A process crane is part of the production process itself. It lifts repeatedly or continuously, often in a hot, dusty or corrosive place, and when it stops, production stops.
This guide explains what makes a crane a process crane and what a supplier needs to know.
What is a process crane
A process crane is engineered around the actual job: the load, the number of lifts, the speeds, the environment and the cost of downtime. It is not chosen by capacity alone. Compared with a general-purpose overhead crane it usually has a heavier duty class, stronger components and special features for the process.
Where process cranes are used
- Steel and metal production: ladle, casting, scrap and slag handling.
- Foundries and heavy fabrication.
- Energy and power plants.
- Transformer production, assembly and testing.
- Ports and shipyards.
What makes them different
- Heavy duty class. Designed for many lifts per hour, close to full load.
- Harsh environments. Heat, dust, radiation from hot metal and corrosive air call for suitable components, coatings and protection.
- Special hoists and attachments. Ladle hooks, grabs, magnets, lifting beams and tongs.
- Accurate control. Inverter (VFD) drives for smooth, precise movement.
- Optional automation. Anti-sway, load and position monitoring, and semi-automatic operation where the process needs it.
What to tell your supplier
- Rated capacity and the load spectrum: how often each load occurs.
- Lifts per hour, shifts per day and required availability.
- Speeds and travel distances.
- Environment: temperature, dust, corrosive agents, hazardous areas.
- The standards and documents your project requires.
Choosing a manufacturer
Look for engineering depth, experience with heavy duty, electrical and control expertise, testing before delivery, documentation, spare parts and service. CESAN builds special and process cranes for demanding industries.
Why choose CESAN
- Turkish manufacturer since 1976. CESAN designs and builds overhead, gantry and jib cranes and hoists in its own factory in Turkey, with engineering, sales and after-sales in one country.
- Projects in more than 52 countries. Experience with different standards, climates and site conditions.
- A full range. Single girder cranes up to 32 t, double girder cranes up to 250 t and gantry cranes up to 500 t, plus jib cranes, hoists, transfer carts and attachments.
- Recognized standards. Design to FEM 1.001, EN 13001 and ISO 4301, CE marking, and ISO 9001 and TSE certificates for the company.
- Installation and commissioning on site. CESAN handles installation, commissioning and the load test in any country.
- Factory acceptance test (FAT). The complete crane system is tested before delivery, and customers or third parties can witness the tests.
- 24-month warranty, with the terms stated in each quotation.
- An office in Dubai for Gulf customers.
Send us your requirements
To start we need the capacity, load spectrum, duty, speeds, span, lifting height and environment of your process. 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 guide how to choose a crane.