Shipyard crane is the backbone of modern shipbuilding facilities. Designed to handle extraordinary lifting demands, it enables the efficient movement of ship sections, heavy steel structures, and specialized components. Looking to maximize productivity in your shipyard? Aicrane provides custom lifting solutions tailored to meet the unique demands of every shipyard operation.
Customized Crane Solutions for Every Shipyard Application
Every shipyard faces unique challenges, from indoor assembly lines to outdoor yards and waterfront docks. At Aicrane, we provide customized shipyard crane solutions tailored to meet the specific demands of each work scenario, ensuring safety, efficiency, and productivity across your operations.
Overhead Crane for Indoor Ship Assembly and Fabrication Areas
In confined indoor spaces, our shipyard overhead cranes are designed to handle heavy steel plates, ship modules, and specialized components with accuracy. They move along overhead rails, allowing teams to perform repetitive lifting tasks efficiently while minimizing risks.
- Load Capacity: 20-500 tons (customized)
- Span: 10.5-31.5m (customized)
- Lifting Height: 6-24m (customized)
Gantry Crane for Open-Air Shipyards and Heavy Load Zones
For open-air assembly and heavy transportation, our shipyard gantry cranes are the ideal solution. With wide spans and high load capacities, they can lift massive ship blocks and equipment across outdoor areas, connecting workshops to launch sites efficiently and reliably.
- Load Capacity: 20-500 tons (customized)
- Span: 18-35m (customized)
- Lifting Height: 6-18m (customized)
Rubber Tyred Crane for Docks and Waterfront Areas
Launching, docking, and maintaining vessels requires specialized equipment. Our rubber tyred boat gantry cranes, also known as mobile boat hoists or boat travel lifts, are designed for marine environments, allowing safe and precise handling of boats and yachts of all sizes along docks and marinas.
- Load Capacity: 30-1200 tons (customized)
- Span: 6.5-25m (customized)
- Lifting Height: customized
By providing the right crane for every area, Aicrane ensures that your shipyards operate efficiently, safely, and seamlessly – from indoor workshops to outdoor yards and waterfront docks. In the following sections, let’s take a closer look at each type of shipbuilding crane, exploring their unique features, capabilities, and advantages, so you can understand how the right equipment enhances productivity and precision across every shipyard operation.
Key Features and Benefits of Shipyard Cranes
While different types of shipyard cranes serve specialized purposes, understanding their unique features and advantages can help shipyards choose the right equipment for every lifting task. Below, we highlight the key benefits of each type of our shipyard crane for sale.
Overhead Shipyard Crane Features and Benefits
Shipyard overhead cranes are ideal for indoor shipyard environments where precision is essential. Key features and advantages include:
Smooth and Accurate Movement: The overhead cranes for shipyards are fitted with variable frequency drives, high-precision wire rope hoists, and programmable control systems, ensuring stable lifting speeds and millimeter-level positioning accuracy – critical for aligning large ship sections during assembly.
Space Efficiency: With the crane bridge mounted on overhead runways, no floor space is occupied. This structural design frees up ground areas for welding, assembly, and material storage.
Versatility in Workshop Operations: Equipped with double girder structures and adjustable lifting mechanisms, shipbuilding overhead cranes can handle diverse tasks such as engine installation, component transfer, and repair work within shipyard workshops.
Enhanced Safety Features: Integrated overload limiters, anti-collision sensors, and anti-sway control reduce operational risks. The rigid steel structure and emergency stop systems further protect both operators and ship components.
Gantry Shipyard Crane Features and Benefits
Ship gantry cranes are built for large-scale lifting and outdoor shipyard operations. Key features and advantages include:
Flexible Span Options: Their modular steel structure allows customization of span and height, making it possible to cover wide docks or accommodate multiple vessels and oversized hull sections.
High Lifting Capacity: Using robust double girder beams, reinforced end carriages, and high-torque hoists, our shipbuilding gantry cranes can safely handle hundreds of tons, suitable for massive ship blocks or large raw material loads.
Durable and Weather-Resistant: Built with corrosion-resistant steel, sealed electrical systems, and weatherproof coatings, these ship gantry cranes are reliable even in humid, salty, and windy maritime environments.
Cost-Effective for Large Areas: Since the gantry crane shipyard runs on ground rails with self-supporting legs, it eliminates the need for expensive workshop structures, reducing both installation and long-term maintenance costs.
Rubber Tyred Shipyard Crane Features and Benefits
Our rubber tyred gantry crane at shipyard, also known mobile boat hoist or boat lift, is specialized for dockside and marina operations. Key features and advantages include:
Mobility and Flexibility: Equipped with large pneumatic rubber tires, independent wheel drives, and multi-mode hydraulic steering, these boat gantry cranes or mobile boat hoists can navigate narrow docks and uneven shipyard terrain with ease.
