Bulk materials yards are the hardest working cranes in this catalogue. The crane runs all day, the bucket bites into abrasive material, dust gets into everything, and the plant's output depends on how many tonnes per hour the grab can move. This is A6–A7 duty, and a crane specced like a workshop machine will fail in the first year or two.
Send a photo of the yard, the hopper and the material. If the material is damp, sticky or freezes in winter, tell us — it changes the bucket design.
| Crane type | Double girder overhead crane or rail-mounted gantry crane with grab trolley |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 5 t, 10 t, 16 t, 20 t, 32 t including grab and material |
| Span / rail gauge | 12 m – 35 m |
| Lifting height | 8 m – 20 m |
| Duty classification | A6–A7 (FEM 1Am–2m) for continuous grab duty |
| Grab | Clamshell or orange-peel, volume from bulk density, replaceable wear plates |
| Control | Cabin as standard; radio remote optional; VFD on all motions |
| Protection | IP55 motors and panels, dust covers, sealed bearings, four-coat epoxy |
| Options | Load display or weighing system, hopper level interlock, rail cleaning skids |
This is the range we normally supply for this industry. Your offer states the exact capacity, span, lifting height, duty class and voltage for your site — and where a figure here differs from the offer, the offer prevails.
You can physically, and people do — it simply will not last. Grab duty multiplies the number of cycles and the dynamic loads on every component: motors, brakes, reducers, ropes and the structure itself. A crane rated A4 for hook work fails early in A7 grab service, and the warranty will not cover it because the duty class, not a manufacturing defect, is the cause. Specify the duty with the crane: the price difference is real but far smaller than replacing the machine in two years.
From the material's bulk density and the required tonnes per hour. We take the density, apply a realistic fill factor (a bucket does not fill completely, and wet material is heavier), and size the volume so the crane is not overloaded at the worst case. Tell us the material, whether it is wet or dry, and the throughput target; the bucket choice follows from that rather than from a catalogue page.
It is the most common cause of early failure in these yards. Abrasive dust destroys contactor tips, clogs cooling paths and works into bearings and limit switches. We specify IP55 or better on motors and panels, place the panel away from the falling material and use sealed components. In cement and clinker yards we also allow for corrosion, because the dust is alkaline and holds moisture.
Yes, with the right specification: drainage in the girder sections, rain covers over the hoist and panel, sealed bearings, galvanized or heavy epoxy finish, and rail clamps for the parked condition. In tropical climates we also recommend a wind-speed interlock, because an unloaded gantry crane presents a large surface to the wind.
Workshops, warehouses, assembly and maintenance bays. Light structure, low wheel load, quick to install.
1–20 t · span to 30 mHeavy duty and long spans: steel fabrication, precast yards, smelters, heavy machining shops.
5–100 t · custom spanOutdoor stockyards, precast beds, container and aggregate handling. Hook, grab or C-hook.
3–100 t · rail or tyreTell us the material, the heaviest piece, how many hours a day the crane runs and whether it works indoors or out — we reply within 24 hours.
Crane type, capacity (t), span (m) and lifting height (m) is usually enough for us to quote. Send a photo of your workshop if you are not sure.
