Unlike a bridge crane, a gantry crane does not need to be tied into a building’s support structure—eliminating the need for permanent runway beams and support columns.

The term “gantry crane” tends to get thrown around a lot in the material handling industry. We often find that when folks say gantry crane, they’re often referring to an overhead bridge crane system. A gantry crane and bridge crane are actually very different types of overhead cranes.

In this article, we’ll discuss the following:

The definition of a gantry crane
The different types of gantry cranes
What gantry cranes are used for
Gantry crane design considerations
Our goal is to help you understand what type of gantry crane system will be most beneficial for the needs of your operation.

What is a Gantry Crane?
These are typically used for an outdoor application or below an existing overhead bridge crane system. Unlike a bridge crane, a gantry crane does not need to be tied into a building’s support structure—eliminating the need for permanent runway beams and support columns. In some cases, this can result in a significant reduction in material costs and can be a more cost-effective solution compared to a similarly specified bridge crane.

Larger gantry systems may run on a rail or track embedded in the ground, typically in a straight line in a dedicated work area. Smaller portable gantry systems run on castors or wheels and can be moved about a facility for maintenance or light fabrication work.

A gantry crane is a type of overhead crane with a single or double girder configuration supported by freestanding legs that move on wheels or along a track or rail system. Gantry cranes are usually considered when there is a reason not to incorporate an overhead runway system.

Different Types of Gantry Cranes
Full Gantry Crane Systems
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Full gantry crane systems are the most popular configuration—consisting of two legs that ride on rail that is embedded flush with the top surface of the floor. They typically run in a straight line in a dedicated work area. This design allows motorized equipment like scissor lifts, fork lifts, carts, and trucks to roll over it and cross through underneath the crane.

Semi-Gantry Crane Systems
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Gantry cranes can also be designed with one leg riding on wheels or rails and the other side of the crane riding on a runway system connected to building columns or a side wall of the building structure. These are advantageous because they can save you floor space / work space. Unlike a bridge crane, this setup doesn’t need two runways supported by or tied back to building columns.

Portable Gantry Crane Systems
Portable gantry cranes are smaller lighter-duty gantry systems that run on casters or rubber wheels. These wheels allow the user to move it throughout a facility to handle various materials or loads. When they’re empty and not under load, they can be moved or stored anywhere throughout a shop or into different work cells to offer greater space-saving and floor space flexibility.

Adjustable Gantry Cranes
Adjustable gantry cranes can be designed with variable height and span design. Adjustability allows the end user to change the height of the beams—offering more flexibility when transporting a gantry system in and out of a facility or through different areas of a shop.

What Are Gantry Cranes Used For
Full gantry or semi-gantry cranes are commonly used for heavy fabrication applications, or in some type of outdoor yard—rail yards, shipping and container yards, steel yards, and scrap yards.

They’re also very popular for cement and precast applications for areas where they’re forming and curing slab concrete. Their design allows them to be used outdoors and also allows forklift trucks and other motorized traffic to work and cross through underneath.

Typically, portable gantry cranes are used to lift and hold something in place while it’s being worked on, fabricated, or assembled. The load isn’t necessarily being moved through the facility, but the gantry itself can be moved around to work on different parts or equipment.

Portable gantry systems can also offer more flexibility than a jib crane or workstation crane. A jib crane typically has to be installed onto a poured concrete foundation and once it’s installed—it’s pretty much permanent. A smaller portable gantry crane can perform the same type of work as a jib crane, but can be moved about your facility as your business grows and you begin optimizing and laying out warehouse space.

Gantry Crane Design Considerations
While a gantry crane is flexible in its design because it doesn’t rely on building supports and can be designed to be mobile, there are some things you’ll need to consider if you want to utilize a gantry crane in your facility.

Power Delivery
For large outdoor gantry systems, cable reel is a common electrification option. Cable reels utilize a simple design that’s either spring-loaded or motor-driven to release, retrieve, and store conductor cable for crane equipment. They can be mounted stationary or on a swivel base to allow the cable to payout in multiple angles and directions.

The disadvantage of a cable reel is the sag factor you may experience in the cable when you stretch one out 50’, 100’, or longer. If that cable is sagging or laying on the ground because of a long track system, you’ve now negated the advantage of allowing motorized traffic to run underneath the gantry system.

Overhead crane manufacturers can work with you to design an electrification system using lightweight beams or a series of poles to keep your electrification off the ground. Or, portable gantry cranes can be designed with longer extension cords to accommodate power supplies that may not be as close to the work area that the crane is moved to.

What is a Gantry Crane