Light Crane System Buyer's Guide - Steel and Aluminum Enclosed ...

When you need a light crane system to lift loads or assist with material flow, consulting an expert crane manufacturer or crane dealer will make sure you get the solution to meet your needs. When it comes to designing an enclosed rail track or monorail system, it’s critical to work with experts with the proper knowledge. As you identify your process and lifting needs, it’s important to understand the benefits of the types of components available and how they could optimize your project.

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Light crane systems using steel or aluminum enclosed track are used to lift loads safely and efficiently to help improve material flow. There are many configurations that can be made to meet your needs. Light crane systems are often called workstation cranes because they can help an operator do one job or a series of jobs, for instance in assembly processes. These workstations can be attached to the ceiling structure of your building or on a floor mounted, freestanding system which keeps valuable floor space free of clutter and floor cart or lift truck traffic.

Crane and Monorail Systems

Enclosed track crane systems are a great solution for assembly line material flow in many industries including the automotive industry. These systems allow small or large components to be moved easily from one manufacturing area to another. Systems can get very complex with track switches, turntables, interlocks and other specialized track functions to create the necessary material flow.

Chain hoists and balancer in air or electric are commonly used for the lifting axis. End tooling, grippers, and rigging can be customized to complete the material handling solution. Working with your trusted crane manufacturer or dealer is key to creating the solution to meet your needs.

Comparing Steel and Aluminum Track Options

Steel and aluminum enclosed track are both excellent solutions that offer great benefits to your workflow. The profile of both types of track is enclosed so this keeps the running surfaces cleaner and prevents contamination on these surfaces. Both profiles are modular and allow for almost unlimited solutions and can be easily reconfigured or expanded to meet your changing work processes.

Ergonomics

Both profiles are designed to be highly ergonomic which is highly beneficial to both employers and operators. Systems that use articulating suspension components offer the very lowest possible rolling resistance while preventing binding and reducing the forces transmitted to the support structure. Ask your trusted crane dealer about the benefits of these features.

Whether your operation is occasional heavy lifting or light, fast and repetitive, enclosed track cranes and monorails can help relieve stress and prevent injury to operators. Consult organizations like OSHA for more information on the importance of an ergonomic workplace. Next we will look at other benefits of both steel and aluminum track and look at common situations where they are used together to bring the best of both situations.

Steel track is one of the commonly used types of tracks and can withstand higher capacities than aluminum enclosed track.

Steel Track

One of the most common types of track used in light crane systems is steel track. When compared to aluminum track, steel track withstands higher capacities and offers longer spans. In most cases, steel track systems cost less than a similar system in aluminum.

Choosing a steel track that has a durable painted finish, such as powder coat, on both the inside and outside of the track is important. Tracks that are not painted at all on the inside surfaces (enclosed surfaces) allow for corrosion, which over time can contaminate the running surface of the track and increase the rolling resistance forcing the operator to expend more effort to move the product. A high quality finish on the outside of the track provides lasting protection and helps withstand rough handling during installation.

Aluminium enclosed rail track is a top choice for the smoothest, most ergonomic solution.

Aluminum Track

Track made from extruded aluminum offer a lower deadweight when compared with a similar strength profile in steel. They offer a smoother running surface due to their smooth, anodized finish and more exacting manufacturing tolerances. This makes them a top choice when you are looking for the smoothest, most ergonomic solution possible.

Steel and aluminium enclosed rail track can be used together to provide a solution to meet your unique needs.

Using Steel and Aluminum Track Together

When steel and aluminum track are used together, you can get the best out of both types of track to meet your needs. Commonly, steel and aluminum are used in the same system when a very long crane bridge is needed. Here, the bridge can be made of steel to allow the longer span and the runway can be aluminum.

The aluminum runway offers the best rolling resistance when it comes time to move the longer, heavier bridge. Another situation where using steel and aluminum track together is beneficial is when you need shorter or lighter capacity bridge(s), but can only suspend the runway at longer distances. The stronger properties of the steel allow greater unsupported distances and the aluminum bridge keeps the deadweight low.

Whether your project uses steel or aluminium enclosed track, it is important to know the benefits of each. Configuring your light crane system with your trusted crane manufacturer or crane dealer will allow you to get an optimized solution for your needs. No matter what industry you are in, light crane systems may be able to optimize your processes.

4 steps to select your linear guide rail ? You also call it guide, linear guide,  sliding rail or telescopic rail but you don’t know which one to choose? Morevover CHAMBRELAN offers you 30 references, 3 different materials and a huge choice of lengths, runners, and options depending on the use…
First of all, let’s define what a linear rail is:

A linear rail consists of a runner, with recirculation ball bearing or rollers, which slides inside a rail.

This 4 steps guide help you in selecting THE linear guide you need!

