For loads above 10 tonnes, long spans and continuous duty — where a single girder would fatigue. Engineered and manufactured in-house, from the hoist unit up.
A double girder overhead crane — also called a double girder EOT or overhead travelling crane — carries the load on a trolley running on top of two main girders. The top-running arrangement gives more hook path and more capacity for the same building, which is why it is specified for heavy loads, long spans and continuous duty.
Single vs double girder
Single girder and double girder are two different structures, not two rungs of the same ladder. A double girder is the answer when the load climbs past roughly 10–20 tonnes, when the span is long, when you need more hook path under the same roof, when the crane runs high-duty or multi-shift cycles, or when an operator cabin, a maintenance walkway or purpose-built below-hook equipment has to sit on the crane. Where those conditions are absent, a single girder does the same work with less structure and less cost.
| Criterion | Single girder overhead crane | Double girder overhead crane |
|---|---|---|
| Typical capacity | 250 kg – 12 t | 10 t to hundreds of tonnes |
| Span | Short–medium | Suited to long spans |
| Lifting height | More limited | Higher (trolley on top of the girders) |
| Duty class | Light–medium | Medium–heavy / continuous |
| Maintenance walkway / cab | Usually none | Can be fitted |
| Purpose-built below-hook equipment | Limited | Suitable |
| Cost | More economical | Higher (for heavy work) |
| ABRA page | Single girder overhead crane | This page |
Threshold figures are industry/market context. ABRA double girder: 250 kg–160 t standard selection, 32 m span as standard, ideal above 10 t; exact capacity-to-span pairing is calculated per project.
Our approach
The decision on a double girder crane is rarely about the structure itself — it is about how well the machine is matched to the span, the duty class and the environment it will spend twenty years in. That matching happens in engineering: the load spectrum sets the duty class, the duty class sets the structure, and the environment decides materials, coating and protection.
Because the hoist unit, the steel structure, the end carriages and the operator cabin are built in the same plant, a change that comes out of that calculation is made on the drawing rather than negotiated down a supply chain. Years later, service, spare parts and modernisation come back to the same records.
Technical data
Read each value with its consequence — that is how the crane is actually sized for your building.
Our double girder cranes run from 250 kg to 160 tonnes as a standard selection, above which we engineer per project, and the type earns its place above about 10 tonnes. Span is 32 m as standard and lifting height up to 30 m; the exact capacity-to-span pairing is calculated per project, because a longer span lowers the capacity a given girder can carry. Motion runs on inverter (VFD) control for soft starts and precise, low-sway positioning. Hoisting is stepless with micro-speed positioning: 0–4 m/min as the standard speed, coming down to about 0–2.3 m/min at the top of the range.
| Parameter | Value | Consequence / note |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting capacity (SWL) | 250 kg–160 t standard selection, above which we engineer per project; ideal above 10 t | Covers standard workshop to heavy process duty |
| Where the girder choice changes | 1–12 t runs on a single or a double girder; from 12.5 t the crane is double girder | The decision is the duty and the hook path, not the load alone |
| Max span | 32 m as standard (capacity-dependent); longer spans as a special project | Longer span lowers capacity; exact pairing per project |
| Lifting height / hook path | up to 30 m | Suits tall buildings and deep pits |
| Girder type | Double girder (top-running) | Higher hook height and capacity than single girder |
| Duty class | FEM 1Bm–5m (ISO M3–M8), per project | Sized to your load spectrum × running time (multi-shift or continuous process duty = higher class) |
| Hoisting speed | Stepless, inverter-controlled — 0–4 m/min standard; 0–3.5 / 0–3.6 at 6.3 · 12 · 12.5 · 16 t; 0–2.3 … 0–3.4 from 30 t to 160 t | Standard crane speeds; micro-speed for setting the load |
| Trolley travel speed | 5–20 m/min to 20 t · 5–20/25 at 25–32 t · 5–20/25/30 from 40 t | Set with the capacity and the cycle |
| Bridge travel speed | 5–20 m/min to 20 t · 5–20/25/30 from 25 t | Set with the span and the cycle |
| Motion control | Inverter (VFD) | Soft start/stop, reduced load sway, gentler on structure |
| Power supply | 380–415 V / 50 Hz (60 Hz for export) | Matches local and export grids |
| Protection class | IP54 / IP55 (motor + panel) | Dust and moisture protection for industrial environments |
| Ambient temperature | −10 … +50 °C | Cold-store to hot-process ranges |
| Max wheel load | Calculated per project. Worked example to FEM 1.001-4: four wheels, Ø200 wheels, 20 m/min travel, 40 mm rail — R max 4,999 kg (≈ 49 kN), R min 2,499 kg | The runway beam, the columns and the foundations are verified against these |
| Control | Radio remote / pendant / operator cab | Operator cab made in-house |
| Standards | EN 13001 series · EN 15011 · EN 14492-2 · EN ISO 13849-1 / -2 · EN IEC 60204-32 · FEM 9.511 (complementary) · CE · ISO 9001 | Duty class stated per project |
The speeds shown are standard values; other speeds are provided on request. The exact capacity-span-height combination is calculated per project.
