Choosing a crane is easier when you work through the same questions in the same order. This checklist covers what a supplier needs to know, and what you should ask in return.
1. Define the work
Write down what the crane will lift, where, and how often. Name the process: assembly, maintenance, steel handling, coil handling or yard work. The crane should be designed for the work, not only for a load figure.
2. Load and capacity
- The heaviest single lift, and the typical load.
- The weight of every lifting accessory.
- A margin for future products. Avoid oversizing, which costs money, and undersizing, which wears the crane out and is a safety risk.
3. Crane type
- Single girder overhead crane for light to medium loads, up to 32 t at CESAN.
- Double girder overhead crane for heavy loads and long spans, up to 250 t.
- Gantry or semi-gantry crane for yards and sites without a crane building, up to 500 t.
- Jib crane or hoist for a single workstation.
- Under-running crane when floor space is limited and the loads are light to medium.
4. Span, lifting height and building
Measure the span between runway rails, the hook height you need and the headroom under the roof. Check what the building columns or the existing runway can carry.
5. Duty class
Define how hard the crane works: lifts per hour, share of full load and hours per day. The duty class to FEM or ISO 4301 follows from this.
6. Environment
- Indoor or outdoor use.
- Temperature range, dust, humidity and corrosive air.
- Hazardous areas, with the zone and gas group.
7. Control and safety
- Pendant, radio remote control or cabin.
- Inverter (VFD) control for smooth starts and accurate positioning.
- Overload protection, limit switches and emergency stops as a minimum.
8. Standards and documents
State the design standard of your project, for example FEM 1.001, EN 13001 or ISO 4301, and ask for the CE declaration, test records and manuals.
9. Total cost
Include the runway, electrification, installation, commissioning, load test, training, energy, maintenance and spare parts, not only the crane price.
10. The supplier
- Experience with similar projects.
- Who installs and commissions on site.
- How spare parts and service are supplied.
- Operator training.
- A factory acceptance test (FAT): is the complete crane tested before delivery, and can you witness it?
Why CESAN
CESAN is a Turkish manufacturer. It has built cranes in Turkey since 1976 and delivered projects in more than 52 countries. It designs to FEM 1.001, EN 13001 and ISO 4301, supplies CE-marked cranes, and handles installation and commissioning on site in any country, with an office in Dubai. The complete crane system is tested before delivery in a factory acceptance test that customers or third parties can witness, and the warranty is 24 months, with the terms stated in each quotation.
Send us your requirements
Send the answers to the points above, even if some are still open, and we will help you complete the specification. Send them through the enquiry form and our engineers will reply with a technical and budgetary assessment.
See our overhead cranes, gantry cranes and the price guide.