Warehouse Stacking Crane
A warehouse stacking crane is an overhead machine with a rotating column and a fork hanging from it, running along the aisle between two rows of racking. Because the load never leaves the aisle and the machine needs no room to turn, the aisle can be narrowed to under 2 m — which is where the money is: the same building stores roughly 30% more pallets than it would with forklift aisles, and the machine runs on a fraction of a forklift's energy.
- Capacity0.5–20 t
- Lifting height2–10 m, column made to your racking
- Aisle widthCan be reduced to under 2 m
- AttachmentRotating column with adjustable-width fork; lift on the fork carriage
- TravelVFD on bridge and trolley; rotation 360° per minute
- ControlRadio remote — the operator stands outside the aisle and sees the fork from any angle
An overhead crane with a column and a fork
The bridge is an ordinary single or double girder crane running on a runway over the racking. What hangs from it is the part that makes the machine: a vertical column built from fork-truck channel with triangular bracing, carrying a rotating head and an adjustable fork carriage. The hoist lifts and lowers the carriage along the column, so the fork picks a pallet, lifts it clear of the beam, rotates it into the aisle and sets it down where the operator wants it.
Because the fork travels with the crane rather than driving to the rack, the aisle only has to be wide enough for the load and a little clearance — in the layouts we quote, under 2 m. Nothing heavy or powered runs on the floor inside the aisle, so there is no truck to hit the racking, no battery room, and no charging.
Span, column height and fork are all non-standard on this machine — there is no shelf of standard sizes to pick from. We design each one from your racking layout: aisle width, level heights, pallet size and unit weight. Send the rack drawing and we will come back with the span, the column length and the clearance envelope before any price is discussed.
Why it beats forklift aisles in a dense warehouse
Floor space. A counterbalance forklift needs an aisle of 3.5–4 m plus turning room at the ends. Narrowing that to 2 m across a warehouse is what produces the roughly 30% more pallet positions our partner factory quotes for these installations — you are not buying a faster machine, you are buying back floor area you already paid for.
Energy and running cost. A reaching or counterbalance truck carries its own battery and lifts its own weight with every stroke; a stacking crane lifts only the load and the carriage, on mains power. Our partner factory's figure is a comprehensive running power around 80% lower than a forklift doing the same throughput, and total machine cost below an equivalent electric forklift fleet.
Safety in the aisle. With radio control the operator stands outside the racking and watches the fork from wherever the view is best. No pedestrian and truck share the aisle, which is usually the argument that decides the purchase in cold stores and high racking.
Where it fits, and where it does not
It is the right machine for high-density pallet racking indoors: distribution centres, cold stores, chemical and packaged-goods warehouses, and factories storing finished goods three or four levels high in a building they cannot extend. It suits 0.5–20 t unit loads lifted 2–10 m, and it works best where the racking is installed once and the layout is stable.
It is the wrong machine for an outdoor yard, for mixed traffic where pallets also have to leave the aisle on trucks, for a building whose columns or runway cannot take the crane, and for warehouses where flows change every month and the racking is moved. Tell us the throughput and the layout and we will say which of those you are, rather than selling you the machine.
What we fit, and what we check before it ships
Standard: VFD on bridge and trolley travel, VFD hoisting, radio remote, rotating head with alloy gear ring and a three-in-one motor, adjustable fork width, and limiters on all motions. Worth adding: fork position display, anti-sway where the column is long, a second brake for loads over walkways, cold-store specification for freezer warehouses, and galvanized or food-grade finish where hygiene matters.
Before dispatch the machine is assembled on the factory track and demonstrated: travel, rotation, hoisting, fork adjustment and every limiter, with the load test recorded on video and sent to you before the container is sealed. We are a supplier, not the factory — your machine is built by one of our long-term partner factories in Changyuan and we tell you which one, which is exactly why the inspection step exists. The documents that travel with it: packing list, product certificate, test report, O&M manual and installation drawings including the column and racking clearance data.
Specification range
| Capacity | 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 16, 20 t |
|---|---|
| Lifting height | 2 m – 10 m (column length to your racking height) |
| Aisle width | Down to under 2 m, depending on load size and diagonal handling |
| Bridge and span | Single or double girder overhead crane on a runway over the racking. Span is non-standard: designed to your racking layout, not selected from a range |
| Column | Fork-truck channel with triangular bracing; height made to order |
| Fork | Adjustable width, powered lift on the rotating carriage |
| Rotation | 360° per minute, alloy gear ring with three-in-one motor |
| Travel | VFD on bridge and trolley; hoisting on VFD |
| Running power | Comprehensive running power around 80% lower than a forklift doing the same throughput (our partner factory's figure for these layouts) |
| Control | Radio remote as standard; pendant optional |
| Power supply | 380 V / 50 Hz standard; other voltages and 60 Hz on request |
| Finish | Two coats primer + two coats finish; cold-store and food-grade specifications on request |
The table shows the range we normally supply. Your offer states the exact capacity, span, lifting height, duty class and voltage for your site — and where a figure in this table differs from the offer, the offer prevails. Send us your requirement and we will confirm each line in writing before you order.
Warehouse Stacking Crane: questions we are asked
How narrow can the aisle be?
In the installations we quote, under 2 m. What decides it is the largest load dimension and how much clearance you want when the fork rotates, plus whether the same aisle also has to pass people or a pallet truck. Send the rack layout, the pallet size and the unit weight and we will calculate the aisle width the machine actually needs rather than quoting the brochure minimum.
Can it work in racking that is already installed?
Sometimes, and it is worth checking before you buy. The crane needs a runway over the racking — either on building columns or on new independent columns — and the building has to take the wheel loads. If the existing structure cannot do that, the honest answer is that the racking has to be re-arranged or a different machine chosen; we will tell you which, with the wheel loads in writing so your own engineer can check.
How does it compare with a forklift, honestly?
It wins on density, energy, running cost and aisle safety. It loses on flexibility: a forklift unloads a truck, drives to the aisle and puts the pallet away, while the stacking crane only works inside its aisle — you still need a truck or a crane for receiving and shipping. In most installations the answer is both, and the crane takes over the dense storage part of the warehouse.
What height can the column be?
2–10 m as standard, made to your racking height. Longer columns are possible but they change the design: a longer column needs a wider fork travel, better anti-sway control and a slower rotation, and the headroom under the crane girder becomes the limit. Send the level heights and the load weight and we will size it properly.
What about installation and training?
We supply installation drawings, the column and racking clearance data, and the runway wheel loads. On the first machine in a new country we recommend a supervisor on site for assembly, the no-load and rated-load tests and operator training, quoted separately so you can see the cost. Operators generally pick it up in a day — the control is a radio with three motions.
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Send capacity, span and lifting height and we will reply with a specification and a price within 24 hours.
Supplier, not factory — and we say which factory
We quote from 4–5 long-term partner factories in Changyuan, Henan. You will know which one is building your crane, our inspectors test it before shipment, and the drawings, test report and manuals travel with the machine. More about how we work →