For many years our company, always in close contact with our customers, has been developing specific solutions to provide a response to specific problems in the workshop and in industry. Some of these solutions have been progressively incorporated into our standard models, with the aim of improving reliability, safety and performance for all our units and to make the best of our technology available to all our customers.
We give you below an outline of some of these technological advances, to show you how we can help you in your daily tasks. Thus, in the chapter on Manual workshop cranes, we show you our precision hydraulic pumps and our FaPo® power-assisted system for manual movement and precise positioning.
In the same way, in the section on Electric industrial cranes we give you a summary of the advantages of our Electric lifting systems, and of Electric movement.
Manual workshop cranes
When designing our manual cranes, our principal objective is that large loads of 1000, 2000 and 3000 kg, using counterweight cranes with a tare weight of 1.3 tonnes or more, can be lifted and moved by a single person. Thanks to our intelligent technology, the old rule of 1 man 1 tonne no longer applies to our cranes. With the characteristics developed by Hydrobull, 1 person alone can move loads of up to 4 tonnes.
Precision hydraulic pump, developed by Hydrobull
The manual precision lifting pump, an original by Hydrobull, offers a possibility of choice: less effort or faster lifting. The pump has 4 power settings. Simply by changing the position of a bolt, the lifting run can be increased or reduced, varying the force needed. This is ideal, for example, to lift the jib rapidly to a great height when operating without load. For heavy loads, a smaller lifting run can be selected, which requires less force.
So that you can apply the force correctly to the pump, a lever nearly 1 m long is supplied. When fixed horizontally, it enables you to transmit the force to the pump in the optimum manner. When not in use, the lever is placed on a bolt on the crane where it does not get in the way.
Of course, your safety is guaranteed. The pump is fitted with a precision body and highly resistant joints which allow the load to be maintained to a level well beyond the demands of the EC Machinery Directive standards. The pump also has a recoil spring for an automatic stop. On releasing the T lever, the valve automatically closes, which prevents any involuntary or uncontrolled lowering of the load.
The system is secured against overload!
Lowering is done using the T lever and, depending on its opening, the load can be lowered quickly or slowly, even millimetre by millimetre. Lowering can be halted at any height, leaving the load suspended.
Assistance system for manual movement and precise positioning (FaPo®)
An important and indispensable element for the operator of manual industrial cranes is Hydrobull FaPo® mechanical assistance for movement and precise positioning.
The mechanical assistant for movement and positioning is installed in the steering wheel. On moving the drive handle up and down (similar to using a forklift truck), the force is redirected to the steering wheel. In this way, a single person can move a crane of between 1.3 t and 4.8 t, plus its maximum load. A single operator can manoeuvre the crane with millimetre precision.
The crane will only move while the drive handle is worked up and down, unless it is given an additional push. Once in movement, the crane can be pulled or pushed along in the normal way. This system means that it can approach machines and loads with extreme precision, slowly and controlled. The direction of travel is selected beforehand using a lever on the head of the drive handle.
The system also allows for the heaviest loads to be moved and controlled. For long distances, long hours and frequent use, it cannot really replace electric operation. In those cases, we recommend our electric units!
Have you ever tried to put a load on top of an expensive machine with the help of a forklift truck, with the driver on board, and ended up by damaging the load and the machine?
Have you ever been unable to stop a simple crane with a heavy load in time?
That cannot happen with Hydrobull cranes fitted with FaPo!
You don’t believe it? Then, watch the video on the FaPo mechanical assistant for movement and precision positioning.
Electric industrial cranes
Electric versions of industrial workshop cranes offer important advantages over manual or mechanical versions. In addition to the ergonomic advantage of working easily by just pressing a button, without putting in any effort, there are many others which make the work easier and increase safety.
Electric lifting
In relation to safety, the principal difference between a crane with manual lifting and its electric equivalent is that with the electric device all the load jib positions are protected against overload. In manual devices, there is only an overload valve for maximum load capacity and, in this case, the operator is responsible for knowing the exact weight of the load to be lifted, so as to select the appropriate load jib extension.
When lifting loads which are too heavy in an incorrect position, it is only the electric crane that can, independently, prevent the load from being lifted.
A connection to the overload valve is established through the micro-switch and run-stop with the energy chain. As a result the pressure limiter valve identifies the admissible load capacity for any extended jib position.
The green butterfly valve allows you to set a slow speed for lowering, millimetre by millimetre. With this pre-established control, you can be sure that the lowering speed will always be the same and does not depend on the speed and strength of the operator who opens the valve.
Another great advantage of electric devices, especially if several people have access to the crane or are working in shifts, is that the electric versions can be locked by removing the master key, thus preventing unauthorised people from using them.
This means that the more expensive machines and tools can be protected.
Remote button panel
All our electric units are fitted with a button panel, so that the operator can get close to the load and watch over it. In this way, the operator can control the lifting and lowering and, if necessary, guide the load at the same time. For obvious reasons of distance, this is not possible with manual pumps. Therefore the button panel increases the level of safety and also saves time.
Electric movement
It is not only electric lifting that is possible. There is also electric driving! With this function the crane can be moved quickly and easily, without any effort. It is a great advantage, especially in long distances. For example, when the machine is parked in a place away from where it has to work, when it has to be used in several different sheds or when the jobs have to be done in particularly large areas. It is always more likely that employees will use a unit that will go there and back easily and quickly. Using the right industrial machine for each task always increases safety in the workplace.
The speed of movement can be controlled on request, so that a drive speed can also be set. In contrast to the forklift truck, this device can approach the load very slowly.
The movement mechanism is fitted with the following safety characteristics:
- If the operator releases the drive handle, the machine stops. Manual devices, however, have no parking brake and continue moving, once started, until the operator stops them.
- If the operator presses the drive handle horizontally the device stops.
- If the operator is in reverse and comes up against an obstacle, the reverse drive switch ensures that the machine automatically moves away and does not crush the obstacle.
Therefore cranes with electric movement have a drive brake, while manual cranes are only stopped by muscular effort.