A bridge crane, also known as an overhead crane, is one of the great work-horses in the manufacturing industry that is capable of operating in a variety of settings. These cranes are most often used for moving heavy loads horizontally either inside a facility, outside in a yard or railway or even at a shipping port. These cranes are basically broken down into two classification types: top running or under running.
Top Running vs. Under Running Bridge Crane
Top Running- is best for when the headroom is an issue, they also need a bracket off the building support steel (up to 10-ton capacity) or independent columns for larger capacity and the double girder version is the most space efficient.
Under Running- is better for when headroom is not an issue, can be suspended directly from overhead steel for lighter jobs, can have a single girder or double girder configuration and typically has a 15–25-ton capacity.
Bridge cranes are an excellent choice in a variety of manufacturing or storing industries with two main types, top running or under running, depending on the environment.