Heavy lifting on water comes with problems that land-based equipment simply can’t solve. Fixed cranes need permanent infrastructure. Mobile cranes can’t reach offshore worksites. And standard barges don’t have the lift capacity for serious marine construction, salvage, or port development work. A floating crane solves all three — bringing certified heavy-lift capability directly to the worksite, wherever that happens to be.

HT CRANE floating cranes are built to CCS standards and available with ABS, BV, and DNV certification. Custom lifting capacity, working radius, and power configurations are available to match your specific project requirements. If you’re looking for a floating crane for sale that’s certified, proven, and configurable, you’re in the right place.

What Is a Floating Crane

A floating crane is a heavy-lift crane mounted on a pontoon or barge, designed to operate directly on water. It requires no permanent shore infrastructure, making it the go-to solution for marine construction, salvage, offshore installation, and waterway projects where conventional cranes simply can’t reach. Most units support both hook and grab attachments, adapting to different cargo types and task requirements on the same machine.

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Key Features of Floating Crane

Built for open-water heavy lifting, floating cranes combine structural strength, operational flexibility, and marine-certified engineering. Here are the five core features that define reliable performance.

Single-Arm Balanced Luffing System

The single-boom wire rope luffing mechanism keeps the hook path horizontal throughout the full radius range. As the boom angle changes, load height stays constant — eliminating the need for simultaneous hoisting corrections and allowing precise load placement directly over the target point on water.

360° Continuous Slewing Under Load

Full 360° rotation under working load allows the crane to cover waterside and landside simultaneously from one fixed barge position. AC variable frequency drive control delivers smooth, stepless speed adjustment across the full slewing arc — critical for stable load handling on a floating platform.

Hook & Grab Dual Operation Mode

The same crane handles both hook and grab attachments without structural modification. Hook mode delivers precise load control for general cargo and project lifting. Grab mode handles continuous bulk discharge of coal, sand, ore, and aggregates at high cycle rates.

Marine-Grade Corrosion Protection

Structural steel undergoes shot blasting and multi-layer anti-corrosion coating treatment rated for open marine environments. Key mechanical components are sealed and specified for continuous exposure to salt air, humidity, and wave splash — maintaining structural integrity without accelerated deterioration.

CCS, ABS, BV & DNV Certification

Designed and manufactured in compliance with CCS Code for Lifting Equipment of Ships and Offshore Facilities, with ABS, BV, and DNV certification available on request. Meets the documentation requirements for marine project approval, offshore deployment, and insurance compliance across global markets.

Floating Crane Technical Specifications

The specifications below reflect the standard performance range of our floating crane series. Marine projects vary significantly in scope, water conditions, and lift requirements — most orders involve some degree of custom configuration. Use these figures as a starting reference and contact our team with your project details.

Offshore construction, salvage operations, and large-scale port development often push beyond standard specifications. Lifting capacity, working radius, pontoon dimensions, self-propulsion systems, and power configurations can all be tailored to match your specific project and water conditions. Contact our engineering team with your requirements and we’ll develop a specification from there.

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Application scenarios of Floating Cranes

Floating cranes operate where fixed infrastructure ends and open water begins. From offshore platforms to inland waterways, here are the five core application areas where floating cranes deliver results that land-based equipment simply can’t match.

Offshore Oil & Gas Construction

Installing platform modules, subsea pipelines, and offshore structures requires heavy-lift capability at locations far from any fixed crane infrastructure. Floating cranes position directly at the worksite — no jetty, no fixed foundation required. High lifting capacity, stable pontoon design, and CCS/ABS certified structural integrity make them the standard choice for offshore oil and gas installation contractors worldwide.

Marine Salvage Operations

Recovering sunken or grounded vessels demands lift capacity, precise load control, and the ability to work in open or restricted water conditions. Floating cranes handle the full salvage sequence — initial lift, controlled recovery, and vessel transfer to dry dock or scrapyard. Hook operation allows careful load management during recovery, while the 360° slewing covers the full working arc around the salvage site without repositioning the barge.

