Steel Fabrication & Galvanizing

Fabrication and galvanizing shops lift many different shapes at moderate weight, all day, over a layout that changes with the job. Flexibility and coverage matter more than raw capacity.

Where lifting happens in a fabrication shop

• Welding and fit-up bays — positioning beams, frames and assemblies, usually with a jib crane or a single girder overhead crane.
• Shot blasting and preparation — loading and unloading parts before coating.
• Galvanizing and finishing lines — moving racks and baskets through the process, with the cycle time set by the line rather than by the crane.
• Dispatch and loading — stacking and loading finished frames, often outdoors and often with a portable or gantry solution.

Operating conditions that shape the design

• Variable load shapes — long, unbalanced assemblies make a rotating jib or a well-controlled single girder crane more useful than a heavy fixed machine.
• Cycle time set by the process — in galvanizing, the crane has to match the line, so speed and control response matter more than capacity.
• Corrosive atmosphere — galvanizing and pickling areas are aggressive on paint, cables and exposed steel; the protection class should be chosen for that environment.
• Bay layout — column spacing and existing structure decide whether an overhead crane, a jib crane or a hoist on a runway is the practical answer.

How the equipment is selected

1. Capacity from the heaviest assembly including the rigging, then checked against the coverage you actually need.
2. Coverage — a jib crane covers one workstation, a single girder crane covers the bay, a hoist on a runway covers one line. Choosing the coverage before the capacity usually reduces the cost.
3. Work class from cycles per hour; fabrication shops are often lighter duty than they expect, while finishing lines can be heavier.
4. Environment — the corrosive exposure of the galvanizing area is confirmed before the protection class and paint system are fixed.
5. Structure — for jib cranes, the wall, column or foundation that carries the bracket must be checked; this is the item most often missed.

What to send with your inquiry

• What is lifted, the heaviest weight and the largest dimensions.
• Bay width or working radius you need to cover, and the available height.
• Where the crane will be mounted: new structure, existing columns or an existing runway.
• Cycles per hour, and whether the equipment is indoors or in a corrosive area.
• Power supply, control preference and destination port.