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How Overhead Cranes Improve Productivity And Increase Safety In The Warehouse Environment

24 September 2018

Sergio Murphy

Overhead cranes, sometimes called bridge cranes, are a perfect fit for the needs of the warehouse and distribution industry. These cranes are installed on the ceiling of your warehouse, so they don't negatively affect your available warehousing space. With their strong motors and three axes of movement, they're capable of lifting heavy pallets and placing them anywhere within your warehouse. Below are some reasons why warehouse owners should consider contacting overhead crane services. 

Increases Warehouse Efficiency

Since overhead cranes are able to move a pallet directly from the floor to a pallet rack, installing an overhead crane will improve your warehouse's efficiency. Forklifts are limited to driving around the aisles, sometimes taking a circuitous route around your warehouse while loading or picking pallets. In addition, the lift mechanism on a forklift is typically much slower than the lift mechanism on an overhead crane. The ability to pick and unload pallets directly combined with a much faster lift mechanism means that you're able to move your goods around your warehouse faster than using a fleet of forklifts.

Improves Worker Safety

When you shift some of your picking and loading duties from forklifts to an overhead crane, you can retire a portion of your forklift fleet. Reducing the need for forklifts increases employee safety. Forklifts are forced to share the aisles with your employees traveling on foot. This can present a dangerous situation, as forklift drivers have very low visibility while carrying a pallet. When you use an overhead crane to lift your pallets, the pallets are safely lifted above both your employees, your pallet racks, and your forklifts. 

In addition, modern overhead cranes are equipped with overload circuits, which reduces the risk of accidents. When an overhead crane with this feature lifts a load, its onboard computer quickly weighs the load. If the load is too heavy for the crane, the crane immediately shuts down and refuses to lift it. This prevents the possibility of the hoist dropping a load that's too heavy and prevents damage to the crane itself. Overload circuits make operating an overhead crane very safe. When you install an overhead crane with modern safety features in your warehouse, you're helping to make the work environment safer for your employees.

Easily Integrates Into the Warehouse Environment

Overhead cranes can be easily integrated into the warehouse environment when you equip them with a pallet lifter. A pallet lifter attaches to the overhead crane's hoist and is designed solely for securely lifting heavy pallets. The forks on the pallet lifter slide snugly into the pallet, distributing the weight of the load evenly and allowing for a stable lift. This allows you to install an overhead crane in your warehouse and continue working with the same pallets you're used to without the need to change your packaging or distribution method.

With their benefits to efficiency and safety along with their ease of integration, overhead cranes are a perfect fit for the warehouse environment. If you'd like to install one in your warehouse, contact an industrial crane dealer. You'll need to specify the size of your warehouse along with your lifting requirements, including the weight of the items you need to lift and how often the crane needs to be in operation

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