Bridge & Waterway Construction

Installing precast bridge sections, pier foundations, and waterway infrastructure components requires heavy lifting directly over water at precise positions. Floating cranes bring the lift capacity to the exact installation point, eliminating the need for temporary land-based crane access roads or fixed lifting frames. The horizontal hook path during luffing keeps sections level throughout the placement sequence.

Port & Harbor Development

Building new port facilities, installing quay structures, and placing caisson foundations all involve heavy lifting in active marine environments. Floating cranes work alongside dredging and piling operations, handling large prefabricated components that arrive by sea and need direct placement without intermediate handling. Their mobility between work zones across a port development site keeps construction schedules moving.

Bulk Cargo Handling & Ship-to-Shore Transfer

At ports and terminals without fixed unloading equipment, floating cranes fitted with grab attachments handle bulk cargo discharge directly from vessel to barge or quayside storage. Coal, ore, grain, and aggregates move efficiently without requiring permanent terminal infrastructure — making floating cranes a practical solution for developing port markets and temporary cargo handling operations.

A ship-to-shore crane is the front line of that operation. It’s the machine that determines how quickly a vessel is turned around, how many moves per hour the terminal can deliver, and whether the port can handle the next generation of Ultra-Large Container Vessels coming into service.

What Is an STS Crane?

An STS crane — short for ship-to-shore crane — is a large rail-mounted gantry crane positioned at the quayside of a container terminal. It lifts containers directly between the vessel’s deck and the dock, using a spreader bar that locks onto standard ISO container corner castings. The boom extends out over the vessel to reach across multiple container rows, then retracts when vessels need to pass. Lift height, outreach, and under-beam clearance are specified to match the vessel classes the terminal handles — from Panamax to the latest Ultra-Large Container Vessels exceeding 24 rows wide.

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Key Features of STS Crane

Built for high-cycle container handling at modern terminals, here are the five core features that define reliable STS crane performance.

Long Reach for the Largest Container Ships

Modern container ships keep getting wider. HT CRANE STS cranes are built with enough horizontal reach to cover vessels up to 24 container rows wide — including the latest Ultra-Large Container Vessels. The boom folds back automatically when vessels need to pass, keeping berth operations smooth and uninterrupted.

Automatic Spreader with Anti-Sway System

The automatic telescopic spreader locks onto standard ISO container corner castings across 20ft and 40ft configurations. The active anti-sway system suppresses load swing during high-speed hoisting and travel — keeping cycle times fast and reducing operator correction workload.

AC Variable Frequency Drive Control

All mechanisms — hoisting, trolley travel, and gantry travel — run on AC variable frequency drives. Smooth acceleration and deceleration reduce mechanical wear, improve positioning accuracy, and lower energy consumption across high daily cycle volumes.

High-Speed Hoisting for Maximum Productivity

Hoisting speed is optimized for container terminal cycle rates — fast enough to maintain competitive moves-per-hour figures across full shift operations on Panamax and Ultra-Large vessels.

Cold Weather & High Temperature Variants

Standard units operate from -20°C to +45°C. Extended cold weather configurations rated for -40°C are available for Russian and Northern European deployments. High-temperature variants with enhanced cooling systems suit Middle Eastern terminal environments.

STS Crane Technical Specifications

The figures below reflect the standard performance range for our STS crane series. Container terminal projects vary significantly in vessel class, berth layout, and handling requirements — most configurations involve custom specification. Use these as a reference baseline and contact our team with your project details.

Terminal expansion projects, new berth construction, and vessel class upgrades often require specifications beyond the standard range. Outreach, lifting height, rail gauge, and environmental ratings can all be configured to match your specific terminal layout and vessel mix. Our engineering team works directly with port developers and terminal operators to build the right specification from the ground up.

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STS Cranes Application Scenarios

From major international container hubs to emerging port developments, STS cranes are the backbone of quayside container operations. Here are the five core application areas.

Major Container Terminal Hubs

High-volume terminals handling thousands of container moves per day need equipment that keeps pace. STS cranes with high-speed hoisting and anti-sway systems maintain the moves-per-hour figures that major shipping lines expect when calling at premier port facilities.

