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How Tower Crane Works

May 28th, 2009

For every large construction projects, tower cranes are always used. Tower cranes are obviously designed to lift up the construction stuffs specially those heavy ones. Tower cranes can be used to transport objects from rise hundreds of feet in the air and can reach out just as far. Powerful tower cranes can rise up to 150 feet and can lift up to 19 tons. It can lift a wide variety of building materials like steel, concrete, and even big generators.

Tower cranes would not be able to do that kind of work without its important components. The most important part of the crane is its steel components because the tower crane uses this part of the machine to lift very heavy objects, it requires great strength.

Crane manufacturers use a variety of substances known as HSLA or High-Strength Low-Alloy steels. One of the basic parts of the Tower crane is the base which is bolted to a large concrete pad that supports the crane and connects to the mast or tower which gives the tower crane its height. The gear and motor that allows the Tower crane to rotate is the slewing unit which is attached to the top of the mast. The portion of the Crane that carries the load is the jib or working arm. The operators cab is the most important because it is like the brain of the Tower crane. With all these components working together, a tower crane would be fully functional and be used to lift heavy objects.

Author: Kheyanne Categories: Crane Information Tags: , ,

The Power of a Tower Crane

May 19th, 2009

Though all of us have seen Tower Cranes before, few of us know their real capabilities and how much they can actually lift. The maximum load of that a usual Tower Crane can lift is 18 metric tons or equivalent of 39,690 pounds of weight. But if the load is positioned at the end of the jib or the working arm, the Tower Crane cannot lift that much weight because the closer the load is positioned to the mast or the tower, the more weight the Tower Crane can lift safely.

The Tower Crane has a specifications when it comes to maximum unsupported height which is 265 feet or equivalent to 80 meters, maximum reach which is 230 feet or 70 meters, maximum lifting power which is 19.8 tons and counterweights of 20 tons. The Tower Crane also uses two limit switches to make sure that the operator does not overload the Crane. These are the maximum load switch and the load moment switch. The maximum load switch monitors the pull on the cable and make sure that the load does not exceed 18 tonnes, while the load moment switch makes sure that the operator does not exceed the tonne-meter rating of the tower crane as the load moves out on the jib. That is why it is very critical to operate this massive machine. The Tower Crane operator has to be very skilled at what they does because there is a lot to risk when you are swinging 18 metric tons of load hundreds of feet above the ground.

Stabilizing a Tower Crane

May 10th, 2009

Safety is the most important factor to be considered during a construction. The Tower crane seems quite unsafe to the naked eye because they have no support wires of any kind. But the Tower Cranes stability depends on certain elements. The first element is a large concrete pad that the construction company pours several weeks before the crane arrives. The concrete pad typically measures 30 feet by 30 feet by 4 feet and weighs 400,000 pounds or 182,000 kilogram. The Tower Cranes are essentially bolted to the ground to ensure their stability. Large anchor bolts are embedded deep into the pad support in the base of the Crane. But before that, Tower Cranes are delivered at the construction site on 10-20 tractor trailer rigs.

Mobile Crane is used to assemble the jib and the machinery section. The Mobile Crane then adds the counterweights. To rise to its maximum height, the Tower Crane grows itself one mast at a time. Special devices within the Tower Crane prevent the user from attempting to lift a weight heavier than allowed. Because the United States Government sets specific regulation through safety that limit the weight that a specific Crane is allowed to lift. A completed Crane is first tested without a weight to ensure that all of its components operate properly. It is then tested with a weight to ensure that the crane is able to lift heavy objects without loosing stability. Safety is ultimately depends on that proper use of the Crane.

A Step-by-step Guide in Using Crane Cams

January 25th, 2009

crane-cams

The use of crane cams in productions gives you tremendous advantages. There are different kinds of booms and cranes utilized in big productions of Hollywood films. In these cases, the camera operator is able to ride on the bottom of the arm. This type of crane is very costly but you must know that there are other smaller types of crane.

Crane cams like DV cameras can be operated by independent filmmakers, regular videographers or even those who use it as a hobby. This kind of camera jib is normally comprised of an 8 – 12’ long arm. This can also be mounted to an average tripod. The DV camera is place on top of a bracket at the bottom of the arm. It is tilted using the flat bar system or the pulley based system.

Tilting is done through simply moving the tripod head or twisting a hand crack. If an LCD monitor is used to display the image, operating the tripod head for this purpose could potentially cause problems. If the video camera happens to be distant from the LCD monitor, then the set up can be very effective.

