Marinelle Adams
If you ever had a chance to walk next to a port you have probably noticed tens or even thousands of boats that come in different sizes and shapes, starting from the smallest, to the biggest ones whose weight can go up to several tons per boat, such as the famous boat type – cargo ships. What kind of boats are there anyway? A boat can become a cargo ship or in other words sea transport if it’s a tanker, a barge, a container ship or any of other boats that can fall into this category thanks to their freight capacity. One thing all of these boats have in common, along with the commercial boats and yachts, is the fact that they have to be taken out of the water once in a while. And in order to be able to do that, ports need specific machinery. On the other hand, cargo ships are being loaded and unloaded, and this carriage can be so heavy that it can go up to 50 tons – just try to envision the cargo ship that has been stuck in the Suez canal recently – and you will understand what loading the luggage really means. In order to do that, these ships also need heavy machinery. Or in other words, they need cranes.
Now try to imagine a construction field in all of its complexity. The workers, the countless machines and the enormous heights of the buildings that are being built. What is the first thing that comes to your mind right away? Most likely, the first thing you have pictured in your mind are construction cranes and crane equipment in general! This is usually one of the most fascinating things about construction sites – it’s the fact that there are so many machines, so many materials that buildings are behind made of, and construction equipment in general, along with all the human resources and hard-working construction workers; all of this makes a unique impression of one of the most important processes in the world – the process of building.
Other than that, industrial establishments such as factories and workshops as well as other structures with this purpose (for example mills, refineries, and many more), all around the world, that are a part of the process of manufacturing goods (but not only manufacturing, they are also packing, repairing or assembling any product or products that can come to your mind) and shipping them worldwide, which also requires certain machinery – again, at the moment of loading and unloading these goods, and preparing them for transportation.
So far you’ve probably understood the importance of different types of machines in almost any area or field, but especially in the before mentioned categories. However, the thing that comes as a logical conclusion is a fact that the number one used machine in almost all the areas where loads need to be moved, lifted, loaded, or unloaded if they are heavier than the loads that can be lifted and carried by humans, is most certainly – a crane.
There are numerous types of cranes, considering the specific area where they are being used, and the loads they need to carry, such as mobile cranes, bridge cranes, ball-handling cranes, tower cranes, along with stacker cranes, and many others. As you already know, their main purpose is to lift heavy objects and transport them where needed, usually from one place that is relatively close to another but not necessarily. But in order to do that, they need and they consist of several other elements. One of those elements is chains or wire ropes, but the most important element that cranes use are the crane grabs.
Before you purchase a certain type of grab, there are a couple of things you need to do beforehand. Let’s dig into that.
1. Get familiar with all the types
Grab cranes are picking machines that are extremely important in the process of both grabbing and moving loads from one place to another. Their fantastic purpose is to ease the process for workers, who don’t have to do all of that by themselves anymore, but rather save them from exhausting labor, at the same time saving their time and increasing the efficiency levels, creating better results. Crane grabs are being used in station yards, ports, or any other places of such kind to load cargo or other things such as certain minerals, earth, or stone – almost anything that can come to your mind, and that is heavy by its nature. But if you are planning on getting this tool for your business, you need to know that in order to pick the right grabs, you first need to know what grab cranes are there in the first place. Some of the most commonly used ones are clamshell grabs, orange peel grabs, trimming grabs, single rope grabs, and dredging grabs. They differ in capacities, and the type of material they can grab and relocate. They also vary in price, purpose, type of fuel they use, and mechanics.
2. Specify the use
This is why you first need to make sure to specify the use of your crane grab. After you decide if it’s one or multiple purposes your grab will have in the future, then you can proceed and select the right fit for your crane and the type of work that needs to be done. You can choose either motor, hydraulic or rope-operated grabs, depending on the type of cargo that needs to be used. If you need to use grabs for shipboard, then the best option would be to choose an electro-hydraulic one, and that’s exactly what the majority of companies pick since they can use it with their boat’s cranes. On the other hand, if the port already has several line cranes then purchasing hydraulic grabs would be an unnecessary investment.
3. Find the most reliable companies
When choosing the right components for your crane machinery, it’s important to collaborate only with reputable companies such as Uniforest, so you can be sure that your crane grabs are reliable, have great performance, are corrosion resistant, and are high-quality, generally speaking. Since crane grabs are not a small investment, you need to make sure that you’ve made the right choice that will benefit your business significantly. You also need to calculate how much power your crane and crane grabs will consume, so you can include that expense in your total expenses. However, with reputable companies, you can be sure that you will get informed about everything you need to know, and that you will get the best deal possible, which is something you should strive for.