Adjustable Lifting System: Multiple spreader beams and heavy-duty nylon slings can be adjusted to match different hull shapes, ensuring boats of varying widths and weights are lifted securely.
Gentle Vessel Handling: The lifting frame distributes pressure evenly across the hull, while hydraulic hoisting ensures smooth starts and stops, preventing structural stress or surface damage to vessels.
Operational Efficiency: With remote controls, synchronized lifting systems, and quick launch/retrieval cycles, marine gantry cranes reduce downtime and speed up vessel transfer from water to maintenance or storage zones.
Each type of shipyard crane – overhead, gantry, and rubber tyred mobile boat hoist – offers distinct structural designs and advantages tailored to specific shipyard operations.
With these options available, the next step is determining which crane best fits your shipyard’s unique requirements. In the following section, we will explore how to choose the right crane based on your shipyard’s specific needs.
How to Choose the Right Shipyard Crane
Choosing the right crane in a shipyard starts with understanding the specific needs of your operations. Every shipyard faces unique challenges – from moving heavy hull sections to transferring engines or handling vessels in dry docks. By focusing on your shipyard’s workflow, you can select a crane that maximizes efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
Assess Your Shipyard Environment
Start by examining where the vessel gantry crane will operate:
- Indoor workshops: Are assembly and repair areas confined? Ceiling space may be limited.
- Outdoor docks and yards: Are there wide open areas for large ship sections or multiple vessels?
- Marina or dry dock zones: Are narrow pathways or water access points required?
Understanding your shipyard layout helps determine the crane type, mobility, and structural requirements.
Analyze the Loads You Handle
Consider the typical items your shipyard lifts:
- Hull sections, engines, or propellers
- Steel plates and construction materials
- Boats and vessels of varying sizes
Evaluate weight, size, and lifting frequency. This clarifies the necessary capacity, reach, and precision your crane must provide.
Examine Workflow and Operational Frequency
Shipyard operations are often complex and continuous. Ask:
- How often will heavy components or vessels be moved?
- Do you need to transfer loads between multiple docks or workshops?
- Are precise placements critical for assembly or maintenance?
This analysis guides whether a fixed, or fully mobile gantry crane for lifting boats is most effective.
Prioritize Safety and Efficiency
Safety in a shipyard is crucial due to heavy, bulky, and valuable loads:
- Are anti-sway systems, overload protection, or smooth hydraulic controls needed?
- Will operators require remote controls or cabin operation for efficiency?
- How important is reducing downtime and handling delicate ship components safely?
Matching boat gantry crane features to these operational priorities ensures smooth, reliable work.
Factor in Budget and Long-Term Value
Finally, consider cost versus performance:
- Initial investment and installation requirements
- Maintenance and operating expenses over time
- Productivity gains from faster, safer, and more precise handling
A crane that meets your shipyard’s needs reduces long-term costs while improving workflow efficiency.
In a shipyard, the right boat lift gantry crane depends on understanding your environment, load types, workflow, safety priorities, and budget. By thinking through these factors, you can identify the solution that supports smooth operations, protects valuable assets, and enhances overall shipyard productivity.
Safety Design and Measures for Shipyard Cranes
Our shipyard cranes incorporate multiple layers of safety measures, from structural integrity to operational controls, ensuring reliable and secure operations in demanding shipyard environments.
Structural Safety Design for Shipyard Crane
- Robust Steel Construction: All crane bridges, girders, and end carriages are made from high-strength steel with reinforced welding and anti-corrosion coatings.
- Stability Design: Gantry and mobile cranes feature wide bases and optimized center-of-gravity designs to prevent tipping during heavy lifts.
Load Protection Systems for Secure Lifting in Shipbuilding
- Overload Limiters: Prevent lifting beyond rated capacity, reducing risk of structural failure.
- Anti-Sway Technology: Minimizes load swing during lifting and movement, protecting ship components and dockside infrastructure.
- Load Sensors: Monitor real-time weight and distribute forces evenly across hoists and lifting frames.
Operational Safety Measures for Shipyard Crane
- Collision Prevention: Sensors and limit switches detect obstacles along travel paths.
- Emergency Stop Systems: Immediate shutdown in case of unexpected issues, protecting operators and materials.
- Remote Control Options: Allow operators to control the crane from a safe distance, especially in hazardous dockside or dry dock conditions.
Environmental Protection for Harsh Marine Conditions
- Weather-Resistant Design: Outdoor marina gantry cranes and mobile boat hoists are protected against saltwater corrosion, high winds, and humidity.
- Anti-Slip Surfaces & Guardrails: Reduce the risk of operator accidents during maintenance or inspection.
By integrating these design features and protective measures, our shipbuilding cranes ensure safe and reliable operations for handling ship components and vessels.
