AEROSPACE


panels that are notoriously susceptible to damage.


With so many crane types on offer, it’s clear that air- and spacecraft production could not easily function without them. In the words of the Chinese company Oritcranes: “Hangar crane systems represent the backbone of modern aerospace manufacturing.”


Tomorrow’s world So how are cranes evolving? Well, cranes have always been strong – especially cranes in the aerospace sector, which are responsible for the extremes of heavy lifting. But now they’re becoming smart. Just like aerospace itself, this sector is benefiting from the trend towards digitalisation. Some cranes are now highly data-driven, equipped with sensors and AI- powered automation. While automation has long been associated


NASA’s Artemis project aims to build a base on the moon by 2032.


to the facility’s columns. A hoist trolley enables lifting in two planes – up and down and side to side – across the entirety of the workspace. Then there are suspension cranes, which


are attached to the ceiling and can achieve spans over 100m. In general, the facility will come with a network of overhead rails designed precisely for this purpose. Sometimes there are interlocking bridges, which allow a load to pass from one rail to another without being dissembled or repositioned. Moving beyond the realm of overhead lifting, manufacturing facilities may also have a range of smaller cranes in use, often with special units attached. These might include devices for speeding up trolley transfer or tele-platforms used within maintenance. Spider cranes are widely used too, especially where there’s a need to navigate tight spaces.


76 Fall 2026 | ochmagazine.com British company Granada Cranes, which has


worked with the likes of BAE Systems and Airbus, says it tends to install overhead cranes for tasks that require moving heavy parts, such as wings and fuselage sections. Double girder cranes are especially important for this purpose. If parts need to move across multiple bays,


as is often the case with large composite wing assemblies, an overhead travelling crane would be recommended. Alternatively, a gantry crane might be used in situations where the client doesn’t want a fixed installation.


Granada Cranes also offers swing jib cranes for fine control and exact placement of components; hoists and monorails for use across the facility; and vacuum-lifting systems for handling delicate or sensitive parts. The latter is widely used for lifting glass components that might otherwise break, or awkwardly shaped parts like interior


with repetitive jobs, such as riveting panels, it is now being used across a range of high-level tasks. Automated systems can execute complex lifts and movements, typically with greater accuracy than a manual operator alone. The key advantage, though, is safety – imperative in a sector where loads are so large. Despite operators’ best efforts, around 43 crane- related fatalities occur every year in the US, with around 90% of these attributed to human error. Smart technology could ensure that these tragedies become much rarer. For instance, IoT sensors can detect anomalies in real-time, alerting the operator. Active sway control automatically curbs load swinging during rapid movements, while hook- centring technology automatically matches the lifting hook with the load’s centre of gravity. Sensors are also being used to improve data collection methods, enabling real-time tracking and co-ordination. For instance, they might monitor load dynamics and usage, before feeding that information to a machine learning programme that can make a call on what to do next. The facility manager may no longer need to be on site. Rather, they can monitor the cranes remotely from a centralised location. On top of that, sensor data is used to inform predictive crane maintenance, in which potential problems are flagged up long before the equipment actually fails. Some crane companies use digital twin technologies, which enable them to look at a virtual replica of their physical asset.


Over the years ahead, cranes will be used


across an ever-wider array of aerospace projects, many of them with technical requirements we can’t fathom right now. This is the realm of the very large, the very


complex, and the very precise – a realm in which mistakes cannot be countenanced. As the Artemis project gears up for its spate of moon landings, the cranes sector will need to dream big too, with an ambition to match any astronaut.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91