Jib cranes are small, wall-mounted or free-standing cranes designed to work in warehouses, workshops and industrial workplaces. Similar in design to a tower crane, jib cranes are ideal for lifting heavy objects, allowing workers to get underneath for maintenance or for loading heavy items onto pallets.
Depending on your needs and the available space, you have the option for a wall-mounted or free-standing crane. Both options have the same lifting capacity (when comparing similar models) but wall-mounted jib cranes are more rigid and fixed in place, while a free-standing crane can be rotated around the pillar to face the direction it is needed.
The lifting capacity of your jib crane will depend on the model, as well as how far from the support structure the load is. For example, the ABUS VS pillar jib crane has a lifting capacity of up to 2500kg when the load is at a max of 10m from the pillar. But that goes up to 6300kg when it's only 5m away. This is the standard rule for all cranes, as the closer the load is to the support or base of the crane the more support and balance the crane will have.
Most modern jib cranes will come with or have an option for an electric hoist travel. These make it easier to lift and shift the load along the jib of the crane, instead of needing to pull chains or manually push the load along the jib arm.
When picking between a free-standing or wall-mounted jib crane, make sure to consider the support you have available on your worksite. While wall-mounted options remove the need for bulky pillars cluttering your floor, additional supports may need to be added to your walls to handle the heavy loads the crane will be lifting.
Free-standing jib cranes on the other hand simply need to be secured onto concrete or a stable surface and then they're ready to go. This also makes them a good option for any outdoor needs where a truck-mounted or full sized crane would be overkill.
Whether you need to load items onto a pallet, or lift an engine to do maintenance on, there's a jib crane that's right for you. Always check with your dealer or seller about the exact specifications and lifting capacity before choosing.