New Port Development Projects

Greenfield port projects in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and beyond require STS cranes specified from the ground up for the terminal layout and target vessel classes. Custom outreach, rail gauge, and environmental ratings are available to match any new berth configuration.

Terminal Expansion & Modernization

Existing terminals upgrading to handle Ultra-Large Container Vessels need cranes with greater outreach and lift height than previous generations. STS cranes replace aging equipment or extend berth capacity without requiring full terminal reconstruction.

Cold Climate Port Operations

Ports in Russia, Northern Europe, and the Baltic region operate through harsh winter conditions. STS cranes with cold weather packages rated to -40°C maintain full operational performance through freezing temperatures, ice formation, and extreme wind chill.

High-Temperature & Arid Environment Terminals

Middle Eastern and North African container terminals face the opposite challenge — extreme heat, sand, and dust. Enhanced cooling systems, sealed electrical enclosures, and dust-resistant component specification keep STS cranes running reliably in arid desert port environments.

If you work at a port, shipyard, or bulk terminal, you’ve almost certainly seen a portal crane in action. It’s the large slewing crane mounted on a fixed or rail-mounted base that covers both the water and land side of a dock without ever needing to move its foundation. The boom luffs up and down to reach different distances, while the upper structure rotates a full 360° — making it one of the most versatile heavy-lift solutions available. Depending on the job, it can be fitted with a hook for general cargo or a grab for bulk materials like coal, ore, and grain. HT CRANE’s slewing portal crane and portal boom crane series meet CCS, ABS, BV, and DNV standards — so whether you’re outfitting a shipyard or running a busy bulk terminal, there’s a configuration built for your operation.

Key Features of Portal Crane

Every port is different. Every cargo mix is different. portal cranes are built with the features that matter most — reliable slewing performance, flexible attachment options, and certified structural integrity for the environments where failure isn’t an option.

Full 360° Slewing with Variable Luffing

A portal crane that can’t cover its full working arc wastes time and manpower. HT CRANE’s slewing portal crane rotates a complete 360°, while the boom luffs continuously to adjust the working radius. This means a single crane position serves both the vessel and the dock storage area — no repositioning, no delays. The luffing and slewing mechanisms can operate simultaneously, keeping load movement smooth and cycle times short.

Hook & Grab Dual Operation

Different cargo types shouldn’t require different cranes. portal boom cranes support both hook and grab configurations on the same machine. Hook mode handles general cargo, steel coils, and project freight with precise load control. Grab mode handles continuous bulk discharge — coal, grain, ore, and aggregates — at high throughput rates. Switching between configurations adapts the crane to your actual daily cargo mix rather than locking you into a single use case.

AC Variable Frequency Drive Control

Smooth, controllable load movement matters more than raw speed in most port and shipyard environments. The AC variable frequency drive system on portal cranes allows precise speed adjustment across all mechanisms — hoisting, luffing, slewing, and travel. Operators get responsive control at both high speed for productivity and slow speed for accurate load placement. The system also reduces mechanical stress on drivetrain components, extending service intervals and lowering long-term maintenance costs.

Marine-Grade Structural Design

Salt air, wind load, and high daily lift cycles are the baseline conditions at any active port — not exceptional circumstances. portal cranes are built with this environment as the design standard, not an afterthought. Structural steel undergoes shot blasting and multi-layer corrosion protection treatment. Key mechanical components are specified and tested for continuous heavy-duty operation. The result is a crane that maintains structural integrity and operational reliability across years of demanding service without requiring premature major overhaul.

Full Marine Classification Certification

Procurement teams at shipyards, offshore operators, and port authorities need more than a manufacturer’s word on equipment quality. portal cranes carry certification from CCS, ABS, BV, and DNV — the classification societies whose standards govern marine and offshore lifting equipment globally. Every certified unit is produced under HT CRANE’s Class A Special Equipment Production License, issued by China’s national authority for special equipment manufacturing. This certification stack gives you the documentation you need for project approval, insurance compliance, and long-term asset management.

Portal Crane Technical Specifications

Getting the right crane starts with the right numbers. The specifications below reflect the standard performance range of portal cranes. Most projects have unique requirements — lifting capacity, working radius, hook height, and environmental conditions all vary by site. Every unit we produce can be configured to match your specific operational parameters.

