Workstation Cranes
Move materials between workstations without relying on manual lifting or forklifts. Workstation cranes provide overhead lifting coverage across production and assembly areas, allowing operators to lift, move, and position loads with less physical effort.
Available in freestanding and ceiling-mounted configurations, these cranes can serve individual work cells or multiple stations.
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Make Repetitive Lifting Easier in Production & Assembly Areas
Workstation cranes are designed for frequent lifting and positioning within production and assembly areas. Their lightweight enclosed-track design allows operators to move loads smoothly with less effort while keeping lifting equipment overhead and the floor below accessible.
Comparing Freestanding & Ceiling-Mounted Workstation Cranes
The right design depends on your building structure, available floor space and the area that needs coverage.
| Consideration | Freestanding | Ceiling-Mounted |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Supported by floor-mounted columns | Supported by building structure |
| Floor Space | Requires space for support columns | Keeps floor clear of crane support columns |
| Building Structure | Doesn’t rely on building for crane support | Building must be able to support the crane and loads |
| Installation | Installed independently of building structure | Requires coordination with existing overhead structure |
| Best Fit | Facilities without adequate overhead support or where flexibility is important | Facilities with adequate overhead support where keeping floor space clear is a priority |
Lifting Designed for How You Work
A workstation crane should make lifting and positioning easier without getting in the way. We design your system around your loads, work area, and how materials need to move.
Key considerations include:
✓ Capacity: Load weight and lifting requirements.
✓ Coverage Area: The length, width and number of workstations the crane needs to serve.
✓ Available Clearance: Ceiling height, surrounding equipment and required lifting height.
✓ Frequency of Use: How often loads need to be lifted, moved and positioned throughout the workday.
✓ Load Handling: Vacuum lifters, grippers, magnets and other devices matched to the material being handled.
✓ Lift Assist: Hoists or intelligent lifting devices selected around the load and level of operator control required.
Pair Your Workstation Crane with Intelligent Lifting
For repetitive or high-cycle lifting, intelligent lifting devices respond to the operator’s movement for more precise, ergonomic load handling.
Provides powered lifting that follows the operator’s movement, making it easier to lift, lower and precisely position loads.
Combines intelligent lift assist with an articulating jib crane for applications that need ergonomic lifting within an individual work area.
Workstation Crane Reduces Worker Fatigue and Back Injuries
An Iowa seed company needed a safer, more efficient way to handle boxes weighing up to 70 pounds throughout its testing process. RMH Systems integrated a workstation crane, an intelligent lifting device, and a vacuum lifter to reduce manual handling and improve productivity.
Challenges
Employees repeatedly lifted and moved heavy boxes throughout the company’s testing process. Forklifts delivered pallets of product to the work area, where employees manually transferred boxes between conveyors, workbenches, and pallets.
The repetitive lifting caused fatigue and back problems, contributing to production slowdowns.
- The company needed a solution that would:
- Reduce repetitive lifting of boxes weighing up to 70 pounds.
- Minimize operator fatigue and back injuries.
- Make it easier to transfer boxes between work areas.
- Improve productivity throughout the testing process.
Solutions
RMH implemented an ergonomic lifting system that combined three components. Together, these components created a complete lifting system that made it easier for employees to move boxes throughout the testing process.
500-Lb. Freestanding Workstation Crane
Provided overhead lifting coverage across the work area.
165-Lb. Gorbel G-Force® Intelligent Lifting Device
Provided responsive, powered lifting assistance to reduce the physical effort required to move and position boxes.
AIMCO Vacuum Lifter
Allowed operators to securely grip and lift boxes without manually handling their full weight.
Results
Following installation, employees could lift and move boxes with significantly less physical effort.
✓ No Reported Back Issues – Workers reported no back problems following implementation.
✓ Reduced Worker Fatigue – Less physical strain from repetitive lifting throughout the workday.
✓ Easier Material Handling – Operators could lift, move, and position heavy boxes more easily.
✓ Improved Efficiency – More efficient box handling throughout the testing process.
One Trusted Partner for Complete Overhead Crane Support
With RMH Systems, you have one team behind your workstation crane from initial design through ongoing support.
