From Ancient Greece to Mesopotamia, down to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, cranes have been a part of the construction process. But it wasn’t until 1838 that William Armstrong invented the first hydraulic crane that forever revolutionized construction as humans know it.
Knuckle Boom Cranes 101
Of the many cranes that’ve emerged over the years, the knuckle boom cranes are some that’ve made one of the most revolutionary impacts in the construction industry. Sometimes referred to as the articulating crane, the knuckle boom crane falls under truck-mounted equipment designed to lift heavy loads.
Knuckle boom cranes get their name from their structure, which echoes the flexible motion of the knuckles on your fingers. These knuckles enable the crane to fold back, creating a telescopic movement (one part sliding out of the other to lengthen its reach). The machine’s telescopic motion helps the crane to hoist construction materials over and around other objects without any undue strain.
According to experts like CanopyLift, most knuckle boom cranes have a horizontal reach of up to 24 meters and a vertical reach of 27 meters, all while lifting construction materials weighing more than ten tons.
Knuckle Boom Cranes And How They Help With Construction Efficiency
Knuckle boom cranes are a poster child of modern-day construction efficiency. Construction efficiency means making a construction project as cost-effective as possible while retaining appropriate productivity and work quality. There are many ways that knuckle boom cranes revolutionize construction efficiency. Most of these have to do with features inherent of these cranes.
Some of the features on knuckle boom cranes that revolutionize construction efficiency include:
1. The Versatility Of Knuckle Boom Cranes
While knuckle boom cranes are known for their lifting prowess, it isn’t the only trick up their metallic sleeves. These cranes can also perform other construction roles like digging and ferrying construction materials around the work site.
Knuckle boom crane additions include pallet hooks, buckets, grapple saws, grabbers, rotators, and buckets. The equipment can then be attached to the knuckle boom cranes at the appropriate times in the construction process. Knuckle boom cranes eliminate the need for hiring or buying extra equipment to perform these roles, revolutionizing construction efficiency.
2. Knuckle Boom Cranes Can Operate In Restricted Spaces
Construction, especially in urban areas, is often limited to small spaces for public safety and consideration of adjacent properties. Knuckle boom cranes prove efficient in functioning in such restricted and narrow spaces owing to their compact size. The principle governing knuckle boom cranes is simple. If the lorry can fit, so will the knuckle boom crane.
A knuc kle boom crane lifts vertically, horizontally, and downwards when mounted on the back of a truck. This movement means that a knuckle boom crane can lower materials down a flight of stairs or up to a roof, depending on where the action is.
The maneuverability of the crane and the capacity to extend and reach loads at a distance make it revolutionary when it comes to efficient construction. Knuckle boom cranes can be used outside the building and inside through wide doors. And these cranes function in spaces with low and less vertical clearance, a feat many other cranes can’t match.
3. Knuckle Boom Cranes Are Cheaper To Purchase and Operate
Construction equipment is one of the most taxing purchases you can make. Acquiring heavy equipment like excavators and truck loaders is incredibly taxing. With knuckle boom cranes, nonetheless, you get the effectiveness of a crane but at a lesser cost since you only purchase the booms, hydraulics, attachments, and controls that can be attached to a truck.
Additionally, when it comes to replacement, you simply detach the knuckle boom crane and transfer it to new equipment. The availability of these cranes has made it easier for them to revolutionize construction sites. The knuckle boom crane lowers the construction cost by reducing the need for different equipment that may prove a logistical nightmare on a construction site.
4. Easy To Store And Maneuver
The knuckle boom crane is vehicle-transported. Its compactness and folding ability make it easy to transport and store – leaving room on the truck to allow more construction materials to be carried or stored. In a construction site saving on space and transportation costs, knuckle boom cranes are a sound investment and a revolutionary tool for construction efficiency.
5. Knuckle Boom Cranes Have Great Lifting Power
The relatively small size of the articulating cranes might seem to be their undoing, yet that couldn’t be further from the truth. Knuckle boom cranes can carry weights between 3 and 50 tons depending on their size. The crane’s lifting power makes it an asset in any construction site that requires the lugging of heavy loads from one area to the next.
Parting Shot
As you’ve seen, knuckle boom cranes have many advantages that could benefit you and your construction project. When you’re looking to buy or hire one, consider the scope of your construction, the space within which the construction will take place, and what payload you’d often need to carry to ensure you’re not overtaxing the crane.
