Jib Cranes

Jib Crane FAQs

Interested in purchasing a jib crane, but have some questions about what they can offer for your industrial application? We’ve answered some of our top customer queries below. 

For anything else, or to place an order with us, please get in touch on 0115 932 7010.

What Are Jib Cranes Used For?

Jib cranes are used for lifting and moving loads within a fixed working arc. They are particularly suited towards repetitive lifting tasks in a specific area such as a workstation, loading bay or production line. This is because they work well in confined or busy areas where a mobile crane or overhead gantry wouldn’t be practical.

On the Metreel blog, we’ve also written about what is a jib crane to explain more about jib cranes. If you are new to material handling or are looking to procure a crane for your business, we hope you’ll find this useful. 

How Much Weight Can A Jib Crane Lift?

At Metreel, the jib cranes we manufacture are designed to safely lift anywhere from 125kg up to 1,000kgs. Every jib crane is made to your exact lifting specifications, with floor and wall mounted jibs capable of lifting varying weights. 

To discuss your lifting requirements with our team, please get in touch. Should your required lifting capacity exceed 1,000kgs, we can suggest one of our other types of cranes instead. 

How Do Jib Cranes Improve Workplace Safety?

Jib cranes certainly do improve workplace safety, particularly in regards to reducing manual lifting of heavy tools or materials. 

As we all know, manual lifting poses the risk of injury especially for lifting heavy loads or even for smaller repetitive lifting tasks. Jib cranes can be transformative for workplace safety as they provide powered or assisted lifting with a hoist, which in turn can greatly reduce strains, worker fatigue and more serious injuries from occurring. 

Are Jib Cranes Cost-Effective For Small Businesses?

Based on the jib crane installations we’ve carried out for small businesses across the globe, the feedback we’ve received from our customers is that they absolutely are cost effective. More than this, our customers find that jib cranes provide an excellent return on their investment over the longer term. 

The reason why jib cranes are popular is because they increase material handling capabilities even when there are space constraints. All of which solves common challenges such as safety risks, workflow inefficiencies, precise lifting requirements and high operating costs. 

With various types to choose from and even the ability to customise your jib crane, Metreel can ensure your jib crane meets the exact needs of your small business. 

What Problems Do Jib Cranes Solve In Warehouses?

In busy warehouse environments, space is often extremely limited. By providing localised lifting, jib cranes save valuable floor space by minimising equipment congestion. Jib cranes also handle repetitive lifting tasks more consistently, which increases productivity and reduces bottlenecks in high-traffic areas. 

Another major benefit of installing a jib crane in a warehouse is the reduced need for manual lifting of heavy or awkward loads, which in turn lowers the risk of worker injuries and fatigue. 

Offering 180°to 360° rotation, jib cranes streamline workflow, allowing materials to be moved quickly between workstations or onto storage racks without relying on forklifts or overhead bridge cranes. Overall, jib cranes help warehouses operate more safely, efficiently and cost-effectively.

If materials only need to move within a small radius (machine loading, welding cell, assembly bench), a jib crane is ideal.

Free-Standing Vs Wall-Mounted Jib Crane: Which Should I Choose?

Metreel jib cranes are available in free standing and floor mounted models. As you might expect, these different formats exist to cater to varying workspace types and load requirements.

Free standing jib cranes are ideal for applications that call for full 360° rotation, higher load capacities. Likewise, when your building’s walls or columns cannot support a crane. Free standing jibs will require a reinforced foundation but offer maximum flexibility and coverage. 

In contrast, wall mounted jib cranes offer 180° rotation. They are ideal when floor space is limited and are best suited to lifting moderate loads, including when the lifting task is repetitive. For this reason, wall mounted jib cranes suit workstations or production line work. A wall mounted jib crane relies on strong building walls or columns for support.

If you are currently deciding between a floor vs a wall mounted jib crane, allow the Metreel team to help. Our crane experts can guide your decision based on your space constraints, rotation needs, load capacity and installation feasibility. 

What Is The Best Crane Solution For Small Workstations?

Jib cranes are a fantastic option for localised and repetitive lifting tasks in small spaces such as workstations. Ideal for individual workspaces, jib cranes can provide 180° to 360° rotation to suit different use cases. 

In terms of adapting to your space restrictions, jib cranes come in different formats including wall mounted jib cranes, floor mounted jib cranes and articulating jib cranes. Each design is geared towards different space limitations. 

What Lifting Equipment Works In Tight Spaces?

Various types of lifting equipment are designed to work with constraints such as small ceiling heights or narrow aisle widths. Additionally, when your industrial facility is a hive of activity, the space limitations may also be due to a lack of free floor space. 

At Metreel, our lifting equipment for tight spaces includes wall and floor mounted jib cranes. Fixed to a wall or column, jib cranes swing loads in an arc without needing floor-based equipment. Jib cranes also have the advantage of attaching to vacuum lifters, enabling the lifting of flat and smooth loads (i.e. glass, panels or sheet metal) while requiring virtually no lateral space.

Where jib cranes are particularly ideal is when the lifts are both repetitive and predictable. For instance, when used for machine loading, packaging stations, work cells or maintenance bays. If the motion is repeated within a known swing radius, a jib crane increases speed and consistency.

Compared to forklifts or gantry cranes, jib cranes stay fixed in place which works to reduce traffic congestion and it also eliminates aisle interference. In tight manufacturing spaces, that’s a major advantage.

Outside of the jib cranes we sell, our other lifting equipment suitable for confined spaces includes portable gantry cranes and chain hoists. 

Should you need any help selecting the right lifting equipment to suit your needs, please contact us for tailored advice.

When Is A Jib Crane Not Ideal?

Jib cranes are best suited to lifts that are localised, repetitive, under moderate capacity and within a fixed radius.

When your lifting requirement falls outside of these parameters, another type of crane would be a better fit for your needs. 

For example, overhead bridge cranes are ideal for moving loads across the entire building. Likewise, a gantry crane is great for outdoor lifting across a wide area. Or, when there is a need to set up a crane in multiple locations, a mobile crane (portable gantry crane) would be better suited. 

Finally, for lifting extremely heavy industrial loads (i.e. 20+ tonnes) a heavy-duty bridge crane is needed to ensure safety and reliability. 

At Metreel, we specialise in various types of cranes to accommodate the different lifting requirements your application may call for. In the event a jib crane isn’t the best fit, please check out our other material handling solutions on our website or our brochure. 

Can A Jib Crane Be Installed Outdoors?

Yes, it is possible to opt for an outdoor jib crane installation. However, our approach to your jib crane installation would be slightly different, owing to the environmental factors that the crane will be subjected to. In short, this requires us to ensure your jib crane has proper wind design, corrosion protection, weatherproof electrical systems and a reinforced foundation.

Examples of where installing a jib crane outside can be advantageous include in shipping yards, outdoor maintenance areas, outdoor construction material handling or within vehicle loading and unloading areas. 

If an outdoor jib crane would be a better fit for your application, the Metreel team can customise how your crane is built and installed in response. 

Where Does Metreel Install Jib Cranes?

Metreel manufactures  jib cranes at our locations in Derbyshire, UK. However, we install our jib cranes across the globe. If your company is based in the United Kingdom or further afield you are looking to buy a jib crane, please get in touch.