To ensure the crane’s safety and performance, proper installation is equally essential. Continue reading to learn how professional installation ensures stability, precision, and reliable operation in your shipyard.
Professional Installation for Safe and Reliable Shipyard Crane Operations
At our company, we ensure that every shipyard crane is installed with precision and care, so it operates safely, reliably, and efficiently from day one. Our professional installation services cover everything from site assessment and assembly to testing and commissioning, giving shipyards peace of mind and uninterrupted operations.
Preparing for Shipyard Crane Installation
Before installation, our team conducts a thorough assessment of your shipyard environment:
- Floor and foundation inspection: Ensures the crane’s base can safely support the load.
- Space and clearance evaluation: Confirms adequate room for crane travel, lifting, and docking operations.
- Environmental considerations: Assesses wind, humidity, and potential saltwater exposure to guide installation planning.
On-Site Assembly for Large-Scale Shipyard Operations
Our shipyard cranes are assembled with strict adherence to engineering specifications:
- Structural assembly: High-strength steel components are accurately aligned and welded for maximum stability.
- Hoist and trolley installation: Ensures smooth, precise movement and correct alignment of lifting mechanisms.
- Electrical and control systems setup: Includes wiring, sensor calibration, and integration with remote or cabin controls.
Testing and Commissioning for Safe Operation
After assembly, each shipbuilding crane undergoes rigorous testing to guarantee safe and efficient operation:
- Load testing: Verifies the crane can handle rated capacity safely.
- Operational testing: Checks horizontal, vertical, and trolley movements for smoothness and precision.
- Safety systems verification: Confirms anti-sway, overload protection, emergency stops, and collision sensors function correctly.
Professional Installation Support from Our Expert Team
We provide comprehensive installation services to meet different shipyard needs:
- On-site professional installation: Our trained engineers supervise or perform the installation, ensuring safety and compliance with standards.
- Remote guidance: For shipyards with local teams, we offer online support and step-by-step instructions.
- Turnkey solutions: From foundation preparation to final commissioning, we manage the entire installation process.
With professional installation complete, your shipyard crane is fully prepared to perform safely and efficiently. The next step is operation, where selecting the right control mode – cabin, remote, or automated – ensures safe, precise, and efficient shipbuilding and maintenance tasks.
Operation Modes of Shipyard Cranes
Understanding the different operation modes is key to maximizing the performance and efficiency of shipyard cranes. Each mode offers distinct advantages depending on your shipyard’s workflow and the type of crane.
Cabin (On-Board) Operation
- Direct Control: Operators sit in the cabin, close to the load, allowing intuitive control.
- Enhanced Visibility: Elevated cabins provide a clear view of ship components, docks, and surrounding areas.
- Ideal For: Complex assembly tasks and precision positioning where operator judgment is critical.
Ground Remote Control
- Flexible Operation: Operators can control the crane from a safe distance on the shop floor or dockside.
- Safety Advantage: Reduces risk in hazardous environments, such as moving vessels or heavy assemblies.
- Ideal For: Loading/unloading vessels, moving ships in dry docks, or areas with limited cabin visibility.
Automated or Semi-Automated Control
- Precision and Efficiency: Pre-programmed paths, speed limits, and load positioning reduce human error.
- Integration with Shipyard Workflow: Cranes can work in sync with other equipment like transfer carts or lifting systems.
- Ideal For: Repetitive tasks, long-span operations, or large-scale shipyard assembly lines.
The selection depends on shipbuilding crane type, shipyard layout, task complexity, and operator availability. Many cranes allow hybrid operation, switching between cabin, remote, or automated control for maximum flexibility.
Expert After-Sales Service to Keep Your Shipyard Cranes Running
Reliable after-sales service ensures your shipyard overhead gantry cranes operate safely and efficiently every day. Our team provides full lifecycle support – including technical guidance, spare parts supply, and on-site maintenance – to minimize downtime and keep your operations running smoothly.
Expert Technical Support for Shipyard Cranes
We offer continuous technical assistance, remote troubleshooting, and operational advice to help you solve problems quickly and optimize performance.
Reliable Spare Parts Supply to Minimize Downtime
Original spare parts are available for all shipyard crane models, ensuring reliability and fast replacement when needed.
Preventive Maintenance Services for Shipyard Crane
Our engineers can visit your shipyard for regular inspections, adjustments, and preventive maintenance, ensuring long-term stability and safety.
Rapid Emergency Response for Shipyard Crane Operations
In case of unexpected issues, we provide rapid response and professional repair to restore operations without delay.
With dedicated after-sales care, we help shipyards maintain steady productivity, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the lifespan of every crane in operation. Our service doesn’t end with delivery – it continues throughout the life of your equipment, ensuring lasting reliability and performance. Contact Aicrane today to discuss your project needs and get a customized shipyard crane solution and quotation.