The term "gantry crane" tends to get thrown around a lot in the material handling industry. We often find that when folks say gantry crane, they're often referring to an overhead bridge crane system. A gantry crane and bridge crane are actually very different types of overhead cranes. A gantry crane is a type of overhead crane with a single or double girder configuration supported by freestanding legs that move on wheels or along a track or rail system. Gantry cranes are usually considered when there is a reason not to incorporate an overhead runway system.

These are typically used for an outdoor application or below an existing overhead bridge crane system. Unlike a bridge crane, a gantry crane does not need to be tied into a building's support structure - eliminating the need for permanent runway beams and support columns. In some cases, this can result in a significant reduction in material costs and can be a more cost-effective solution compared to a similarly specified bridge crane.

Larger gantry systems may run on a rail or track embedded in the ground, typically in a straight line in a dedicated work area. Smaller portable gantry systems run on castors or wheels and can be moved about a facility for maintenance or light fabrication work. And there are different types of Gantry Crane Systems.

Full Gantry Crane Systems

Full gantry crane systems are the most popular configuration—consisting of two legs that ride on rail that is embedded flush with the top surface of the floor. They typically run in a straight line in a dedicated work area. This design allows motorized equipment like scissor lifts, fork lifts, carts, and trucks to roll over it and cross through underneath the crane.

Semi-Gantry Crane Systems

Gantry cranes can also be designed with one leg riding on wheels or rails and the other side of the crane riding on a runway system connected to building columns or a side wall of the building structure. These are advantageous because they can save you floor space / work space. Unlike a bridge crane, this setup doesn’t need two runways supported by or tied back to building columns.

Portable Gantry Crane Systems

Portable gantry cranes are smaller lighter-duty gantry systems that run on casters or rubber wheels. These wheels allow the user to move it throughout a facility to handle various materials or loads. When they're empty and not under load, they can be moved or stored anywhere throughout a shop or into different work cells to offer greater space-saving and floor space flexibility.

Full gantry or semi-gantry cranes are commonly used for heavy fabrication applications, or in some type of outdoor yard—rail yards, shipping and container yards, steel yards, and scrap yards. They're also very popular for cement and precast applications for areas where they're forming and curing slab concrete. Their design allows them to be used outdoors and also allows forklift trucks and other motorized traffic to work and cross through underneath.

Typically, portable gantry cranes are used to lift and hold something in place while it's being worked on, fabricated, or assembled. The load isn't necessarily being moved through the facility, but the gantry itself can be moved around to work on different parts or equipment. Portable gantry systems can also offer more flexibility than a jib crane or workstation crane. A jib crane typically has to be installed onto a poured concrete foundation and once it's installed - it's pretty much permanent. A smaller portable gantry crane can perform the same type of work as a jib crane, but can be moved about your facility as your business grows and you begin optimizing and laying out warehouse space.

Developed by these kinds of Gantry Crane Systems, there are also some different Gantry Crane for different usage such as Single Beam Rubber Tired Gantry Crane, Boat Lift Gantry Crane, Launching Gantry Crane(or called Launch Gantry Cranes), Rubber Tired Gantry Cranes, etc. Besides many other cranes are widely used the the industrial production like Double Beam Rubber Tired Crane, Shipyard Boat Lift Crane, Portal Jib Crane, Marine Boat Lift Crane, Yacht Hoist Crane, etc.