This section provides an overview for crawler cranes as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 18 crawler crane manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked crawler crane companies as of November, 2024: 1.Link-Belt Cranes, 2.R. Gingerich Crane, 3.The Manitowoc Company, Inc..
Table of Contents
A Crawler Crane is a crane that can travel on an infinite track called a crawler.
It can move to the lifting location by itself and perform the work. Compared to wheel cranes that travel on tires, crawler cranes have a larger footprint and lower ground contact pressure, allowing them to be used on uneven ground or soft ground.
It also has the advantage of having the same lifting capacity in all directions around its circumference. On the other hand, since these cranes cannot be driven on public roads, they must be loaded on trailers for transportation, and cranes over a certain size must be disassembled for transportation.
Crawler Cranes are often used in industries and workplaces that require lifting large, heavy materials over a wide work area, such as port construction, plant construction, wind power plant construction, etc.
Smaller cranes (less than 5 tons) are called mini Crawler Cranes and are often used for narrow road construction, stone and garden construction, etc. They are often used for narrow road construction, stone and garden work, etc.
The footprint of a Crawler Crane is large, and it has a large lifting capacity among mobile cranes. Lifting capacities range from as small as 0.5 tons to as large as 500 tons and up to the 3,000-ton class. Furthermore, the crane itself is equipped with a prime mover (mainly a diesel engine), enabling it to be self-propelled at the work site.
A Crawler Crane consists of a traveling section, a crane body, and a tower.
The traveling section consists of a grounding member called a crawler shoe, a driving unit such as a traveling motor, and driving rollers and sliding rollers. A traveling motor is installed in each of the left and right crawler shoes.
The traveling motors are often of the hydraulic type because they require high output power, and can move forward and backward by switching the oil flow path. The hydraulic pump is located in the crane body at the top and feeds oil to the traveling section at the bottom through a rotating joint called a swivel joint or rotary joint. The traveling section supports and moves the weight of the lifting members and the upper crane body.
The main body of the crane includes the base of the tower, operating equipment, control room, engine, hydraulic pumps, and slewing gear.
The crane body and the tower section are supported by large bearings on the traveling section and can swivel freely. The slewing gear on the crane body side is driven by a slewing motor. The inner gear of the ring body is fixed to the traveling section side. Rotation of the slewing gear on the main body side causes the crane body to slew, since the gear on the traveling section side that is engaged is fixed.
The crane uses a wire rope to lift the material, and the wire rope winding drum, winding motor, reduction gear, safety devices, etc. are equipped on the crane body.
The tower section consists of various parts, including the boom, which is the arm of the crane, and the hooks and wire ropes used to hoist the components.
Fixed-length lattice booms are used on large cranes. Products with telescopic booms that can be extended and retracted using hydraulic cylinders are on the rise.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Caterpillar Inc., established in 1925 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, is a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment with a portfolio of about 20 brands. The company also produces engines, turbines, and locomotives, serving several industries, including agriculture, construction, and mining. It operates through its three primary segments — resource, energy, and construction — and has a financial products segment that provides financing and related services. The company operates approximately 150 primary locations worldwide, with its common stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange as well as on the stock exchanges in Switzerland and France.
Lampson International LLC., founded in 1946 and headquartered in Kennewick, Washington State, is a manufacturer of heavy lift and transport industry equipment such as cranes, crawler transporters, and dynamic compactors. It manufactures crawler transporters equipped with side-by-side drive trains with capacities from 400 to 4,000 tons. It operates a crane rental fleet, provides heavy transportation services, and can design and manufacture lift rigging consisting of spreader beams, links, and lift frames. The company maintains a fully equipped fabrication, assembly, and finishing facility that can fabricate heavy equipment, including mechanical, machining, and welding shops.
MAEDA Mini Cranes, established in 1962 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, is a supplier and manufacturer of construction equipment, industrial machinery, and steel structural products. The company’s broad range of products includes mini cranes, crawler cranes, and battery cranes. These products find broad applications in construction, infrastructure, emergency response, industrial maintenance, and shipbuilding. The company's offerings are used in roofing, glass installation, foundation work, bridge construction, and urban projects that showcase adaptability and utility across diverse industries and scenarios.
