What is a jib lifter?
It is a small crane that you use indoors. You can also use it in a dock, a truck bed, or the back of a cargo van, depending on the size and model you buy.
What were they designed for?
They were designed to handle heavy materials that are either too large or too unsafe to load and unload by hand. When you think about how cramped a warehouse is, and how much smaller a truck or cargo van bed is, you can quickly see how difficult it can be to maneuver materials in and out of these spaces without something going wrong.
How do jib lifters work?
They combine vertical lift with lateral movement, making it possible to move anything up or down, left or right, or in an arc.
The key advantage this gives you is the ability to maneuver materials of varying sizes, weights, and shapes safely, accurately, and with minimal risk of breakage or injury.
How many kinds of jib lifters are there?
There are numerous models ranging in size and weight capacity. The two smaller models that have become very popular recently for tight space maneuvering are the air balanced model and the van model.
Industrial Jib Cranes & Commercial Portable Gantry Cranes.
How does the air balanced jib lifter work?
The unit gets its name from a pneumatic cylinder that raises or lowers a cable that attaches to the load. You can maneuver the load at a full 360 degree angle. Hand brakes allow for precision placement of products. Capacity ranges from 250 to 340 pounds per load.
What can you move with it?
You can move anything within the allotted weight capacity, provided you get the right type of pneumatic hoist or attachment for the job.
- There is a vacuum lifter that uses suction to pick up objects with smooth surfaces.
- There is a scissor lift which is designed to move cylindrical loads such as boards, pipes, or tubes.
- For general material handling, you can also get the double hook attachment which is sort of a one size fits all attachment for large, small, flat, or round objects.
How does the van jib lifter work?
It is either DC battery powered or manually cranked. It lifts up to 1,000 pounds from the floor to the height of a van or pickup truck bed. Its pivotal arm then lets you position the load wherever it needs to be placed in the cargo space.
What return on investment can I expect?
If you get the right unit for the job, and if you use it correctly, you can expect to break fewer objects and drastically reduce the time it takes to load and unload.