control

Features:

• Simple structure and low installation cost
• Can be easily moved manually
• Articulated connection between crane main girder and trolley ensures smooth and obstacle-free operation
• Light weight and low wheel pressure
• Cost-effective solutions can be customized to meet customer workshop requirements, even in limited areas
• Wide range of applications thanks to modular system design
• Cranes can also be operated on non-parallel tracks

Flexible Free Standing Double Girder Bridge Crane

Flexible Free Standing Double Girder Bridge Crane: Flexible double girder structure needs to ensure the parallelism of the two beams when installing, compared with the single beam is slightly more complex, the flexible structure as a whole is connected to the load-bearing structure through the pins, bolts, ball points and other components. This form of structure compared to the flexible single beam can be more stable lifting materials, lifting capacity is greater, the electric hoist trolley in the two main beams between the movement of the goods.

Main technical parameters: 

• Lifting capacity: 125kg-2t
• Span: 3.65m-10m
• Control mode: ground control and remote control

Features: 

• Double girder operation for greater stability.
• Excellent installation dimensions.
• Can be used in advanced handling systems such as robotic cranes.
• More even load distribution on the double girder.
• hoist between double girders maximizes hook travel, high lifting height and high space utilization.
• Spans can be maximized with multiple hangers (cranes running on more than two tracks), covering a wide range of storage and production areas.
• Modular system design for a wide range of applications.

Rigid Free Standing Workstation Single Girder Bridge Crane

Rigid Free Standing Workstation Single Girder Bridge Crane: A sturdy truss-type main beam spans straight above the work area, with the ends securely fastened to separate floor supports that do not rely on the plant walls for support. Rigidly connected rails have side flaps designed to ensure that the trolley is reliably connected to the rail, and even if the wheels are damaged, the flaps prevent the trolley from falling off. Rigid beams are thicker and thicker without elastic deformation, the electric hoist trolley travels smoothly along the track underneath the main beams and can lift heavier loads accurately.

Main technical parameters: 

• Lifting capacity: 80kg-2t
• Span: <10m
• Control mode: ground control and remote control

Features: 

• High track strength, one time cold rolled molding, no welding, not easy to deformation.
• High positioning accuracy, suitable for work in the position of high precision requirements of the occasion.
• Large spacing between lifting points, fewer columns, easier to install.
• Less steel structure used, reducing cost.
• Enclosed rail, no welding in section, good performance.

Rigid Free Standing Double Girder Bridge Crane

Rigid Free Standing Double Girder Bridge Crane: Two sturdy truss-type main beams span straight above the work area and are securely fastened at both ends to independent floor supports that do not rely on the plant walls for support. Rigidly connected railcars have side flaps designed to ensure that the trolley is reliably connected to the fixed rail and that the flaps prevent the trolley from falling off even if the wheels are damaged. The rigid design of the main beam prevents diagonal pulling. A steel trolley with motor and reel rides on the double girder track and can move smoothly along the length of the girder, and the hook can lift and lower heavy objects with precision.

Main technical parameters: 

• Lifting capacity: 125kg-3t
• Control mode: ground control and remote control

Features: 

• Longer spans to cover a larger working area.
• High track strength, not easy to deform.
• Unique rail surface design, less friction resistance.
• Not easy to produce the phenomenon of oblique pull, easy to move and effectively prevent the main beam jamming.
• Simple structure, large lifting capacity.
• High positioning accuracy, less shaking, suitable for work in the position of high precision requirements of the occasion.
• Fewer lifting points, easy to install.

Aluminum Alloy Free Standing Workstation Single Girder Bridge Crane

Aluminum Alloy Free Standing Single Girder Bridge Crane: Aluminum rail cranes are a more suitable solution for fast and frequent operations in environments that require a high level of environmental cleanliness, as well as for more labor-saving handling.

Features: 

• Lighter weight compared to equivalent steel rail equipment, reducing deadweight by up to 40%.
• Unique rail design, easy to install and accurate positioning
• Modular design, easy to install and expand, flexible layout.
• Traveling trolley special design, the safety limit is 1.75 times that of traditional trolley.
• The surface layer is treated with anodic oxidation and its own anticorrosive property, which is suitable for use in clean plants.
• Precise linkage of the whole system, smooth running of all parts, low rolling resistance and remarkable mute effect.

Free Standing Top Running Workstation Bridge Crane

Free Standing Top Running Bridge Crane: A crane that consists of a main beam placed on a steel structure standing on the ground can be connected in multiple units, making it ideal for welding stations, assembly units, machining centers, and more. Again, no foundation is required, just a 5-inch concrete floor. Designed for heavy-duty lifting, it can lift heavier materials.

Features: 

• Diversified control mode: can be close to the scene of a single machine hand-controlled operation, or in the control room for multi-machine linkage operation
• Large lifting capacity, up to 5 tons or more
• Enhanced vertical working space
• Multiple units can be connected to cover a longer working area.