The Manitowoc Company, Inc., was founded in 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, as a manufacturer and designer of lifting equipments. The company's product range consists of Lattice-boom crawler cranes, Grove all-terrain cranes, Grove rough terrain cranes, and Grove carrydeck cranes, among others. The products offer lifting capabilities, off-road mobility, and rapid highway transit, making them ideal for various tasks, including plant maintenance, material handling, and demanding job site conditions. The company serves different industries, including construction, manufacturing, mining, and logistics, to facilitate lifting and material handling tasks.
Link-Belt Cranes is a manufacturer of cranes for a range of applications including forestry, construction, mining, and mass manufacturing. Originally founded in 1880 as the Link-Belt Machinery Company, the company is currently headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky as a subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries acquired in 1986. From its 812,000 square foot manufacturing facility, Link-Belt Cranes produces heavy machinery such as rough terrain and truck terrain cranes, as well as telescopic and lattice crawlers. The company offers additional services to clients including crane operation and maintenance training, moving inventory via partner distributors across the United States and Canada.
R. Gingerich Crane, founded in 1970 and located in Bloomington, Illinois, is a supplier of operating crane services and unmanned crane rentals. The company’s broad range of products includes crawler cranes, hydraulic cranes, and forklifts. These products find diverse applications in construction, industrial projects, infrastructure development, emergency services, and entertainment production. The company’s products are used for heavy lifting, precise positioning, and efficient material handling. R. Gingerich Crane’s crane operators are also NCCO-certified, maintaining safety and health protections for workers.
GMV A/S, started in 1988 and headquartered in Bredsten, Denmark, is a manufacturer of lifting and handling equipment, including customized overhead rail systems and jib cranes. Its product range includes lifting trolleys, vacuum lifters, and customized solutions. The equipment serve manufacturing companies, warehouses, and the pharmaceutical industry, among other areas. Its proprietary products include Winlet glass lifters, a series of vacuum lifts that use hydraulic lifts to handle sheet glass, and ErgoMovers, which are electrical transport trolleys with different configurations. The company also sells equipment from companies like Movomech, Helm Hellas, and Pronomic.
Casagrande SpA, started in 1963 and based in Fontanafredda, Italy, is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001-certified manufacturer of foundation equipment, including equipment for geotechnical engineering works. Its product range includes pile machines, diaphragm wall systems, and micropiles, and it exports 95% of its production worldwide. The company also designs and produces hydraulic crawler cranes, geothermal drill rigs, and equipment for diaphragm walls. It has over 300 solutions and has supplied over 21,000 equipment through its more than 50 agents and distributors worldwide. The company also provides an integrated fleet system that allows users to monitor fleet equipment from anywhere.
Befard, established in 2016 and headquartered in Kozy, Poland, is a manufacturer of mini cranes, assembly manipulators, and related lifting equipment. The company's products include mini crawler cranes suitable for indoor and outdoor use, compact cranes for installation on light trucks and small HGVs, and glass lifters and vacuum grippers for different industrial applications. It also offers hydraulic accessories like recycling grapples, multifunctional grabs, and electric cargo transporters for challenging terrain. The company's products are designed to lift heavy materials and assemble components like windows, glass, and steel structures used in stonemasonry, horticulture, and sheet metal industries.
Soilmec, established in 1969 and headquartered in Cesena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of equipment for the ground engineering industry. The company specializes in the development and production of cranes, ancillaries, and attachment rigs. It also produces piling rigs, micro drilling rigs, and control systems. These products are used in open and underground mining. The company's services include operator training, maintenance contracts, and the provision of a technical support hotline.
PALFINGER AG is a manufacturer of hydraulic handling, loading and lifting systems headquartered in Bergheim, Austria. Founded in 1932, the company has over 30 production sites as well as thousands of service centers and offices across 130 countries, servicing clients in forestry, agriculture, construction and marine industry. The company produces various cranes and load-handling systems for a range of applications, such as knuckle boom cranes, hook- and skiploaders, daughter crafts and rail excavators. Some of PALFINGER AG’s client corporations include Maersk, Komatsu Forest, ThyssenKrupp and Mercedes-Benz,
SANY Group is a manufacturer of construction and industrial equipment founded in 1989 and based in Changsha, Hunan. The company specializes in heavy machinery including port and oil drilling machinery, construction and mining equipment, and onshore as well as offshore wind turbines. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes tunneling machinery such as mining trucks and roadheaders, pile drivers like diaphragm wall grabs and drilling rigs, and concrete machinery like mortar pumps and truck mixers. SANY Group’s clients include DHL, the Port of Rotterdam and the State Grid Corporation of China.
