Moving heavy machinery doesn’t always mean bringing in a forklift or mobile crane.
In many industrial facilities, those options simply aren’t practical. The equipment may be located inside a building, below grade, on a rooftop, behind existing machinery, inside a mechanical room, or in an area with limited overhead clearance. A forklift may not be able to reach the load, while a mobile crane may be too large, too expensive, or unable to access the work area.
So how do you lift machinery weighing hundreds or thousands of pounds when conventional equipment can’t reach it?
One solution is a portable aluminum gantry crane. A gantry creates an overhead lifting point directly where it is needed, allowing a properly rated hoist and rigging system to lift machinery without relying on a forklift, building-mounted crane, or large mobile crane.
Why Can’t You Just Use a Forklift?
Forklifts are extremely useful for moving palletized materials and equipment, but they aren’t the right solution for every machinery-moving project.
The first problem is access.
A forklift requires enough floor space to approach, position, lift, turn, and transport a load. Inside an established industrial facility, that space may not exist.
Common obstacles include:
- Narrow doorways
- Low ceilings
- Pipes and conduit
- Mechanical rooms
- Existing production equipment
- Pits and floor openings
- Elevated platforms
- Stairs and changes in elevation
- Electrical panels
- Restricted operating areas
The equipment itself may also be positioned where forks cannot safely get underneath it.
Trying to improvise a lift with equipment that wasn’t designed for the application can create unnecessary risk. Instead, the lifting system should be selected around the machinery, its weight, center of gravity, available space, and intended movement.
Why a Mobile Crane Isn’t Always Practical Either
Mobile cranes can provide tremendous lifting capacity and reach, but they also require substantial access and setup space.
For equipment located deep inside a building, a mobile crane may not be able to reach the load at all.
Even when the machinery is accessible from outside, the project may require consideration of crane setup, outriggers, ground conditions, overhead power lines, building openings, rigging distances, road access, permits, and other site conditions.
There are many industrial lifting applications where using a large mobile crane to move a relatively small piece of machinery simply isn’t the most practical solution.
Use a Portable Gantry Crane to Create an Overhead Lifting Point
A portable gantry crane provides another approach.
Instead of bringing the machinery to the lifting equipment, the lifting equipment can be brought to the machinery.
EC&MW manufactures portable aluminum gantry cranes that can be transported to industrial work areas and positioned around or alongside equipment.
A hoist and trolley can then be used with the gantry to raise, lower, and position the load according to the requirements of the application.
This can be particularly useful when lifting:
- Industrial pumps
- Electric motors
- Gearboxes
- Compressors
- Generators
- HVAC equipment
- Manufacturing machinery
- Valves and piping components
- Machine tools
- Process equipment
- Marine equipment
- Utility equipment
Why Aluminum Is Useful for Machinery Moving
One of the biggest challenges with temporary lifting equipment is getting the lifting system into position.
That’s where aluminum construction provides an important advantage.
Aluminum gantry components can provide substantial lifting capacity while remaining considerably lighter than comparable heavy steel structures.
This makes portable aluminum gantries particularly useful when a crane must be transported through a facility, assembled near the machinery, used for the lift, and then disassembled and removed.
The advantages become even more apparent when equipment needs to travel through doorways, elevators, corridors, or other restricted areas.
Lifting Machinery Inside a Confined Space
Confined industrial spaces are one of the strongest applications for portable gantry cranes.
Imagine a large electric motor positioned inside a mechanical room.
There is enough room for technicians to work around it, but not enough space to bring in a forklift. The ceiling prevents a mobile crane from reaching the equipment, and there is no permanent overhead crane.
A portable gantry may be able to enter the facility in separate components and then be assembled directly over the motor.
Once the machinery is raised, it can potentially be lowered onto appropriate machinery-moving equipment for transportation out of the room.
EC&MW manufactures several configurations of aluminum gantry cranes for applications where space, access, and portability are major considerations.
What If the Gantry Won’t Fit Through the Door?
You don’t necessarily need to move a fully assembled crane through the doorway.
One of the major benefits of a portable gantry system is that it can be disassembled for transportation.
EC&MW’s removable-leg aluminum gantries are specifically designed to make transporting and assembling the crane easier in restricted-access environments.
The legs can be separated from the uprights, reducing the size and weight of individual components that must be carried into the work area.
This can be particularly useful in:
- Mechanical rooms
- Basements
- Power plants
- Hospitals
- Manufacturing facilities
- Commercial buildings
- Utility facilities
Doorway Gantries for Extremely Restricted Access
Some lifting applications provide even less space.
If machinery needs to be lifted directly inside or around a narrow doorway, EC&MW also manufactures Doorway aluminum gantry cranes.
These compact systems are designed for applications where a conventional gantry base may be too wide for the available work area.
Doorway-style gantries demonstrate an important point about machinery moving: the maximum lifting capacity isn’t always the specification that determines which crane you need.
Sometimes a few inches of clearance determine whether the lifting system can be used at all.
Using a T-Frame Gantry When You Can’t Straddle the Load
A traditional A-Frame gantry generally positions a leg assembly on each side of the load.
But what happens when you can’t position crane legs on both sides?
A T-Frame aluminum gantry crane may provide another option.
T-Frame configurations can be useful for machinery positioned near tanks, pits, wet wells, walls, platforms, and other structures that prevent a conventional gantry from straddling the load.
