There are several lifting equipment that a construction company has at any building site. These include cranes, bobcats, forklift and lifting trolleys. These are considered essential equipment because of the need to lift supplies, parts and equipment from the ground or from one floor to another. As construction equipment, these are used for specific cases of moving loads around.
One unique equipment for carrying these loads is the spider crane. The use of spider cranes started in Japan more than 30 years ago. Through the years, other countries have seen what these cranes can do and have adopted them for a whole range of jobs. Due to their design, the uses of a spider crane is well suited for indoor construction where heavy lifting is needed.
Some of the advantages of a spider or mechanised crane over traditional lifting equipment include the following.
Mobility
Stand-alone mini cranes are available, but the more popular models have rubber tracks, which allow for easy transport as well as for moving the spider crane along. This is particularly helpful when installing staircases, metal balusters, railings and windowpanes.
Stability
Crane trucks and cherry pickers have outriggers to support the vehicle and keep it stable. Spider cranes have these, too. The mini crane got the name spider crane from the distinctive outriggers. These could be set up to fit the available area around the crane. This enables deployment even with only a small footprint.
Lightweight
These mini cranes can weigh as little as 1 tonne. They can be carried on a trailer towed by a regular SUV. Due to their lightweight, it is easy to transport them to the top of a building or even down to a basement. They can also be positioned anywhere with minimal danger of the floor or pavement cracking.
Carrying Heavy Loads
The smallest spider cranes can carry half a tonne. Larger ones can carry weights as heavy as 4 tonnes. Due to their size, there are also some models that can carry more than their weight. This makes it possible for two units to raise them to another floor or lower each other to the basement, in tandem.
Small Engines
Small models can be battery powered, while larger models have three cylinder petrol or diesel engines. These enable the spider cranes to go as fast as 3 kph.
These mini cranes were designed to be small, lightweight, and very stable. These prove very handy in carrying heavy loads in tight areas and from one floor to another. Spider cranes are easy to operate and can be used with minimal instruction. This allows the construction crew to work faster.
Construction equipment do not have to be big and heavy. There are some equipment like bobcats and spider cranes, which are well suited to small spaces. Spider cranes provide a construction site the flexibility of lifting various size objects and loads from small spaces. These are also useful in lifting loads from within the building itself.
Spider cranes can also be used inside a finished building, for maintenance purposes or refurbishing parts of the structure. These mini cranes have a lot of possible uses, and their versatility is best seen in small cramped work areas.
