If your facility needs a crane, choosing the right solution can be daunting. Different cranes come with unique benefits. However, understanding what’s right for your needs is difficult. Luckily, we’re here to help with a guide to single girder beam and double girder beam cranes. At T&M Cranes, we are the premier crane manufacturer and service provider in Illinois and Indiana. Since 1979, we have provided unequaled service rooted in unmatched expertise and knowledge, extensive experience, and a commitment to each customer’s success.
Here is our guide to single vs. double girder beam cranes:
Single girder beam cranes have a bridge that consists of one girder beam and an end truck on both sides to support it. Typically, trolleys and hoists are underhung and run along the bridge’s bottom flange.
However, a bridge can be top-running or under-running, depending on your needs. Single girder cranes are ideal for spaces with limited headroom and floor space and businesses across industries that require light to medium duty crane work.
Single girder cranes are usually more cost-effective lifting solutions due to their material, and their maximum functional area is approximately 30 meters.
Single girder cranes are significantly more cost-effective due to their simpler design, ease of installation, and the material used to make them.
Moreover, because they are a lighter option due to their design and material, most existing roof structures can support them without modifications or additional support columns. Performing service and maintenance is also easier with single girder cranes.
Single girder cranes can also be designed to accommodate a wide variety of spaces and unique facility needs. Plus, single-girder cranes can be operated remotely using a wired handle and wireless remote control while double-girder cranes require more operators.
A double girder crane consists of a bridge with two girder beams and a supporting truck on each end. Hoists are usually attached to a rail that runs along the top of the bridge girder.
Due to its design, if you place the hoist on top of the cross girders, you can add to the depth of the cross girder and gain 18”-36” of hook height. Depending on your needs, top-running and under-running double girder cranes are available.
A top-running design provides the most overhead room and hook height. Double girder cranes are ideal for lifting heavy loads and heavy-duty needs that require higher capacities and longer spans. These cranes can lift 500 metric tons.
People utilize double girder cranes in mining, manufacturing, railyards, and shipping ports. Unlike single girder cranes, double girder cranes use a crab-shaped apparatus instead of a hoist that travels across both girders.
Double girder cranes offer more hook height and minimal limitations on maximum span or capacity, and they are perfect for lifting heavy loads and heavy equipment production and transportation. Double-girder beam cranes are also easier to manage and less expensive to maintain.
Double girder beam crane designs offer more features, like walkways, maintenance platforms, cabs, magnetic reels, and lighting. Lighting, in particular, is ideal for factory workers who have to work occasional night shifts as this reduces the risk of accidents.
If you need a crane to maximize facility and business efficiency, safety, and profitability, we have the solution for you. Whether you need a single girder beam crane or a double girder beam crane, we can find and design the perfect solution for you and your unique needs. At T&M Cranes, we’re family-owned and operated, and we treat each customer like family. Get in touch now to get started!
