Articulating Crane Selection, Simplified

 

First Step: Needs Assessment
Selecting an articulating crane is not as complicated as one might think. The decision initially can be approached with just two simple considerations: capacity and reach. How much will typically be lifted, and how far will the crane need to reach?

Capacity and reach, when analyzed together, directly correlate to the base crane model. Some articulating crane manufacturers offer a complete range of crane options to meet exact application needs. For instance, the Iowa Mold Tooling Co. Inc. (IMT) lineup includes models ranging from the 2.5 tm crane (18,085 ft-lb) to the 80 tm (516,440 ft-lb) model.

Once the lift and reach are determined, other considerations that crane purchasers need to take into account include how much payload they plan to legally carry on the truck and where on the truck the crane should be mounted to best serve their needs.

Matching the Crane to the Jobs
A customer should gauge projected jobs, and find an articulating crane that most closely matches the common need. It is inevitable that the capacity or reach necessary for a project will be greater than that of a given crane, at least once in a while. Renting might be a good option for projects with out-of-the-ordinary capacity or reach requirements.

Any manufacturer or distributor should consult a customer to spend money wisely — to match the crane to the jobs and streamline the fleet to handle the majority of work.

The Bottom Line
A customer should recognize the reach and lift capacity typically needed. Once that step is covered, a distributor is an excellent source for assistance. Distributors in the extensive IMT network are trained to provide customers with expert assessment of their lifting needs and responsive, knowledgeable service after the sale.

For more information on IMT products and the distributor network, visit www.imt.com. IMT is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/iowamoldtooling and YouTube at www.youtube.com/iowamoldtooling.