Telescoping Bridge Crane Extends Hook Coverage Beyond the Runway

Overview

A manufacturer needed overhead lifting access beyond the normal footprint of its crane runway. Existing structures limited the available crane coverage and made a conventional bridge crane difficult to use for the entire work area.

AFE Crane engineered a custom telescoping bridge crane for the application. The crane could project 17 feet beyond the runway footprint to reach parts and equipment within the restricted workspace.

The system included a 500-pound capacity, motorized bridge, and motorized hoist-trolley. A series of limit switches controlled the extension and retraction sequence.

Project Challenges

The facility layout created the primary challenge. The customer needed lifting access in an area that extended beyond the crane runway. However, existing structures restricted how the crane could move through the workspace.

A standard bridge crane could only provide hook coverage within the runway footprint. Therefore, AFE Crane needed a system that could extend into the required work area and retract when necessary.

The movement also required a controlled sequence. The hoist-trolley and telescoping bridge could not simply move independently throughout the full range of travel. Instead, the controls needed to coordinate their movement based on the crane’s position.

The AFE Crane Solution

AFE Crane developed a 500-pound underhung single-girder telescoping bridge crane with an overall length of 28 feet.

The telescoping bridge assembly allowed the hoist-trolley to project 17 feet beyond the runway footprint. As a result, the crane could provide hook coverage in an area that a conventional bridge crane could not reach from the existing runway.

AFE Crane incorporated limit switches to control the movement sequence. When traveling west, the hoist-trolley moved until it reached its endpoint and activated a limit switch. The telescoping bridge then extended to provide the additional reach.

The sequence reversed when traveling east. First, the bridge retracted until it reached its eastern limit switch. Then, the hoist-trolley completed its travel.

This sequence coordinated the trolley and telescoping bridge movements as the crane moved into and out of the extended work area.

Project Execution

AFE Crane fully assembled the crane and completed electrical testing at its Cedar Falls, Iowa, facility before shipment.

This process allowed the team to test the bridge, trolley, telescoping mechanism, limit switches, and control sequence as a complete system before installation.

AFE Crane then coordinated installation with the customer’s team. Finally, the project included startup, function testing, and load testing at the customer’s facility.

Conclusion

This project demonstrates how a telescoping bridge crane can extend hook coverage when a conventional bridge crane cannot reach the entire work area.

In this application, the crane needed to reach 17 feet beyond the runway footprint. At the same time, existing structures limited how the equipment could move through the workspace.

AFE Crane addressed both requirements with a motorized telescoping bridge and a controlled movement sequence. Limit switches coordinated the trolley and bridge movements during extension and retraction.

For facilities with columns, adjacent work areas, or other obstacles outside the normal crane footprint, a telescoping bridge can provide additional hook coverage without extending the runway into the entire work area.