Most factories solve workstation lifting the wrong way. They route every pick through the main overhead crane. The EOT crane moves a large assembly. Meanwhile, a machinist waits to load a 400 kg fixture. A welder needs a component from the rack. An assembler needs a part shifted half a meter. The main crane handles one job at a time. Everyone else waits. A jib crane at each workstation breaks this dependency entirely. This guide covers every major jib crane type — design, rotation, capacity, and application — so you can select the right configuration for each location in your facility.
What Jib Cranes Do
A jib crane consists of a vertical support, a horizontal boom, and a hoist that travels along the boom. The boom rotates around the support, creating a fixed circular lifting zone. Each crane serves one workstation independently.
Capacities range from 125 kg to 15 tonnes. Boom lengths run from 2 meters to 15 meters. Rotation angles vary from 180 degrees on wall-mounted types to full 360 degrees on floor-mounted types.
The core advantage is decentralization. Jib cranes give each station its own lifting capacity without competing for the main crane.
Pillar Mounted Jib Cranes
A pillar jib crane stands on an independent steel column fixed to a concrete foundation. The boom rotates 360 degrees around the column. This covers all four quadrants around the mast — effectively serving multiple adjacent workstations.
Capacities reach up to 10 tonnes with boom lengths of 3 to 12 meters. The foundation carries all structural loads independently. Building columns and roof structure are not involved.
Pillar jibs are the most structurally reliable type for medium to heavy loads. Their load path — mast to baseplate to foundation — is direct, predictable, and easy to engineer.
Wall Mounted Jib Cranes
A wall-mounted jib crane fixes to a building wall, structural column, or bracket. The boom rotates 180 to 270 degrees, depending on the mounting angle. No floor space is occupied. No foundation is required beyond the existing column or wall.
Capacities for wall jibs typically stay under 2 to 5 tonnes with booms up to 8 meters. The mounting point must carry the full bending moment of the boom under rated load. Older industrial buildings with undersized columns fail this check more often than buyers expect.
The practical rule: wall jibs suit light loads on strong columns. When capacity exceeds 2 tonnes or boom length exceeds 6 meters, a structural assessment is mandatory before installation.
Free Standing Jib Cranes
A free standing jib crane uses a self-supporting mast without wall or roof attachment. The mast bolts to a floor base plate or embedded sleeve. The boom gives full 360-degree coverage.
Capacities reach up to 15 tonnes with booms extending to 12 meters or more. Free standing jibs work indoors and outdoors. They suit loading docks, outdoor yards, and open bays where no building structure exists nearby.
The installation is flexible. The crane positions anywhere a concrete pad can be poured. This makes free standing jibs the preferred choice for new facility layouts and outdoor handling areas.
Articulating Jib Cranes
An articulating jib crane uses two boom segments — an inner arm and an outer arm — each rotating independently. The outer arm rotates 360 degrees. The inner arm adds a second rotation axis. Together, they reach into corners, around obstacles, and into confined machine openings that a straight boom cannot access.
Capacities stay light — typically under 1 tonne with combined reach up to 5 meters. Articulating jibs suit precision assembly, instrument handling, and machine loading where the load path requires two-axis maneuvering.
The unexpected insight: 70% of articulating jib applications are not about reach — they’re about avoiding collisions with machine guards, fixtures, and adjacent equipment that a rigid boom would hit on every cycle.
Mast Type Jib Cranes
A mast type jib crane is supported at the base by the floor and at the top by the building’s overhead structure. The top tie removes the overturning moment from the foundation. This reduces foundation size and cost compared to a fully free standing mast.
Capacities reach up to 10 tonnes with boom lengths of 3 to 12 meters. The overhead tie point must be structurally verified. But the load is primarily vertical tension, not bending — making it easier to integrate with existing roof purlins and rafters than an underhung crane runway.
Mast jibs suit facilities where floor space is limited and the roof structure can carry vertical tie loads without major reinforcement.
Portable and Mobile Jib Cranes
A portable jib crane uses a ballasted base or wheeled chassis for relocation. It serves temporary lifting needs — maintenance access, site installation, equipment repositioning. Capacities stay below 1 to 2 tonnes.
Mobile jibs give 360-degree rotation and require no permanent fixing. They are not substitutes for fixed workstation cranes in production environments. Frequent relocation creates repositioning time and reduces the productivity gain that fixed jibs deliver on a per-shift basis.
Key Features Across All Jib Types
Regardless of type, every jib crane includes these core features:
- Hoist options: electric chain hoist, wire rope hoist, or manual chain fall
- Rotation mechanisms: manual push-pull, motorized with brake, or lockable fixed positions
- Safety devices: overload protection, limit switches for hoist travel, rotation stops
- Special executions: low headroom units for restricted bays, corrosion-resistant coatings for outdoor or coastal environments, flameproof and ATEX certified versions for hazardous areas
How to Select the Right Jib Crane
Follow these four steps to match the crane type to the application:
- Define load and reach: confirm maximum lift weight, boom radius required, and hook height needed at the workstation
- Assess the building: check floor strength for foundation, column capacity for wall mounting, roof structure for tie loads
- Match duty cycle: count lifts per shift and estimate daily operating hours; this determines hoist duty class and rotation mechanism type
- Plan for installation and expansion: confirm site access for foundation work, allow clearance for boom rotation, and check interference with overhead cranes, columns, and equipment
FAQs
Can a wall-mounted jib crane carry 5 tonnes on a standard 250mm column?
Typically not. A 5-tonne load on a 6-meter boom creates a bending moment that most standard Indian industrial columns cannot carry without reinforcement. A structural engineer must verify the column section, existing foundation, and bracket fixation before installation proceeds.
What rotation angle do I need for a single machine loading workstation?
180 degrees is sufficient if the crane serves one machine and the load moves from a rack on one side to the machine on the other. If the workstation requires coverage behind the column as well, a 270 or 360-degree solution is required.
Can I add a motorized rotation to a manual jib crane?
Yes. Most pillar and free standing jib cranes accept motorized slewing retrofits. The motor mounts on the boom pivot with a friction or gear drive on the mast. This is practical for operations exceeding 30 to 50 boom rotations per shift, where manual push-pull creates operator fatigue.
What is the difference between a pillar jib and a free standing jib?
A pillar jib uses a tapered or straight steel column fixed to a dedicated foundation. A free standing jib uses a heavier mast section, also floor-fixed, but designed for higher capacities and longer booms. The functional difference is capacity range: pillar jibs suit up to 10 tonnes; free standing jibs handle up to 15 tonnes and beyond.
Conclusion
Each jib crane type solves a specific combination of load, space, and structural constraints. Picking the wrong type doesn’t just mean extra cost — it means a crane that doesn’t reach, doesn’t rotate far enough, or damages the building structure it’s fixed to. Match the type to the site before ordering.
Contact Heben Cranes today to get a jib crane recommendation matched to your workstation layout, capacity requirements, and building structure.
Heben Cranes designs and supplies pillar, wall, free standing, articulating, and mast type jib cranes for industrial workstations across India. Every installation begins with a site assessment, structural verification, and hoist-to-crane matching based on your actual duty cycle — not a catalogue selection. Reach out to our engineering team for a technical consultation and quotation tailored to your facility.
