Single Girder Crane

A top running single girder crane is an overhead travelling crane that runs on runway rails and uses one main beam (girder) to carry the hoist and trolley. It’s a popular, practical choice across general industry because it delivers dependable handling without overcomplicating the crane structure.

Single girder cranes are commonly specified for workshops, fabrication, general manufacturing and multi-crane environments, where you want efficient coverage, straightforward operation and sensible lifecycle costs. They can also be engineered for outdoor use, provided the specification reflects exposure, corrosion risk, temperature, wind considerations, duty cycle and maintenance access.

Street’s top running single girder range covers all capacities up to 25 tonnes with ZX electric wire rope hoists, and up to 5 tonnes with LX electric chain hoists where a compact, extra-competitive solution is the right fit.

In simple terms, ZX is typically chosen where the duty is more demanding, lifts are higher, or the capacity and performance requirements point towards wire rope. LX is often ideal for lower capacities and lighter duty where simplicity and value are key. We’ll always match the hoist to your real duty cycle and working envelope, not just the headline capacity.

Single girder cranes are often cost-effective because the layout typically produces lower wheel loads, which can reduce structural and runway support requirements. That can mean lower overall building costs, especially in retrofit projects or where runway steelwork drives the budget.

Just as importantly, Street’s approach is to improve value through lifetime cost of ownership. The aim is fewer wear points, easier inspection, and maintenance tasks that can be planned and completed efficiently, reducing downtime risk and long-term cost.

ZX technology is engineered to remove common wear points and improve service access. The key elements work together:

• A braked gearbox hoist design improves load security and maintainability. The brake holds the load even if the hoist motor is removed, or if motor-side components (coupling, shaft, connection) were to fail. It also avoids brake heat soaking into the motor and improves brake accessibility.
• No external hoist gears: hardened, precision-ground helical gears running submerged in oil, reducing contamination and extending gear life versus exposed gearing.
• No external trolley gears: direct drive travel with enclosed, oil-immersed gearing, avoiding external gears cut into wheel flanges.
• Guide rollers with flangeless wheels: reduces wheel and beam flange wear, lowers rolling resistance and improves trolley control and stability.
• A reaction roller can remove the need for a counterweight in low headroom single girder arrangements, reducing hoist/crane weight and improving traction and control.

All of this is aimed at the same outcome: reliable performance you can maintain sensibly over the long term.

Single girder cranes can be supplied with a choice of travel control approaches, including traditional two-speed control and advanced control using Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). VFD-based control is typically worth specifying where you need:

• Smooth acceleration and deceleration to protect loads, tooling and structures
• Predictable stopping and repeatable positioning
• Better handling confidence in busy bays or where precise placement matters
• Diagnostic insight that supports planned maintenance
  Where VFD-based advanced control is chosen, we can tailor speed profiles to the process, and combine that with controlled braking to suit your application.

ZX hoists can include several proven features that support safe, controlled handling:

• A heavy duty double band rope guide designed to manage slack rope risk and guide the rope consistently into the drum scroll.
• A patented safe load cut-out device located at the hoist gearbox torque arm, actuated directly by load rather than relying on electrical current measurement alone.
• Adjustable DC disc brakes on travel and traverse to tune stopping distances to the application.
• Built-in electrical protection and monitoring, including hoist motor overheat protection, hours-in-service metering, phase failure/incorrect phase sequencing protection, and under-voltage/over-current protection.

The result is a crane that’s not only safe in principle, but engineered to behave predictably in daily use.

Downtime reduction comes from two places: removing common failure points and making service faster. ZX is designed to do both, using enclosed gearing, reduced wear interfaces (guide rollers), service-friendly access features (including inspection covers and motor coupling viewing access), and clear electrical protection/monitoring.

For procurement, this supports a lower lifetime cost and reduced operational disruption. For engineers, it means fewer awkward strip-down tasks and more straightforward planned maintenance.

To specify correctly, we typically need: SWL, span, runway length, headroom and required hook approach, duty cycle/classification, load characteristics, control preference, power supply and environmental conditions (including whether it’s indoor or outdoor).

The fastest first step is to share your capacity, span, runway length, headroom constraints, duty cycle and preferred control method. If you have a layout drawing or photos, it helps us move quickly and avoid assumptions, so you get a solution that fits the building and the job from day one.