Did you know that the Ancient Greeks developed the first known crane in the 6th century BC? Fast forward a few centuries and William Armstrong invented the first hydraulic crane in 1838. Today, many different industries use cranes frequently. In fact, many industries are benefiting from the different uses of electromagnets in cranes. To learn about the industries that utilize cranes the most, we encourage you to read on.
Scrap metal recycling
With the aid of cranes and industrial-grade magnets, scrap yards can maneuver heavy materials. Scrap metal recycling facilities are consistently buried in—you guessed it—scraps of metal. If scrap yards had to have individuals do everything by hand, they’d never stay on pace with the constant demand and work to do. By using cranes, magnets, and several other pieces of equipment––metal scrappers can better the environment by selling metals to recycling facilities, and both parties make a profit.
Automotive facilities
Even though much of the automotive industry is automated, companies still regularly use cranes during their process. Whether the crane’s for receiving shipments of raw materials, used during the manufacturing process, or for adding a finished product in a metal shipping container, cranes have many uses. Not every industry solely uses the large industrial tower cranes—the automotive industry regularly uses smaller cranes to lift engines as well.
Concrete manufacturers
As you might expect, the concrete industry is a very heavy industry. That said, the concrete manufacturing industry requires heavy-duty cranes with extremely durable hoist ropes or cables, hooks, and other attachments to get the job done correctly.
Shipping and storage
Often, the shipping industry uses cargo ships to ship goods to other ports and overseas. Some shipping ports, however, also double as a storage port. Both industries use overhead cranes to load and unload shipping containers to and from boats. To put things into perspective, a standard 20-foot shipping container weighs around 4,000 lbs.—and that’s just what it weighs when it’s empty.
We can’t deny that cranes have benefitted several industries, as you can see by the industries that utilize cranes the most. There are several more industries that use cranes that we didn’t discuss, but the industries we did mention certainly are the most notable.