Standard specifications cover the majority of port and shipyard applications. However, projects with higher lifting demands, extreme environmental conditions, or specific classification requirements may need a tailored configuration. HT CRANE’s engineering team works directly with procurement and project teams to develop specifications that fit the actual site conditions — including non-standard lifting capacities, extended working radius, offshore-rated corrosion protection, and alternative power supply configurations. If your project falls outside the standard range, contact us with your requirements and we’ll build the spec from there.

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Where Portal Cranes Application Scenarios

From busy commercial ports to remote offshore platforms, portal cranes handle some of the most demanding lifting environments in the world. Here are the five core application areas where portal cranes deliver consistent results.

Shipbuilding & Outfitting Yards

Shipyards need cranes that handle hull block assembly, equipment installation, and vessel launching without switching machines. portal cranes cover the full beam of vessels under construction with high lift height and wide working radius. Variable luffing and 360° slewing keep cycle times short across the full length of the building dock.

Bulk Cargo Terminals

Throughput is everything at a bulk terminal. Portal cranes fitted with grab attachments handle continuous coal, grain, and ore discharge cycles at high hoisting and slewing speeds. The grab configuration adapts to different bulk material types without equipment changes, giving operators flexibility across varying cargo streams.

General Cargo & Container Docks

Mixed cargo streams — steel coils, pipes, machinery, and break-bulk freight — require precise load control rather than raw speed. Hook-configured portal cranes give operators the accuracy needed for careful load placement on quayside or into storage. One crane covering a long dock frontage replaces multiple smaller machines.

Offshore & Marine Engineering Platforms

Offshore environments demand certified equipment — no exceptions. portal cranes carry CCS, ABS, BV, and DNV certification, meeting the structural standards that offshore operators and regulators require. Marine-grade corrosion protection keeps performance reliable in conditions that wear down standard industrial equipment quickly.

Inland Ports & Logistics Hubs

Rail-mounted portal cranes give inland terminals heavy-lift capability without large footprint requirements. They adapt to the facility layout — serving multiple loading positions along the track — rather than forcing infrastructure modifications. A practical solution for river terminals handling steel, heavy machinery, or bulk materials.

This page covers everything you need to evaluate a Floating Dock Crane: how it operates, where it performs best, what sets ours apart, and the complete technical specifications. When you’re ready to specify a unit, our engineering team responds to enquiries within 24 hours, helping you get the right crane for your facility.

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Product Introduction

A Floating Dock Crane is a heavy-duty lifting system mounted on a barge, pontoon, or dedicated floating platform. It provides mobile, high-capacity lifting capability directly over water — without requiring fixed quayside infrastructure or shore-based crane access.

Unlike a shore-mounted crane, a floating dock crane moves with its hull. It can be towed or self-propelled to any accessible waterway location, positioned alongside a vessel or structure, and deployed for lifting operations that fixed land cranes cannot reach. This independence from shore infrastructure makes it the practical choice for shipyard docking operations, port construction, offshore installation, ship salvage, and coastal infrastructure projects.

The crane is available in slewing boom and fixed sheerleg configurations, across a wide capacity range from light-duty barge-mounted units to heavy offshore lift systems. Drive systems cover hydraulic, diesel-electric, and electro-hydraulic options. All units are engineered to the applicable marine classification society standards — ABS, DNV, BV, CCS, or Lloyd’s Register — depending on the vessel’s flag state and operational area.

All specifications are customized to project requirements. Final parameters are confirmed during engineering review.

Product Parameters

Main Structure and Components

Key Features

① Fully Mobile Over Water — No Shore Infrastructure Required

The crane and hull assembly can be towed or self-propelled to any accessible waterway location. Lifting operations can be conducted at any point along a coastline, river, or harbor — independent of quayside crane availability or shore access constraints.

② Wide Capacity Range — From Maintenance Lifts to Ultra-Heavy Installations

Available from 10-tonne barge-mounted service cranes to multi-thousand-tonne sheerleg heavy lift vessels. A single platform can be configured for the specific lift profile of the project — eliminating the need to mobilize oversized equipment for standard lifts.