Connection Method

The illustration shows that according to the way the track is connected to the load-bearing system it can be categorized into flexible free standing overhead cranes and rigid free standing bridge cranes.

Lifting Weight: Smaller lifting weights (<2tons)
Connecting element: Spherical Structural Flexible
Connections
Operational positioning accuracy: Lower positioning accuracy
Type of force: Partial release of impact loads possible
Span: Smaller spans, generally less than 9m
Comprehensive cost: Less consumables, lower cost

Lifting Weight: Capable of withstanding large loads
(<3tons)
Connecting element: bolt connection
Operational positioning accuracy: Higher positioning
accuracy
Type of force: Directly loaded, fully stressed
Span: Larger spans available, customizable to greater than
9m
Comprehensive cost: More consumables, high cost

Application Scenarios for Free-standing Bridge Cranes

Free standing workstation bridge cranes are used in a wide range of applications. They can be used in various areas such as production material handling, warehousing and logistics, palletizing and loading, automotive assembly, electronics and semiconductors, medical and food industry.

Production Line Material Handling

Free standing bridge cranes offer significant advantages for flexible material handling in modern intelligent production lines. Its modular design supports quick adjustment of production line layout, allowing dismantling and location change of equipment within 48 hours, significantly shortening the cycle time of production line modification. The unique self-supporting structure does not need to rely on the factory building, and the column spacing can be adjusted within a certain range according to the needs of the working conditions, thus maximizing the utilization of space. What is more worth mentioning is that the system can form a cooperative operation network with the bridge crane: the upper crane is responsible for cross-regional heavy parts transfer, and the lower independent bridge crane completes the precision distribution between workstations, forming a three-dimensional handling system.

Warehouse Logistics And Palletizing Loading

In modern intelligent warehousing systems, free standing workstation bridge cranes are becoming the core equipment for logistics automation. In conjunction with AGV systems, they enable fully automated and precise transfer of palletized goods. Their modularity supports the progressive transformation of warehouses: initially, a single span system can be installed to cover the core area, and later on, by splicing in expansion units, their operating area can be increased. More prominently, when the warehouse needs to adjust the racking layout, it only needs to change the position of the columns to reconstruct the operation area, which saves 90% of the transformation time compared with the traditional cranes.

Automotive Manufacturing Parts Assembly

In the field of intelligent automotive manufacturing, free standing bridge crane provide a reliable solution for total powertrain assembly. It can safely lift engine assemblies or new energy battery packs, and realize precise positioning at micro-speed through the frequency control system. Advanced anti-sway algorithms keep the load swing to a minimum, ensuring perfect synergy with automated tightening equipment.

Electronics, Semiconductors And Food & Pharmaceuticals

In environmentally sensitive industries, free standing workstation bridge cranes are fully independently supported and do not touch the structure of the plant, avoiding the vibration caused by the vibration of the roof dust falling during the mechanical operation. In the semiconductor field, the use of special materials such as aluminum alloy and the design of shielded cables effectively reduces the electromagnetic interference of the environment on precision instruments and ensures the safe operation of precision equipment such as photolithography machines. Aluminum alloy material is cleaner than ordinary steel, and is more suitable for operation areas with higher requirements for cleanliness.

Project Examples of Freestanding Overhead Cranes

Two Single Girder Free Standing Bridge Cranes Sent to New Zealand

We have rich manufacturing experience for free standing bridge crane, before that, our long term customer in Australia customized two single girder free standing bridge cranes to be shipped to New Zealand, the product specification information is as below:

• Lifting capacity: 250kg.
• Lifting height: 3.6m.
• Main girder length: 8m.
• Control mode: ground control.
• Delivery price: 9100 USD.

At first, the customer was worried about the complexity of the structure of the free standing bridge crane and considered the cost factor, considered the hand-push mobile free gantry crane, but the gantry crane must be operated on solid, flat ground, usually applicable to maintenance and assist loading and unloading operations, and the use of hand-push mobile gantry crane labor costs will increase, the overall benefit is poor, and the Free Standing Bridge Crane can provide more efficient handling solutions, the use of cycle time than the mobile gantry crane. Free Standing Bridge Crane can provide a more efficient handling solution with a longer life cycle than a mobile gantry crane.

Summarize

Free Standing Workstation Bridge Crane is an innovative industrial material handling system, its unique design gets rid of the dependence on building structure and realizes stable operation through self-supporting column system. The free standing bridge crane is suitable for use when your site situation meets the following conditions: use of temporary project sites, leased premises or workshops where the structure of the plant does not have the capacity to carry loads, the need to flexibly adjust the layout of the crane to adapt to the future expansion of the production line, etc. The machine perfectly combines the high efficiency of traditional overhead cranes with the high performance of the crane. This equipment combines the efficiency of traditional overhead cranes with the flexibility of modern engineering design, providing excellent material handling capabilities for a wide range of workstations. For customized solutions or technical advice, please feel free to contact our team of engineers.