Bespoke swing arm jib crane
Linian Crane & Hoist Company were approached by the Aeronautical Engineering Department of Swansea University with a request to design a means of lifting test pieces into a wind tunnel.
A site visit determined that headroom was very tight, and a purpose designed overhead crane would be quite expensive and over budget.
However, the application was ideally suited to a swing arm jib crane and a crane having an articulated (knuckle joint) arm.
Linian said: "We were fighting for every millimetre of lifting height and a standard crane would have severely restricted the available clear height of lift.
"Therefore, we designed a bespoke crane incorporating primary and secondary arm sections that fitted in such a way as to minimise the height lost.
"A single-phase electric chain hoist was fitted in a fixed position at the end of the jib and for ease of control in a confined space we arranged for the hoist to be operated by radio remote control."
Thanks to Linian providing a practical and affordable solution the client can now lift and handle test pieces of varying size and weight from ground level to the most appropriate position within the wind tunnel with both ease and safety.