③ Marine Classification Compliance

All cranes are designed, manufactured, tested, and documented to the crane rules of the applicable classification society: ABS, DNV, BV, CCS, or Lloyd’s Register. This includes structural design review, load testing, and ongoing inspection documentation for the operating vessel’s certification.

④ Corrosion Protection for Marine Environments

Multi-layer marine-grade coating system applied to all structural steel:

• Abrasive blast cleaning: Sa 2.5
• Zinc-rich epoxy primer (minimum 60 µm DFT)
• Epoxy intermediate coat
• Anti-fouling or polyurethane topcoat for above-waterline surfaces
• Hot-dip galvanizing or equivalent on wire rope fittings and hardware

⑤ Hydraulic and Diesel-Electric Drive Options

• Hydraulic drive: Compact power density; reliable in salt-water environments; standard for medium-capacity barge cranes
• Diesel-electric: Engine runs at a constant efficient load point; suitable for large-capacity systems where energy efficiency over extended operations is a priority
• Electro-hydraulic: Combines electric motor drive with hydraulic transmission for precise, low-noise operation

⑥ Dynamic Positioning for Offshore Applications

DP1, DP2, and DP3 classified dynamic positioning systems are available for floating crane vessels operating in offshore environments where anchor mooring is impractical or where station-keeping precision is required during lifts. DP classification is project-specific and confirmed during engineering.

Applications

Shipyard Docking and Undocking Operations

Floating dock cranes are the primary lifting tool in shipyards that operate floating dry docks. The crane lifts vessels — or major hull sections — during docking, undocking, block assembly, and launch operations. Barge-mounted slewing cranes serve medium-capacity shipyard work; larger sheerleg systems serve heavy ship sections and complete vessels.

Port Construction and Infrastructure Installation

Port expansion projects require lifting prefabricated caissons, sheet pile sections, mooring dolphins, and quay wall elements into position over water. A floating dock crane positioned alongside the construction front provides precise placement capability that shore-based equipment cannot reach.

Offshore Wind Foundation Installation

Monopile foundations and transition pieces for offshore wind turbines require lift capacities in the hundreds of tonnes, placed precisely at offshore locations. Large floating crane vessels — including purpose-built semi-submersible heavy lift ships — are the primary installation tool for this application.

Ship Salvage Operations

Raising a sunken, grounded, or damaged vessel requires floating crane capacity, underwater access, and the ability to position alongside the casualty regardless of shore access. Floating crane systems — sometimes operating in tandem for the heaviest salvage lifts — are the standard tool for marine salvage operations globally.

Bridge and Coastal Infrastructure Construction

Prefabricated bridge segments, pier structures, and waterway crossing elements are lifted and placed by floating crane from the water surface. This approach minimizes traffic disruption on shore and provides access to locations where temporary land-based crane pads cannot be established.

Offshore Oil and Gas Platform Support

Platform jackets, module installations, and heavy equipment lifts during offshore field development require floating crane capacity positioned at the installation site. Crane vessels with DP capability maintain position during lifts without mooring infrastructure in open water.

River and Inland Waterway Projects

Canal construction, lock gate replacement, dam infrastructure, and river bridge construction all involve lifting operations over water where shore access is limited. Smaller floating cranes — on pontoon hulls sized for the waterway — provide access to these confined environments.

Floating Dock Crane vs Shore-Based Crane

Why Choose HaiTai Crane

Backed by 20+ years of manufacturing experience and exports to 80+ countries, HaiTai Crane delivers CE and ISO 9001:2015 certified lifting solutions to ports, shipyards, and marinas worldwide. From standard configurations to fully engineered custom builds, our technical team tailors every crane to your site conditions and operational requirements.

10+ Years Exp.

5,000+ Customers

50+ Countries

Simon

Crane Solutions Specialist  ·  HT Crane

Specialized in Gantry Crane, Port Crane, Container Crane , Marine Boat Crane & Overhead Crane export solutions. 10+ years helping global clients with pre-sales consultation, capacity selection and site-specific configurations.