The time it takes to familiarize one self with the dynamics of any camera crane does not even take that long. The motions needed to be executed are quite simple. But first off, you must familiarize yourself with several of the basic shots.

When the camera is positioned up from a near ground location, the shot being executed is called a tilting shot. Afterwards, as the body of the camera crane is elevated, the camera follows suit by tilting downward. While doing this, it is still able to keep the same point of center.
The same shot can also be achieved by beginning high and ending low. The next shot to be expounded is one which is termed as the wide panning shot.

In this shot, the camera maintains level whilst the body of the camera crane lunges from one side and dives to another. Using a steady arm, the said shots can also be merged to create amazing results. What’s better, you can also create shots when filmed in union with a fine dolly. In total, there are four types of movement. Just continue practicing with the motions and in no time, you will soon get the hang of it.

To capture the most alluring crane shots, do not just settle for any background or setting. There are dynamic locations where objects and people in motion make up for highly interesting shots. You can also try using parallel lines to your benefit. One captivating shot in mind is one which involves shooting tiled floors indoors.

Arrange it in a way that lines run from the peak to the screen’s bottom. Begin with the camera low to the floor so that tiles seem to converge distantly. Then raise the camera unhurriedly and you will notice the dramatic change in perspective. You can also try positioning various actors and objects at different depths and experiment with different crane motions.

Tips on Purchasing the Best Cranes on Sale

November 13th, 2008

best-crane

Searching for the best crane? Hold your window shopping for a moment and read on. You want to make sure that the crane you purchase is worth every cent and penny. Cranes on sale are plenty in the market at present. Each company claims to offer the best that’s why you must carefully discern which crane is truly effective.

The first thing any buyer must consider is the cost. It is no secret that given the current financial condition, all of us have to save money. When browsing through your options, you might want to consider a crane that would be minimal in cost. You can accomplish this by going through different companies and comparing each product’s designated price.

Keep in mind that you still need to exercise precaution. Do not forget that when something looks too good to be even true, well, it usually is. Once you find a cheaply priced crane for sale, do not be too excited to clinch the transaction. You still have to discern the quality of your potential purchase. Once you realize the flaw in the product, weigh it in comparison to the savings you will be achieving.

One crucial factor any purchaser must take into consideration, for whatever it is they intend to buy, is the product’s quality. If money is not an issue for you, then by all means search for a high quality crane on sale. Keep in mind that cranes accomplish really fragile lifting operations, which are most often situated in construction areas.

If something goes awry amid the lifting procedure, your money will surely go down the drain. Another terrible setback is the potentially catastrophic loss of lives. It is important to emphasize that quality comes with a price tag. Some companies will exploit buyers and charge you a more expensive price for the same product quality. This is why comparing the price tags on products is always a wise move.

Whether you are looking for the best crane on sale or simply buying any product, researching and comparing price tags is always a good move. Furthermore, check out the company’s reputation. There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages about purchasing products from already recognized brands. On the other hand, a well known company is often associated with an expensive rate.

There are some less popular companies that can provide the similar quality for a better, lower price. In spite of this, the common practice is for people to flock to the more popular companies. That’s because clients feel some degree of familiarity with those companies. In essence, they are only buying the company’s name.

When a buyer is going after the company’s reputation, do not just take into account the ones with major advertisements. You can also find out about less popular companies through people who have previously transacted with them. This way, you can discover if those companies are able to provide you with a good crane at a lesser cost.

The Crane and Its Use in Different Industries

August 15th, 2008
The Crane
The Crane

A crane is one of the most usable machines created for transport, construction and freight. If you need to transport a truck load of things from point A to point B (short distances), the crane can come very handy and useful. A crane is one type of lifting machine. It is powered with a winder, also referred to as the wipe rope drums. These are the chain/ wire ropes and sheaves that allow the crane to lift materials from the ground or from a lower area. With a crane, there is no need for people to do manual work lifting heavy objects.

The crane system one or two simple machines into its component creating a powerful mechanical advantage to move heavy loads that human cannot normally carry. Cranes are usually used in the transport industry where there is a great deal of unloading and loading work. This is mostly used in freight industry, construction and assembly of heavy equipments.

Cranes were being used way back centuries ago. It was not always the powerful crane engine as it is today, it took a gradual improvement and change. The crane was first used to lift kettles, pots and other household stuff over the fire place. A trammel is used to adjust its length/ height. This is the very concept that is used in modern crane machines used in harbor and freight industry.