AEROSPACE
In the aerospace sector, rockets and aircraft can be so big as to fill football pitches or even extend beyond them.
even the engine: these parts can be many metres across and many tonnes in weight. A wing alone can weigh up to 30,000kg – around 15 times higher than a fully assembled car. At the same time, these parts are often very delicate, complex and awkwardly shaped, meaning they need to be handled with care. The challenge for manufacturers is clear – how do they lift, position and transport these parts safely? More than that, how can they align a metres-wide part with millimetre precision? They can’t afford to get it wrong – a single jet engine can cost as much as $45m, and regulatory oversight is rightfully strict. Given the stakes, they need to be very deliberate in their choice of crane. Regular industrial cranes are rarely fit for purpose. More commonly, manufacturers require a range of advanced capabilities, including motion control, precision positioning, contamination control and comprehensive safety features. They also might require different types of cranes for different functions, be that a double girder overhead crane for handling supersized components, or lightweight systems for manoeuvring smaller parts. Meanwhile, automated processes are on the rise, with a view to improving safety and efficiency. As well as reducing the risk of accidents, automated cranes can operate continuously
72 Fall 2026 |
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without much downtime. This is key in an industry facing such intense production demands – the commercial aircraft backlog currently stands at nearly 15,000 units, according to PwC. Depending on what they hope to accomplish, some manufacturers will be satisfied off-the-shelf options. However, many aerospace projects are now looking for something more complex and custom-made.
Shoot for the stars Let’s go back to Artemis, NASA’s historic space exploration project that will culminate in the construction of a moon base. As part of this project, NASA is working with PAR Systems, an engineering firm that builds custom manufacturing systems for unique industry needs. PAR Systems designed and implemented a range of specialised crane systems for Artemis, which have been deployed across several NASA production facilities. These cranes can lift everything from rocket components to the entire space vehicle itself. According to PAR, the components in question include many parts of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and its Orion spacecraft – the core stage, the solid rocket booster, stage adapter, engine, propulsion stage, Orion crew module, service module and so forth. They represent some
of the largest and heaviest assemblies ever produced, not to mention the most delicate. Complex, high-precision manoeuvring is essential, and these cranes are more than up to the task.
For instance, one production facility featured two primary cranes with a 75-tonne capacity, which could lift rocket components 172 feet high. Their main job was to move parts in and out of friction stir welding machines, as well as lifting and re-positioning the rocket fuel tanks. After that, the parts would be moved to a transport crane, which would transfer them to another location. PAR also designed a 200-tonne capacity crane with a two-trolleys, two-hook configuration. This crane was used to lift and hoist the SLS solid rocket boosters at various points of the production and testing process. The piece de resistance, however, was the bridge crane at NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in the Kennedy Space Center. Boasting a staggering 325-tonne capacity and a 50-tonne auxiliary hook, this crane was used to perform the final rocket assembly. It could lift components 462 feet high – around the same height as a 35-storey skyscraper – and could even lift the entire rocket onto its crawler. Notably, PAR’s cranes get the job done neither through pure automation nor manual input alone,
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