Differences Between Metallurgical Cranes and Ordinary Cranes

Driven by demands for energy efficiency, environmental protection, and economic viability, coupled with continuous improvements in foundry production efficiency, the demand for bridge cranes transporting molten metal is growing significantly. Such cranes are commonly referred to as metallurgical cranes, metallurgical hoists, or foundry cranes.

Metallurgical cranes are currently evolving toward user-friendly designs characterized by high lifting capacity, lightweight construction, high efficiency, low maintenance, and ease of operation. They offer semi-automatic and fully automatic intelligent control systems. Operating in harsh environments involving high temperatures, heavy dust, and even harmful gases, the unique working conditions dictate distinct manufacturing processes compared to standard cranes.

The utilization class and load condition of a metallurgical crane determine its working level. Utilization class refers to the total number of operating cycles over the crane's service life. Design standards classify utilization classes from U0 to U9 based on cycle frequency. Metallurgical cranes typically operate continuously for extended periods, so their utilization class generally exceeds U6. The load condition indicates the crane's load-bearing capacity, influenced by two factors: the ratio of the lifted load to the rated load, and the ratio of the number of lifting operations to the total number of cycles. Metallurgical cranes handle high full-load capacities and frequent full-load operations, resulting in load conditions of 03 and 04. Consequently, their working class must fall between A6 and A8.

Henan Mining, as a globally leading crane supplier, offers a comprehensive product range from 5 tons to 500 tons. We provide customized designs based on customer site drawings, load characteristics, and environmental parameters. Our full lifecycle services deliver one-stop solutions encompassing site surveys, design planning, installation and commissioning, as well as regular maintenance.