Electrical Overhead Travelling (EOT) Cranes' Sourcing and Procurement Solution in India.

For material handling applications in a fixed area of operation, an Electrical Overhead Travelling (EOT) Crane may be the best fit!
An EOT crane is basically a bridge like structure with the provision of hook for handling different loads (break OR bulk (hyperlink)).

Common components of the EOT/Gantry cranes

1. Bridge Girder:Girder is the main structural unit that moves overhead. It is designed as per IS 807. The single girder EOT crane is a single I beam type structure on which the main lifting unit of the crane viz. hoist moves. Double girder EOT cranes consist of two bridges which are joined to each other over which the trolley/crab moves. The colour of the girder is generally yellow in accordance with the industrial safety colour coding.
2. Hoist/Crab: Hoist / Crab units of EOT cranes represent the assembly of motors, gears, brakes, rope drum, hook etc. which are the sum total of all the components essential for the lifting/lowering mechanism. Hoist are generally attached to the bottom of the I-beam girder for Single Girder EOT cranes; however, standalone hoists without the girder are also available with lifting and lowering mechanisms only. The crab / trolley is mounted on the rails between the girders for a Double Girder EOT crane.
3. Power Supply:There are multiple options available for the power supply to the EOT cranes viz. Festoon cables, Drag Chain, MS Angle Bar, Shrouded Bus Bar (DSL), Cable Reeling Drum (CRD) etc and the selection depends on multiple factors like location, application and the budget. There are also some electrical accessories required to supply power to the crane which include the isolator and the supply cables.
4. Control Type:The standard operation of EOT cranes is through pendant and trailing cable. But the control can be optimized using Radio Remote Control (RRC) and also a movable operator cabin attached to the crane. Click here for detailed information. (hyperlink)
5. Rails:Rails are used in both the Cross travel (Movement of trolley on the girder) and the long travel (Movement of the main bridge girder across the bay). The conventional CR80 rails used to be the industry standard for EOT cranes; however, they are rapidly being replaced with 50mm x 40mm OR 40mm x 40mm square bars. For detailed comparison between the two, click here. (hyperlink)
6. Supporting Structure:The supporting structure is the assemblage of RCC columns/pillars over which gantry girders (I-beams) are installed. Over these I-beams, rails are mounted for the bridge girders to travel. In the recent times, the pro-active provision/construction of these supporting structures is undertaken by the PEB manufactures during the time of the shed manufacturing. Click here for additional details (hyperlink).
7. Additional Accessories:There are also additional safety/operational accessories available for the EOT Cranes and they are described as follows;
8. Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (VVF) Drives:VVFD’s provide a wide range of normal and micro speeds which can be used for general load handling or inching applications. Click here for more information. (hyperlink)
9. Load Indicator:Evaluates and digitally displays the magnitude of the load being lifted by the crane.
10. Anti-Collision device: As the name suggests, the technology uses transceiver signals to avoid collision between multiple cranes operating in the same bay.
11. Limit Switches:As the name suggests, the limit switches can be used for controlling the hoisting, cross travel or long travel motions by providing appropriate stoppage. Click here to know about the different kinds of Limit switches. (hyperlink).
12. Canopy:Canopy/shield is a house shaped enclosure used to cover the crab/trolley of the crane during outdoor applications.
13. UBL:Underbridge Lighting (UBL) systems are installed just below the girder to illuminate particularly dark areas (Tunnel boring applications etc) or for outdoor operations during night shifts.
14. Hooter: The hooter a.k.a. safety alarm makes a hooting sound whenever the crane is in motion.
15. Buffers and end stop:The buffers on EOT Cranes and the end stop at the bay end are used to minimize impact when the crane hits the end of the bay.

Types of EOT Cranes

We can broadly classify EOT cranes into three main categories as described below in detail (you can click on any of them for detailed description):

1. Single Girder EOT Cranes (SGEOT). (hyperlink)
2. Double Girder EOT Cranes (DGEOT). (hyperlink)
3. Gantry Cranes. (mostly for Outdoor applications). (hyperlink)

Factors to be considered for the sourcing and procurement of an EOT Crane.

Let us now discuss the parameters that need to be considered :

1. Application:The most important parameter which needs to be taken into consideration is your application. It also tells you whether you really need to install an EOT Crane! For example, in many warehouses or workshops where we need both internal and external movement, it is much more beneficial to use a forklift than to install an EOT crane. Also, the application of the crane would be a key indicator of the required class of duty of the crane. (hyperlink)
2. Safe Working load (SWL):In general terms, safe working load can be considered as the load that any lifting device can carry without breakage. It is always advisable to incorporate some extra margin and/or consider increased load handling requirement in the future while calculating the required SWL of the crane.
3. Height of Lift: The height of lift is the vertical distance by the which the load has to be lifted. It is a very crucial factor since it directly affects the length of wire rope, rope drum dimensions etc.
4. Bay length:Bay length tells us the total distance that the crane girder has to travel across the entire workshop. It also tells us the approximate length of the rails and the power supply lines to be installed.
5. Span:Span denotes the length of the bridge girder/s. Span length also tells us about the approximate length of the hoist/trolley cross travel and power supply lines.
6. Location:Indoor or Outdoor location of the crane needs to be specified as special provisions need to be made for adverse weather conditions.
7. Brand:There are over a 100 EOT crane manufacturers in India, in the organized sector alone! So, many a times the user is inclined towards a specific or some few specific brands.
8. Pricing:Aggressive price point is what drives the course of many order finalizations and the technically superior brands should always be on their toes to keep up with the cut throat competition.
9. Service Availability:It is strongly recommended to check/verify the service availability of the crane manufacturer in the vicinity of the crane installation to avoid service/spares related hassles in the future.

So many techno-commercial considerations for a single procurement….Intimidating isn’t it?

NO WORRIES! If you are looking for a Single/Double Girder OR Gantry EOT crane in : Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Aurangabad Surat, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, or any other place, TraxnX team will help you find the dealer/supplier/OEM near you with the best price and the best after sales service in India!

We at TraXnX are your one stop marketplace to enquire, evaluate and execute your procurement of any and every type of EOT crane! Please fill the form below and provide us with the valuable opportunity to serve you.