We also invite you to discover on our Youtube channel a video presentation of our different linear guide rails

Contents :

For more Heavy Steel Rail Manufacturerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

1. Rail Lengths and travel
2. Ball bearing or roller runners and load capacity
3. Materials
4. Options

1-  Rail length and stroke

First of all you need to determine the length of the guide rail you need for your installation.

• • You know the travel length; this is your first piece of information,
  • Depending on the size or mass of the device to be moved, you can guide it with 1, 2 or more runners per rail. The space used by all the runners must be taken into account,
  • The rails are equipped with end stops, so this dimension must also be taken into account.

Thus, the dimension of your linear guide rail will be:

    Dimension used by the linear bearing runners
+ Stroke Length
+ Dimensions of the end stops

= Minimum overall length of your guide rail

We offer several types of lengths:

Just ask us and we will provide you with the linear guide you need! CHAMBRELAN offers you:

• • Standard Linear Rails, to reduce manufacturing time:With lengths in steps of 50 to 100mm. We limit the maximum length to 2 meters for logistic reasons. These rails are delivered:
    • pre-equipped with end stops,
    • undrilled; you will only need to counter-drill them during assembly.
  • IN STOCK Guide Rails in 4 predefined lengths immediately available (stoppers included):
    • 500 mm
    • mm
    • mm
    • mm
  • Specific Guide Rails:

You wish to integrate a rail of a specific length into your project or to receive your rails pre-drilled or with an option? Once again, we have the solution! As a manufacturer, CHAMBRELAN designs for you the ideal sliding rail for your installation, to the millimetre! No more need to cut it in your workshop, we do it for you! A drilling, a lubrication or a specific treatment is necessary? We can do it for you! We invite you to discover our options at the end of this article!

Linear rail with ball bearing runner

2 – Ball bearing or roller runners and load

Once you have chosen the length of your linear guide rail, comes the question of the runner.

The available space and above all the mass of your device will be decisive in the choice of the ball bearing runner. The load we give is indicated PER RUNNER: thus mounting 2 sliders doubles the load capacity. And we have in our range recirculating ball bearing slides that can support 600 kilos per runner!

The load defines the runner which in turns defines the rail!

We manufacture our guides based on 2 technology: Ball bearing runner or roller runner  What are the differences between these two types?

• • Ball bearing runner :

It is the most popular of our range and is perfectly adapted to industrial environments. Strong and compact, these linear rails with recirculating ball bearing runner can support hundreds of kilos, like the E98/G12 ultra-heavy-duty steel linear rail.

Recirculating Ball Bearing Runner

• • Roller runners:

We propose two references of roller skid supporting medium to heavy loads: one full stainless steel guide rail, the other in steel with plastic coated rollers.

These two types of runner can be inserted in several linear guide rails (in steel, aluminium or stainless steel). They slide smoothly and quietly in the rail, more than the recirculating bearing runners. They are appreciated for installations on sliding doors, machine housings or protective hoods. They are adjustable, in so far as the middle runner is on an adjustable excentric screw. This allow to adjust the play and the movment smoothness.

Although a flat mounting is possible and less penalizing than for a telescopic slide, we always recommend an major axis mounting! Indeed, for the same reference, the load can be divided by two depending on the type of mounting:

• •  steel linear guide E46/G52: major axis mounting: 250 kg per runner
  •  steel Linear guide E46/G52: bottom mounted: 125 kg per runner

3-  Material :

As for our range of telescopic slides, we offer three different materials depending on your project:

• • The aluminum linear guide rail
  • The linear guide in galvanized steel
  • The stainless steel sliding rail

Although steel is the most common material, sometimes it is necessary to use stainless steel for outdoor environments or clean rooms. Although steel is the most common material, sometimes it is necessary to use stainless steel for outdoor environments or clean rooms.

5 –  Options :

By following these different steps, you have just determined the standard guide rail that you need to meet your needs! How about going a little further? Indeed, CHAMBRELAN offers several options to help you build your project!

• • Rail drilling:All of our standard linear rails are manufactured and delivered without drilling. Upon request, for an additional price, we can offer bespoke drilling scheme according to your drawing.
    Our runners are threaded. These drillings cannot be modified.
  •  Greasing:the runners are greased in the factory (high pressure bearing grease or white grease). But you can ask for a specific grease:
    • food compatible,
    • high temperature
    • without teflon
    • or even a no greasing (unrecommended).
  • Specific surface treatment of the rail:increased corrosion resistance,
    Additional hardness …
  • wiper kit :for an optimization of the movement of the ball bearing skid, this wiper kit installed on the runner allows to push out of the raceways, impurities and dust.

Do not hesitate to share your projects with us!

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Railroad Track Parts for Sale.