• Jun 06, 2025
• Case Studies

10-ton LH Bridge Crane and Steel Structures for US

Discover our 10-ton LH bridge crane and durable steel structures, perfect for equipment production in the US. Boost your efficiency and safety today!

The customer operates within the heavy equipment production segment, manufacturing hydraulic pumps, industrial compressors, and custom high-capacity drive systems. Their primary clients include construction contractors, oil and gas firms, and power generation companies. Given the weight of base frames and machined assemblies—often exceeding 8 tons—manual handling is impractical. As a result, the customer needed a bridge crane system to help them with their production.

Operational Requirements

Key customer needs included:

• High duty cycle: According to the customer, the new crane is used frequently, with several hours of work per day. Several lifts are required every hour.
• Low clear height: The facility's roof truss limited headroom to 7 meters, necessitating an LH bridge crane capable of maximizing hook travel without infringing on overhead piping and HVAC ducts.
• Precision positioning: Alignment tolerance within ±5 millimeters when placing components onto machining fixtures. This is essential to maintain machining accuracy and avoid rework.
• Load monitoring: Integration of load sensors and a digital load display. For heavy-duty applications, they were concerned that overloading was causing problems for the crane and their production.
• Scalability: The ability to expand the crane's coverage area to future assembly cells when the plant undergoes expansion in the next 24 months.

Challenges Before Implementation

Lack of Adequate Lifting Capacity

Before installing the 10-ton LH bridge crane, the customer relied on two separate 5-ton floor-mounted jib cranes. These cranes had limited reach (radius of only 4 meters) and could not service the far side of the machining bay. The inability to handle a single 7.5-ton gearbox housing forced the production line to split that component into subassemblies.

Lack of Support Rails for Bridge Cranes

Since their factory had been using jib cranes for production in the past, their factory did not have enough support beams to support the operation of the overhead cranes. They had wanted to purchase a bridge lift to aid in production, but this was a large expense as they also needed additional railroad beams. And due to their heavy project scheduling, laying steel, track and overhead cranes would have resulted in a long period of downtime at the plant, and they have not been able to purchase a new crane.

Inefficient Material Flow

The plant layout segmented the machining cells into three zones, each without direct overhead material transfer. As a result, finished parts were transported by forklifts across aisles. This method of transportation is very inefficient and takes a lot of time.

Maintenance and Downtime

The existing jib cranes had been in use for many years and the cranes needed to be lubricated and inspected every month. This leads to a lot of effort and expense on their maintenance.

Product Design and Specifications

10-ton Low Headroom Bridge Crane Overview

The proposed crane system consisted of a 10-ton capacity LH single-girder bridge crane designed to optimize hook travel in limited headroom conditions. Key design elements included:

• Girder Profile: High-strength rolled steel I-beams (A572 Grade 50) to maintain rigidity under dynamic loads.
• End Trucks: Reinforced end trucks with welded box section design to minimize deflection at full load. Wheels machined from forged alloy steel to endure heavy cyclical stress.
• Hoist Mechanism: A dual-speed wire rope hoist with 2 falls for lifting. The hoist included a variable frequency drive (VFD) for smooth acceleration and deceleration, reducing load sway and extending rope life.
• Low Headroom Trolley: Compact trolley frame with offset gearbox to reduce headroom requirements by 300 millimeters compared to standard configurations.
• Load Monitoring: Integrated multifunction load display with ±1% accuracy. The system provided overload alarm and automatic lift cut-off at 110% of rated capacity.
• Travel Mechanism: Two-speed trolley travel at 0.5/5 meters per minute, and bridge travel at 0.5/25 meters per minute, offering precise positioning and rapid transit between zones.
• Safety Features: End stops with shock-absorbing buffers, emergency stop buttons on pendant control, audible warning horns, and anti-collision switches conforming to ANSI/ASME B30.2 standards.

Steel Structures for Crane Support

The customer's facility required reinforced steel runway structures to support the crane and distribute loads to the existing columns. Design specifications included:

• Runway Beams: A36 steel beams sized W12×120 installed on 3 meter centers. Beams were checked for camber within ±5 millimeters to ensure level travel.
• Purlin Reinforcements: Steel purlins and cross-bracing installed between runway beams to prevent lateral displacement under dynamic loads. According to AISC guidelines, cross-bracing improves structural stability by 15%.
• Column Reinforcement: Concrete encapsulation around column bases to increase bearing capacity. Geotechnical analysis confirmed an allowable soil pressure of 150 kPa.
• Anchorage and Fasteners: High-tensile anchor bolts (Grade 8.8) embedded in epoxy grout ensured secure connections between base plates and the concrete foundation.
• Safety Access Platforms: Walkways with handrails installed along the crane runway for overhead inspection and maintenance. OSHA recommends 0.9 meter minimum walkway width for fall protection compliance (OSHA, 2023).

Integration with Facility Layout

To maximize workspace efficiency, the crane runway spanned 24 meters, covering all three machining zones. The crane runway girders were mounted 6 meters above the shop floor, providing 6.5 meters of hook lift to accommodate tall assemblies.

Crane tasks

1. Heavy Base Frame Transfer

One of the primary tasks was lifting an 8.5 ton enclosure base frame from the unloading dock to the machining center. Before installation, employees divided this weight using two 5-ton electric chain hoists and manual labor, consuming 45 minutes per transfer. The LH bridge crane handled the full base frame in a single lift.