These cranes are frequently used for industrial applications involving pumps, motors, gearboxes, valves, and other equipment.
Lifting Heavy Machinery From a Pit or Opening
Equipment located below floor level presents another common problem.
A forklift may have no safe way to reach into the opening, while a mobile crane may not have access to the building.
A gantry can potentially be positioned across or adjacent to the opening to create the required overhead lifting point.
This type of arrangement is frequently useful for equipment associated with:
- Wet wells
- Pump stations
- Water treatment facilities
- Wastewater treatment plants
- Industrial pits
- Utility vaults
- Below-grade mechanical equipment
EC&MW’s article on portable gantry cranes for water and wastewater treatment plants provides additional examples of lifting equipment in these challenging environments.
What If the Floor or Ground Is Uneven?
Not every piece of industrial machinery is sitting on a perfectly smooth warehouse floor.
Equipment may be located outside, near drains, on sloped concrete, beside treatment basins, or on other irregular surfaces.
EC&MW manufactures All-Terrain aluminum gantry cranes for applications where conventional caster configurations may not be appropriate.
All-Terrain configurations use adjustable support legs and leveling pads to accommodate many challenging operating surfaces.
For other applications, air pneumatic tire gantries provide another option for moving lifting equipment across certain uneven surfaces.
The correct configuration depends on the surface, load, required movement, and overall lifting environment.
How Do You Actually Move the Machine After Lifting It?
Lifting the machine is only one part of the job.
You also need a plan for what happens after the equipment clears its foundation.
Depending on the project, the machinery may be lowered onto appropriately rated:
- Machinery skates
- Rollers
- Dollies
- Carts
- Pallets
- Transport platforms
The machinery can then be moved according to an engineered or otherwise appropriate machinery-moving plan.
In some applications, a gantry crane may also be designed to move while supporting a load. However, you should never assume that every gantry crane can safely roll while loaded.
Always follow the operating requirements for the specific crane, hoist, trolley, rigging, and application.
How to Plan a Heavy Machinery Lift Without a Forklift
Before lifting machinery, determine exactly what the job requires.
Important questions include:
- How much does the machine actually weigh?
- Where is its center of gravity?
- Does the manufacturer provide designated lifting points?
- How high does the machine need to be lifted?
- How much overhead clearance is available?
- What gantry span is required?
- What is the condition of the floor or ground?
- Can the crane components reach the work area?
- Does the equipment need to pass through a doorway?
- How will the machinery be transported after lifting?
- What hoist capacity is required?
- What rigging is appropriate for the load?
The answers to these questions should guide equipment selection rather than choosing a crane based only on maximum capacity.
Never Lift Heavy Machinery From an Unapproved Structure
When no overhead crane is available, it can be tempting to attach a hoist to whatever structural member appears strong enough.
That can be extremely dangerous.
A roof truss, building beam, pipe support, railing, or other structural component should never be assumed to be an approved lifting point.
A portable gantry crane avoids this problem by providing a dedicated lifting structure engineered for a specified load capacity when properly configured and used.
When You Need a Custom Machinery Lifting Solution
Some machinery-moving problems cannot be solved with a standard crane configuration.
Maybe an electrical cabinet prevents one leg from being positioned normally. Perhaps the beam won’t fit through the facility. You may need unusual height, an extremely narrow base, a specific span, or a lifting system capable of clearing permanent infrastructure.
This is where working directly with the manufacturer becomes valuable.
EC&MW has designed custom aluminum gantry cranes for power plants, nuclear facilities, hydroelectric projects, industrial plants, utilities, HVAC applications, pump maintenance, and other specialized lifting environments.
Instead of forcing the job to fit an existing crane, the crane can be engineered around the requirements of the job.
Forklift vs. Mobile Crane vs. Portable Gantry Crane
| Lifting Equipment | Best Suited For | Potential Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Forklift | Moving accessible loads across suitable floors | Requires substantial access around the load |
| Mobile Crane | Large outdoor lifts and long-reach applications | Requires access, setup space and appropriate site conditions |
| Portable Gantry Crane | Indoor, confined, temporary and restricted-access lifting | Must be properly configured for the load and work environment |
None of these lifting methods is universally better than the others.
The correct solution depends on the machinery, facility, available space, lifting height, load capacity, surface conditions, and required movement.
When a Forklift or Mobile Crane Can’t Reach It, Bring the Crane to the Machine
Heavy machinery doesn’t always need to be accessible to a forklift or mobile crane in order to be lifted.
Portable aluminum gantry cranes provide another option by creating a temporary overhead lifting point directly where the equipment is located.
That makes them particularly useful for machinery inside buildings, mechanical rooms, power plants, wastewater facilities, manufacturing plants, utility facilities, rooftops, pits, and other restricted-access locations.
EC&MW manufactures more than 300 models and configurations of aluminum gantry cranes, including A-Frame, T-Frame, All-Terrain, pneumatic-tire, removable-leg, doorway, and custom gantries.
If you’re trying to figure out how to lift a heavy machine that a forklift or mobile crane cannot reach, explore EC&MW aluminum gantry cranes or contact EC&MW with the machinery weight, dimensions, available height, required span, surface conditions, and access restrictions.
Sometimes the solution isn’t figuring out how to get a bigger crane into the building. It’s bringing a portable lifting system directly to the machine.