+86 136 7352 1295 info@cranehaitai.com Contact Us

Shipyard gantry cranes are among the most technically demanding lifting machines in any industrial sector. They span widths of 80–170 metres, lift loads of 100–3000 tonnes, and operate in a marine environment that subjects every structural and electrical component to continuous salt-air corrosion. Getting the specification right from the outset determines whether the crane serves the yard reliably for 30 years or becomes a source of unplanned downtime that disrupts the production schedule.

Product Description

What Is a Shipyard Gantry Crane?

A shipyard gantry crane — also called a goliath crane, portal gantry crane, or shipbuilding gantry crane — is a large double-leg gantry structure that spans the full width of a shipbuilding berth, drydock, or block assembly area. It travels on ground-level rails along the length of the working area, covering the entire production zone with its main hoist and trolley.

The crane handles the largest and heaviest lifts in the shipyard: ship hull block sections weighing hundreds of tonnes, engine modules, deck sections, and major structural assemblies. It is the piece of equipment that makes large vessel construction physically possible.

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Main Hoist and Auxiliary Hoist Configuration

Shipyard gantry cranes carry two separate hoist systems on a single bridge:

Main hoist — the primary lifting system, carrying the crane’s rated maximum SWL. Typically a heavy-duty wire rope crab trolley travelling on rails on top of the main girders. Used for all heavy block lifts.

Auxiliary hoist — a secondary hoist with lower capacity but often higher speed. Used for rigging, positioning, and handling smaller items that do not require the main hoist. The auxiliary hoist allows the crane to perform two different lifting tasks simultaneously or in rapid sequence without the main hoist being involved in light accessory work.

The main hoist trolley travels across the full span including the cantilever sections, providing coverage of the entire working area beneath the crane.

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Structural Design: Box Girder and Leg Configuration

The main girder of a shipyard gantry crane is a large box section — fabricated from structural plate into a closed rectangular section with internal stiffening. The box section provides the bending stiffness required for the long spans involved while keeping the structure as light as possible relative to its load-bearing capacity.

Two leg types are commonly used, and the choice affects how the crane handles differential rail settlement or misalignment:

Rigid leg — a fixed-connection leg that transfers all lateral forces from the girder to the rail foundation. Used on one side of the crane.

Flexible (hinged) leg — a leg with a pin connection at the top or bottom that allows limited rotation. Used on the other side of the crane to accommodate differential thermal expansion and minor rail misalignment without inducing stress into the main girder. This rigid + flexible leg combination is standard on large shipyard gantry cranes worldwide.

Technical Parameters

Standard Configuration Overview

Hoisting Performance at Different Load Levels

Speed and performance on a large shipyard crane varies with load. Understanding the speed-load relationship is important for production planning:

Variable frequency drives on all motions provide smooth speed control across the full range — eliminating the step-changes that older contactor-controlled systems imposed and reducing mechanical shock on the rope, drum, and structural connections.

Structural Steel and Environmental Specification

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Application Scenarios

Ship Hull Block Assembly — Main Production Application

The primary application of a shipyard gantry crane is lifting hull block sections — prefabricated ship hull units weighing 100 to 600 tonnes — from the assembly hall floor or outdoor fabrication area and positioning them on the building berth for welding into the growing hull structure.

Modern shipbuilding uses block construction methodology: the hull is fabricated in sections in a controlled indoor or semi-outdoor environment, then lifted by gantry crane and assembled in sequence on the building berth. The gantry crane makes this production method possible. Without a crane of sufficient capacity and span, blocks must be reduced in size — which increases the number of joints to weld on the berth, slows production, and reduces weld quality control.

A 500T main hoist capacity with 120m span covers the standard building berth of a medium to large shipyard producing vessels in the 10,000–50,000 DWT range. Larger yards building VLCCs, LNG carriers, or large containerships require 800T–3000T capacity and spans up to 170 metres.

Drydock Operations — Ship Repair and Conversion

Shipyard gantry cranes over drydocks support both new construction and ship repair and conversion operations. In repair mode, the crane handles engine removal and replacement, propeller and rudder handling, deck equipment removal, and large structural section replacement.

