To meet exacting needs for the
production of composite aircraft
wings, Bombardier Aerospace in
Belfast is using overhead cranes from
Street Crane Company, which are
said to be some of the most
sophisticated ever built i
To meet exacting needs for the
production of composite aircraft
wings, Bombardier Aerospace in
Belfast is using overhead cranes from
Street Crane Company, which are
said to be some of the most
sophisticated ever built in the UK.
To support fabrication of the
aircraft wings there are three 5t SWL
cranes. Two are of 20m span between
the crane rails and one of 25m
span. The crane rails are an integral
part of the roof structure, rather than
being attached to columns or
supported on gantries.
Cantilevered extensions to the
crane beam give extended reach. This
meant crane construction had to be
underslung from the tracks and
hoists, which are in turn underslung
from the crane bridge. The result is a
compact crane that operates in a
confined height envelope with the
ability to traverse the load beyond the
track line. For safety, all cranes have a
special safe load capacity restrictor,
amber flashing lights to warn of
approach and audible warnings.
