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How to Build Gantry Crane Beams

While many cranes pivot on an axis, a gantry crane operates a lot like a plotter. Its structure is a type of bridge. The bridge or crane beam suspends a trolley where a block and tack or motorized winch is fastened. Typically, a gantry crane can lift up and down with the winch, side to side along the beam, and on some gantries can move fore and aft by moving the entire crane. The crane beam itself is usually the largest structural member in the crane, but the simplest to build. A typical I-beam or girder needs very little modification to serve as a gantry beam.

Things You'll Need

I-beam
Oxyacetylene torch
Drill
Reamer
Steel plate
Steel strapping
Angle grinder

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the I-beam to the specified length using an oxyacetylene torch or a plasma cutter. Clean up the cut with an angle grinder, smoothing it and removing any burrs or slag.
- 2
  Align the two vertical buttress members or posts and transfer the precise placement of their holes onto the ends of the I-beam.
- 3
  Drill the holes, or for larger applications, cut the holes with oxyacetylene or plasma. Use a combination approach for large holes -- 1-inch, for example. Remove the bulk of the material with a torch, then drill it or clean up the hole with a reamer -- a rotary tool especially made for cutting precise holes in metal.
- 4
  Reinforce the gantry beam by welding 1/4-inch steel plat to each end. This will reduce potential torsion if the weight isn't centered directly under the beam.
- 5
  Reinforce the top of the gantry beam by welding a 2- to 4-inch steel strap perpendicular to the both sides of the top cord. This perpendicular design is the essence of the I-beam; it's what gives it its strength. These straps will reduce flexion under heavy load.

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