Cranes are used for cargo. They lift cargo from the ground to higher levels on construction sites. Cranes can also lift heavy shipping containers onto and off of cargo ships. Another thing cranes can do is carry smaller cargo around in factories. They are all force multipliers. That means that they take a little bit of force and multiply it through things like pulleys in order to do more work than the original smaller force could do. This is a carryover from ancient cranes that were pulleys and booms powered by people powered. All those cranes have another thing in common. They are there in order to lift and carry things that people can't. But there are different kinds of cranes.
Overhead Cranes
Cranes in factories and in shipping ports are both overhead cranes. The biggest differences are the size and how it's controlled. The cranes run on tracks overhead. The tracks cover the area that the cranes need to go. In an overhead crane at a factory, they are generally controlled by hand controls. The operator has a controller that is wired into the machine. Those controllers have buttons that cause the crane to lift, drop, and move in whatever direction. The larger cranes have operators that are in cabs. Those cabs are high overhead so that the operators have the best view of the work to be done.
Tower Cranes
Tower cranes are generally found on construction sites, especially those that are for high rises. The tower cranes are built right on site with a sturdy scaffolding that has a cab on top. Generally the cabs are right on top of booms of the cranes. These cranes do one thing that other cranes can't. They actually build themselves. Whenever it's time to go higher, the cranes are used to lift the next sections of their framing. The cranes are used to lift the pieces in place while they are secured by workers. Then the cab can go up the next set of framing so that it is ready to work on the next levels of the buildings.
Cranes have been used for centuries. They were used in the ancient world. They are still in use in the modern world. In fact, some of those ancient cranes are very similar to cranes used today. A good design can hold up for years. There are different kinds of cranes in use today by companies such as A C Jones Trucking Inc. They are generally specialized so that they work well for their purpose.
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