| FEM (mechanism) | ISO M | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1Bm | M3 | Light, single shift |
| 2m | M5 | Medium/heavy, 1–2 shifts |
| 4m | M7 | Very heavy, 2–3 shifts |
| 5m | M8 | Continuous / severe duty |
Equipment
Each option answers a specific problem, not a feature list:
Where spans are long, duty is heavy or the conditions below the crane are hostile, the operator sees the load from above; fixed or travelling with the trolley. A cabin is one control option; the alternatives are pendant push-button or radio remote.
Position memory, target positioning and anti-sway for precise, repeatable moves. The operator stays in control; this is assisted automation, not an operatorless mode. ABRA Crane Tracking can be added as the data layer.
If one brake circuit fails, the second holds the load; specified for critical or heavy lifts.
An overload switch and load cell come as standard, so the crane refuses a lift beyond its rating.
For explosive atmospheres, the same crane can be built as an explosion-protected system; see Explosion-protected cranes.
Applications
Steel and metal service — coil, billet and slab handling — foundries and heat treatment, cement and bulk materials, energy, mining, shipyards, machine building, paper and packaging, and automotive.
Project process
A simple, four-step path so a committee can see the whole route before committing:
Load, span, duty cycle, environment.
We confirm the duty class and flag any spec deviation before you sign.
Hoist unit and steel structure built in our plant, then commissioned on site.
Scheduled maintenance under an annual contract, spare parts and modernisation.
References
“Behind everything we say, ” there’s a real job.
A double girder installation with assisted automation, automated storage and ABRA Crane Tracking.
A 75 / 25 + 25 t ladle crane running 7/24 at 85 °C ambient, in continuous duty.
From our plant to your line.
After-sales
Maintenance is agreed under an annual contract: 4 preventive visits a year, spare parts, modernisation, and breakdown support across Türkiye within 48 hours of a call. Warranty is 2 years. We also service, supply parts for and modernise other manufacturers’ cranes. Crane Contact Center 444 8 440.
FAQ
On a single girder crane the trolley usually hangs under one beam; on a double girder crane it runs on top of two beams. The double girder version reaches greater lifting height and higher capacity, and it takes an operator cab, walkway or special attachment. As a rule of thumb, you move to a double girder above roughly 10–20 tonnes, over long spans, or for heavy continuous duty.
Our double girder cranes cover 250 kg to 160 tonnes, and the type is at its best above about 10 tonnes. The capacity you can run at a given span is calculated per project, because a longer span lowers the load a girder can carry. Send us your load and span and an engineer will confirm the combination.
The duty class comes from your load spectrum and how many hours the crane runs, not from the maximum load alone. A crane lifting near capacity across three shifts, or on continuous process duty, needs a high class (FEM 4m–5m / ISO M7–M8); a lighter single-shift crane needs less. We size the class to your real cycle so the crane does not fatigue early. See the duty class guide.
Yes. The same double girder crane can be engineered as an explosion-protected system for gas Zone 1–2 and dust Zone 21–22, with the hoist unit and gearbox built in-house. Scope is defined per project against the specific ATEX code; details are on the Explosion-protected cranes page.
Get a recommendation
Send us your load, span, duty cycle and environment. An engineer confirms the right structure and duty class with you — no obligation.
Or call 444 8 440
Your details are used only to answer your request
Designed and built to EN, FEM and ISO standards · CE marked · duty class defined per project (FEM 1Bm–5m / ISO M3–M8) — duty class guide →
