Introduction
An articulating jib crane is one of the niftiest pieces of machinery one could ever have if needing to lift or lower a load in a confined or obstructed space. With ease, the crane can lift and lower loads, around corners, under or over machinery or just about anywhere where access for a standard crane is not available.
Description
The crane has the appearance of your arm. There is an “upper arm” that can pivot around a connecting point, somewhat like your shoulder, and a lower arm that can pivot from side to side, similar to your elbow.
The cranes are available as fixed wall mounted, bridge or ceiling mounted, or free-standing, all providing specific advantages for their design and lifting capacity, which tops out at about 1000 kilograms.
Manufacturers
In Britain, there are more than seven home-grown quality manufacturers of the cranes. There are a number of international companies that may also manufacturer in Britain, but these are not included in the above count.
The bottom line is, there is as much variability in types of cranes and lifting capacity as there are manufacturers and possibly more. That takes us to the next step, which is how to select what is correct for you.
Selection Criteria
There are a number of factors to consider before deciding on which articulating jib crane is the correct crane for your particular application. Some of the considerations are:
Type of Mount: Does the situation require a ceiling mount to allow for linear movement? Or, does it require a mobile or fixed mount?
Reach: What length of reach is required? As a caution, the length of reach will greatly impact the lifting capacity and the longest reach is approximately 4.9 meters.
Lifting Capacity: The lifting capacity of the cranes tops out at about 1000 kilograms. This is still a pretty generous lifting weight, which is affected by the type of mount and reach.
All of the above must be considered as a whole. The bottom line is, how much do you need to lift and where do you need to put it?
Picking the Right Manufacturer
Picking the “right” manufacturer could come down to already existing relationships, but there are a number of considerations to make certain that you are getting the best deal on your crane purchase. These include:
Warranty: What is the length of the warranty provided and what is the corporate history for the reliability of products? These can be variable, but a crane is a significant investment, and one of the better ways to protect your investment is to have a considerable warranty.
One of A Kind: Will the company freely send engineers to your facility to conduct a review of your requirements and can they efficiently prepare a one-of-a-kind solution.
Construction Quality: Do they have certification for their welding and what is their history with weld breaks?
After Purchase Care: What is the history of the company with respect to after purchase care? Do they have a representative close to your operations, such that any problems can be addressed quickly and efficiently?
Conclusion
An articulating jib crane can certainly provide an excellent lifting and movement solution within an industrial setting where there may be obstructions in the way. Able to lift to approximately 1000 kilograms the cranes offer significant flexibility and if requiring one in Britain, there are enough quality manufacturers to be able to provide just the right combination for your business