Cranes are our specialty. With over 200 cranes designed, fabricated, and installed across Jordan and the Middle East, Alpha Cranes Jordan is your one-stop partner for reliable heavy lifting solutions. Contact us today for a free consultation on your next crane project.
Our in-house engineers and fabricators have designed, manufactured, and installed over 200 custom overhead cranes across Jordan and the Middle East. Many of our cranes, erected decades ago, are still in operation today—standing as proof of our engineering expertise and reliability. Choose Alpha Cranes for a seamless, hassle-free experience from design to completion.
In simple terms, an overhead crane—also known as an industrial crane or overhead travelling crane—is a machine designed to lift and move heavy materials safely and precisely from one point to another. The crane’s movement is controlled by an operator, either manually through a wired pendant station or remotely via a wireless connection.
There is no single overhead crane design that fits all applications. Instead, there are several types of overhead cranes, each engineered for specific uses. They can be installed indoors to support manufacturing and assembly processes, in warehouses to handle loading and unloading of inventory, or outdoors in shipping ports, railways, and storage yards for large-scale heavy lifting.
The hoist is the key component of an overhead crane that generates the lifting force applied to the wire rope or chain, enabling heavy items to be raised and lowered safely. Most hoists are electrically powered for efficiency, but in certain applications, manual (hand-powered) or pneumatic hoists powered by compressed air may be the more suitable choice.
The bridge is the main load-bearing component of an overhead crane, spanning the full width of the crane system. It supports the hoist and trolleys, allowing them to move smoothly along the runway. Bridges are available in different configurations, designed to match the required lifting capacity and the type of work being performed.
Trolleys connect the hoist to the bridge and allow it to travel smoothly along the crane system. They can be configured as either top-running or under-hung, depending on the design requirements and lifting application.
Runways are the tracks that support the bridge of an overhead crane, enabling it to travel back and forth across the system. They can be mounted on the building structure, suspended from the ceiling, or supported by a custom-fabricated steel framework.
End trucks are attached to both sides of the bridge and serve as the connecting components between the bridge and the runway. They house the wheels and drive mechanisms that allow the bridge to travel smoothly along the runway.
The hook is the component that connects the load being lifted to the hoist, allowing safe and secure handling of materials.
Overhead cranes are widely used across industries to improve efficiency, safety, and material handling. Common applications include:
Loading and unloading materials from trucks
Transporting materials within a facility more efficiently than forklifts or manual labor
Feeding raw materials into machines at manufacturing plants
Moving components along an assembly line in production facilities
Handling containers in shipyards and railyards
Lifting heavy machinery parts, such as motors, in repair shops and industrial sites
The single girder overhead crane is one of the most widely used crane types, typically offering a lifting capacity between 1 and 20 tons. It features a single bridge that travels across two parallel runways, with the hoist moving along the bridge. This design is popular for its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and low maintenance requirements, making it a reliable choice for many industrial applications.
The double girder overhead crane is a heavy-duty solution designed for lifting large and demanding loads. It consists of two bridge girders traveling across parallel runways, with the hoist positioned above the girders for maximum lifting height. Depending on project requirements, a double girder overhead crane can be engineered to handle capacities ranging from 20 to 400 tons, making it ideal for heavy industrial applications.
The double trolley double girder overhead crane is built for maximum lifting capacity and versatility. With its dual trolley design, operators can equip each trolley with different lifting capacities to handle a wider range of applications. This configuration also enables the safe handling of long or oversized loads by operating both trolleys simultaneously, making it a highly flexible solution for complex lifting requirements.
In most projects, a top-running bridge crane is the preferred choice, as it offers greater lifting height, simpler design, and lower maintenance costs. However, in facilities with limited overhead clearance or where building support columns cannot be used, an under-hung crane may be the better solution. At Alpha Cranes, we carefully assess your site conditions and project requirements to recommend the most suitable crane configuration for safe and efficient operations.
A monorail crane is a type of overhead crane mounted on a single beam rail, suspended from the ceiling, and equipped with a single hoist. Monorail cranes are especially effective in confined spaces where a single girder crane cannot be installed, or when materials need to be moved repetitively from one point to another. Typically designed for lighter loads up to 5 tons, monorail cranes are a cost-effective solution with low operating and maintenance requirements. Depending on the application, they can be engineered to run along a straight path or a curved track for more versatile movement.
A workstation crane is a compact overhead crane system where the hoist is mounted on a moving bridge that runs along two perpendicular runways fixed to a fabricated frame. Designed for loads of up to 2 tons, workstation cranes are ideal for repetitive lifting within a defined area of a facility. They are cost-effective to maintain, highly reliable, and can be easily dismantled and relocated when needed, making them a flexible solution for many industrial environments.
A jib crane can be either pillar-mounted or wall-mounted, making it ideal for smaller work areas and repetitive lifting tasks. Often used alongside an overhead bridge crane, jib cranes help improve efficiency and maximize productivity within a facility. Standard models are designed to lift loads of up to 2 tons, though they can be engineered for heavier capacities when required. The slewing range typically reaches up to 270° for wall-mounted and up to 300° for pillar-mounted jib cranes, offering flexibility in tight or specialized workspaces.
Gantry cranes are among the most versatile types of cranes, with lifting capacities ranging from as little as 1 ton to several thousand tons. Their applications extend from large-scale operations in ports and shipyards to smaller setups such as workshops and garages. A key advantage of gantry cranes is mobility—they can be equipped with wheels for flexible movement or mounted on rails for precision handling, and they can operate both indoors and outdoors. In this design, the hoist is mounted on the main girder, which is supported by robust legs fixed on rails or fitted with wheels.