Atkins & Hoyle, founded in 1921 and located in Toronto, Canada, is a manufacturer of davits and crane mounting solutions. The company’s diverse range of products includes dinghy davits, cranes and hoists, hatches and ports, arches and hardtops, and parts departments. These products are primarily utilized in the marine industry for lifting, access, protection, structural support, and maintenance on boats, yachts, and ships. The company's products find applications in boating, commercial shipping, marine construction, recreational marine, and maritime services. These solutions enhance safety, efficiency, and functionality across marine sectors.
SSAB, established in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1878 is a manufacturer of steel products used in industries such as Construction and Infrastructure, Automotive and Transportation and Oil and Gas. Their product portfolio includes Steel Pipes and Tubes, Steel Sheets and plates used in fabrication and automotive industries, steel coils used in the manufacturing of electrical appliances, and structural steel used for building construction and infrastructure projects. The company also manufactures fossil-free steel which replaces coal in the iron ore reduction process with hydrogen resulting in removal of the fossil carbon emissions.
Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co. Ltd. (XCMG), established in 1943, is a Chinese state-owned manufacturer headquartered in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, specializing in heavy machinery. The company offers a range of machines for hoisting and mining, such as crawler cranes and excavators. It also provides road, piling, and concrete machinery, including soil stabilizers, rotary drilling rigs, and concrete boom pumps. Serving customers in over 180 countries, the company is supported by over 20 manufacturing facilities in China and research and development centers in more than 10 countries, including Germany, India, and the United States.
Sennebogen Maschinenfabrik GmbH, founded in 1952 and based in Straubing, Germany, is a manufacturer of various machines in the crane technology and material handling sectors. Its product portfolio includes demolition machines, crawler cranes, and material handlers, with operating weights ranging from 17t to 420t. The 895 E is the world’s largest material handler, boasting an operating weight of 420t. The machines are developed and produced at five locations in Bavaria and two plants in Hungary. The company has subsidiaries in the USA and Singapore and exports to over 100 countries worldwide.
Liebherr Group, founded in 1949 and headquartered in Bulle, Switzerland, operates as a German-Swiss multinational equipment manufacturer. The company serves diverse industries with a wide range of products and services, offering construction machines like excavators and cranes, mining equipment for both surface and underground operations, mobile and crawler cranes, material handling technology covering loaders and handlers, as well as maritime cranes for ship and offshore platform tasks. Its solutions find application in construction, mining, transportation, aerospace, maritime, and more.
Tadano Ltd. came into being in 1948 in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan, as a manufacturer and distributor of construction cranes, truck loader cranes, and aerial work platforms. The company's product range consists of all-terrain cranes, rough-terrain cranes, truck cranes, and telescopic boom crawler cranes. The cranes find applications in construction, off-road operations, urban settings, and industries like mining due to the mobility, heavy lifting capacity, and adaptability to various terrains. The company serves different industries, including construction, mining, infrastructure development, urban development, and manufacturing.
Ranking as of November 2024
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Link-Belt Cranes |
14.1%
|
2 | The Manitowoc Company, Inc. |
12.0%
|
3 | R. Gingerich Crane |
10.8%
|
4 | PALFINGER AG |
7.4%
|
5 | MAEDA Mini Cranes |
7.2%
|
6 | Atkins & Hoyle |
6.7%
|
7 | Liebherr Group |
5.4%
|
8 | Lampson International LLC |
4.8%
|
9 | SANY Group |
4.4%
|
10 | Tadano Ltd. |
4.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the crawler crane page as of November 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
---|---|---|
United States of America | 6 | 40.0% |
Italy | 2 | 13.3% |
Denmark | 1 | 6.7% |
Poland | 1 | 6.7% |
Austria | 1 | 6.7% |
China | 1 | 6.7% |
Canada | 1 | 6.7% |
Sweden | 1 | 6.7% |
Japan | 1 | 6.7% |