When it comes to increasing lifting capacity to boost safety and productivity, two options to consider include forklifts and overhead cranes.
As with any type of investment you make into your business, your choice of material handling equipment should best match your needs. Given the vast differences between forklifts and cranes, understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each is essential to help you make the right choice.
Metreel supplies material handling equipment including overhead cranes to businesses on a global scale.
In this post, we’ll provide a brief overview of overhead cranes vs forklifts to guide your purchase decision.
Forklifts
Forklifts are much smaller and far more manoeuvrable than an overhead crane. A forklift can be driven between narrow aisles and can adjust to changes and elevation, making it possible to carry loads between different areas of a building.
However, there can be various risks associated during the journey of driving a forklift around, including injury to personnel or damage to the forklift or load. To help mitigate potential risks, anyone looking to operate a forklift must get certification first. However, the constraints of the building and the overall willingness of employees to comply with safety regulations will ultimately impact how safe it is to drive a forklift around your facility.
According to UK Forklift Training Services, 1 in 5 workplace fatalities are caused by a forklift.
Beyond the potential safety issues of using a forklift, there can also be high maintenance costs to consider. Unlike an overhead crane which can potentially provide decades of service, a forklift has a typical lifespan of between 10 to 15 years. Therefore, the lower upfront cost of a forklift may actually not be as cost-effective in the long run.
Overall, forklifts are best suited to lifting lighter loads where there is also a need for mobility and flexibility.
Overhead Cranes
Unlike forklifts which offer mobile lifting, overhead cranes form a stationary part of the building and work by manoeuvring above any structures or racking.
Typically, overhead cranes offer far greater lifting capacities. As they are custom-built to your specifications, they can be made to handle any upper lifting capacity required. While a support structure will be needed to support the crane, an advantage of an overhead installation is that floor space can be freed up.
For lifting heavy items over fixed routes, overhead cranes can prove more efficient, including in terms of reduced congestion around your facility.
Crucially, the risk of accidents can often be lower when using an overhead crane due to the ability to better control the overall movements of the load.
Overhead cranes do have a higher upfront cost than forklifts. However, given they can provide decades of operation (so long as the crane continues to be maintained properly), they can offer the best long-term value.
For high load lifting requirements, an overhead crane is best suited to the task.
Increase Lifting Capacity & Safety By Purchasing An Overhead Crane From Metreel
Are you looking to upgrade to an overhead crane, perhaps after years of making do with a forklift?
Discover our overhead cranes here at Metreel, which can provide effortless overhead lifting for your industrial operations.
Metreel is based in Derbyshire and we install our overhead cranes across the UK and beyond. Take a look at our crane specifications by downloading the free Metreel brochure.
Or, to receive some tailored advice from our crane experts about purchasing an overhead crane please get in touch.
You can reach us by sending us a message or by giving us a call on 0115 647 0422.