Considering Which Overhead Crane is Right for Your Factory or Warehouse

EMH’s overhead cranes and bridge cranes are critical to the efficient operation of any factory or warehouse.  The question is – how do you choose the right crane for your needs?  This is obviously not an item you buy every day.  Overhead cranes are not even something you can seek input from your neighbors and friends like you would when considering a car purchase.  And last we checked, Consumer Reports has not issued an overhead and bridge cranes report.

Before you even start thinking about the specific bridge or overhead crane you will go with, our advice would be to narrow down the potential suppliers for your overhead crane.  Some things to explore include:

• How long has each provider of bridge/overhead cranes been in business?
• Do the companies have direct industry experience, providing bridge/overhead cranes for competitors?
• What types of companies and references for their bridge/overhead cranes can the supplier offer?
• How are they manufacturing their bridge/overhead cranes – you know best practices for manufacturing, make sure the company you turn to for a bridge/overhead crane does as well.
• And speaking of manufacturing, is the company you’re trusting for an overhead crane ISO certified?
• What’s the company’s track record?  Google is a powerful tool.

Once you’ve narrowed your list of suppliers, it is time to focus on your specific needs.  Some of these considerations include:

• The obvious specification considerations for your overhead crane including lifting capacity and size of the list (including length and the hook coverage).
• The use of the overhead crane – is this something that is used once a week, once or twice a day, or constantly.
• How does the overhead crane – in comparison to other cranes and not using a crane at all – improve safety and with that mitigate costs associated with accidents?
• How do I need the crane to move? (up/down, left/right, and forward/back)?
• And of course – how much with this overhead crane cost and what is the return on investment?

EMH would suggest you conduct your due diligence, that will surely lead to a conversation with our engineers.  We’ll help you find the right overhead crane for your needs.  If there is a better one on the market for your specific needs, we’ll tell you that.  If there are specific overhead crane needs that no one provides a solution for, we can talk about customizing a crane for your business.