Drydock cranes also operate in a more confined geometry than building berth cranes. The hook must reach to the drydock floor level — which may be 15–25 metres below quay level — while maintaining clearance above the ship’s superstructure at the upper position. Hook height specification for drydock applications requires careful coordination with the drydock geometry and the vessel profiles to be handled.

Slipway Launch Operations

Shipyards using inclined slipways for vessel launch require gantry cranes that can operate at the slipway gradient and position loads accurately onto the cradle system. Slipway cranes must be designed for the lateral force component that arises from operating on an inclined rail foundation — a load case that does not apply to flat building berth cranes and must be explicitly accounted for in the structural design.

For slipway applications, rail gradient tolerance and the level compensation system for the crane cab and hoist machinery are important specifications. Equipment that relies on gravity-referenced systems — oil lubrication, fluid levels, and some braking systems — must be designed or adapted for the slipway gradient.

Offshore Platform and Module Yard Lifting

Large gantry cranes are also deployed in offshore fabrication yards — assembling oil platform topsides, jacket structures, and living quarter modules. These structures weigh 500 to 2,000 tonnes and require a crane of equivalent or greater capacity to lift and position them during assembly.

The specification profile for an offshore module yard is similar to a shipyard but with some important differences: loads are typically more irregular in shape and weight distribution; the lift plan for each module must be individually engineered; and the yard may need to handle loads that approach or exceed the crane’s standard SWL through engineered tandem lifts using two cranes simultaneously.

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Key Features That Define Our Shipyard Gantry Cranes

AC Variable Frequency Drive on All Motions

All hoist, trolley, and gantry travel drives use AC VFD technology as standard. This provides smooth, stepless speed control from zero to maximum — critical for the precise positioning required when lowering a 300-tonne block section onto a building berth where alignment tolerances are measured in millimetres. Hard stops and speed steps — characteristic of older contactor-controlled drives — are eliminated, reducing mechanical shock and extending the service life of ropes, drums, and structural connections.

Anti-Sway and Precision Positioning System

Load swing on a large shipyard crane — with a hoist height of 50 metres and a heavy block section suspended from a long rigging spread — creates significant positional error at the landing point and imposes dynamic loads on the crane structure. Our standard anti-sway system uses drive motion profiling — the trolley and gantry accelerate and decelerate on a calculated profile that minimizes pendulum swing. For high-precision applications, active anti-sway with laser-based position feedback reduces residual swing at the hook to less than 200mm at full travel speed.

Marine-Grade Corrosion Protection System

Shipyard environments are among the most corrosive industrial settings. Salt-laden air, humidity, and tidal splash zones accelerate coating degradation on exposed structural and mechanical components. Our standard coating system for shipyard gantry cranes specifies:

• Sa 2.5 abrasive blast preparation on all steel surfaces
• Zinc-rich primer (60 microns DFT minimum)
• Epoxy mid-coat (120 microns DFT minimum)
• Polyurethane topcoat (80 microns DFT minimum)
• Stripe coat on all weld seams, edges, and bolt heads

Total minimum DFT of 300 microns. On structures within 50 metres of the waterline or in tidal zones, an additional sacrificial anode system is available for substructure protection.

Safety Systems Standard Package

All shipyard gantry cranes are supplied with a comprehensive safety system as standard:

• Overload protection with automatic cutoff at 110% SWL
• Upper and lower limit switches on all hoists
• End travel limits on trolley and gantry
• Anti-collision system between cranes on the same runway
• Wind speed anemometer with staged alarms and automatic storm securing
• Structural health monitoring (load cycle counter and hoist utilization recorder)
• Emergency stop accessible from ground level, cabin, and maintenance platforms

Classification Society Certification

Shipyard gantry cranes are designed and manufactured to the requirements of major classification societies. Classification is required for cranes operating at classified shipyard facilities and for cranes that will lift marine equipment requiring classification certification. We manufacture to:

• CCS — China Classification Society (standard for Chinese shipyards)
• RS Certificate-Russian Maritime Register of Shipping
• ABS — American Bureau of Shipping
• Bureau Veritas (BV) – common for French-flag and West African trade

The classification surveyor attends factory acceptance testing and issues the crane certificate directly. We coordinate the surveyor schedule as part of our standard project delivery process.

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