2. Precise Component Placement in Assembly Cells

During assembly, precision was essential. Certain hydraulic pump components—such as housings and rotors—required placement onto fixtures with a tolerance of ±3 millimeters. The dual-speed hoist allowed operators to slow the lift to 0.5 m/min during final approach.

3. Handling Irregular Loads and Long Objects

The client also produced custom drive shafts up to 5 meters in length and weighing 3 tons. The LH crane's trolley could traverse at full speed with these long loads without inducing excessive sway, thanks to the low headroom design that maintained load center close to the runway beam.

Advantages and Benefits of the 10-ton LH Bridge Crane

1. Optimized Floor Space Utilization

The LH design allowed the runway to be mounted closer to the roof structure. As a result, the crane hook could access higher stacking of raw material racks. The facility reorganized floor layouts, increasing storage density by 12%.

2. Improved Energy Efficiency

The VFD-driven hoist and travel motors reduced peak current draw by 20% compared to a direct-on-line (DOL) system. This will save kilowatts of electricity over the course of a year, reducing crane operating costs.

3. Enhanced Safety Compliance

The integrated load monitoring system ensured that lifts never exceeded 10 tons. Audible and visual alarms alerted operators in real-time of approaching overload conditions. Weekly safety audits documented 100% compliance with OSHA lifting standards for overhead cranes.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

Compared to the previous jib cranes, the bridge crane's enclosed gear train and heavy-duty sealed bearings reduced frequency of lubrication from monthly to quarterly intervals. This design greatly reduces the maintenance requirements of the overhead cranes.

Other Applications and Use Cases

1. Aerospace Component Assembly

Bridge cranes with 10-ton capacity and LH design are well-suited for aerospace paint hangars and composite layup areas. In these environments, vertical clearance is constrained by filtration and ventilation ducts. Precise placement of fuselage sections or wing panels—each weighing up to 8 tons—requires similar accuracy and control.

2. Automotive Die Handling

Automotive stamping plants often utilize bridge cranes to handle heavy dies that exceed 12 tons. Although the case study focuses on 10-ton cranes, similar LH designs can be scaled to 15 tons. However, for smaller tool rooms or die maintenance areas, a 10-ton LH crane is ideal. It allows technicians to change dies on stamping presses within 30 minutes, compared to more minutes using mobile gantry systems.

3. Steel Fabrication Shops

In steel fabrication facilities, moving large plates and fabricated subassemblies is common. A 10-ton LH crane assists with flipping, rotating, and loading heavy plates onto CNC plasma cutters. For shops with limited ceiling height, the LH configuration optimizes headroom for sheet stacking up to 2.5 meters high.

4. Warehouse and Distribution Centers

In high-throughput distribution centers handling heavy pallets and bulk materials, 10-ton overhead cranes can complement automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS). For example, moving steel coils or machines within confined racking aisles benefits from the compact trolley design of an LH crane.

5. Key Advantages for Additional Applications

• Versatility: Easily reconfigured for varied load types, from cylindrical coils to awkward sheet bundles.
• Space Optimization: LH design frees up overhead room for HVAC and fire suppression systems while maximizing usable lift height.
• Integration Capability: Can be linked to building automation systems for pre-programmed load positioning and safety interlocks.
• Extended Duty Cycles: Suitable for 24/7 operations, common in steel mills and distribution hubs.

Design Considerations for Potential Customers

Assessing Facility Constraints

Before selecting an LH bridge crane, customers should conduct a thorough facility audit that includes:

• Clear Height Measurement: Verify distance from runway bottom flange to highest obstruction. Allows for accurate hoist selection to maximize lift height.
• Structural Capacity Check: Engage a structural engineer to confirm existing columns and foundations can support dynamic loads, including impact factors. Dynamic factor for Class C service is typically 1.25 (CMAA, 2021).
• Electrical Infrastructure: Ensure sufficient power supply. A 10-ton crane with VFD may require up to 60 kVA. Verify transformer capacity and panel space.
• Future Expansion Plans: Plan runway layout for potential 20–30% production growth within five years. This avoids costly retrofits.

Customization Options

To meet unique production needs, consider:

• Span and Lift Height Variations: Customize girder length and trolley wheelbase for non-standard bay widths or multiple bay coverage.
• Auxiliary Hoists: Add a secondary hoist (underhung style) for lighter assemblies—e.g., 2 tons—allowing simultaneous handling of different weight classes.
• Radio Remote Controls: Improve operator visibility by allowing control from any location up to 100 meters from the crane (IEC 60947-5-1 compliance).
• Automated Positioning Systems: Integrate with programmable logic controllers (PLCs) for precise, repeatable moves.

Case Study Summary and Final Thoughts

The adoption of a 10-ton LH bridge crane, complemented by robust steel runway structures, addressed the customer's primary challenges in heavy equipment production. The crane's design met low headroom constraints while providing precise, safe, and efficient material handling. As a result, the facility saw marked improvements in cycle times, operational safety, energy consumption, and maintenance costs.

This case highlights how a well-engineered overhead crane solution can transform production workflows, enhance worker safety, and deliver measurable financial benefits. For equipment manufacturers facing capacity and safety challenges, a tailored 10-ton LH bridge crane system represents a practical, scalable, and cost-effective material handling solution.