Hot Ladel & Metal Handling
American Crane specializes in the design and manufacture of lifting and hoisting equipment to meet your molten metal handling needs. Our specialized overhead crane systems are engineered to handle molten metal in accordance with various industry standards and specifications, while ensuring maximum operational uptime for critical process applications.
Types of Hot Metal Ladles
Hot metal ladles are vessels that are responsible for storing, transporting, and pouring molten metal. They are typically used to transfer hot metal from one process to another. Ladles in foundries range in size and weight, with some large industrial steel mill ladles weighing as much as 300 tons. Open top and torpedo ladles are the two most common types of hot metal ladles used today.
- Open Ladles
This type of ladle is a hollow cylindrical metal structure with a dished bottom—visually similar to a bucket. Once filled with molten metal, open ladles are transported to the next metallurgical process via an overhead crane. The crane – which is outfitted with a tilting winch – tilts the ladle to empty its contents.
- Torpedo Ladles
Torpedo ladles are egg-shaped hollow metal vessels. Metal is poured into the mouth of the torpedo and transported to the required destination. The contents of torpedo ladles are emptied by rotating the structure on its axis until the molten material pours from the opening.
Some essential parameters that must be into consideration when specifying open top or torpedo ladles include:
- The capacity of the ladle
- Ladle weight
- Ladle dimensions (height, diameter)
- Centerline distance of trunnion to top and bottom of lining flange
- Maximum internal diameter of the ladle
- Maximum distance between the centerlines of trunnions and ladle hooks
Overhead Cranes for Ladle Handling
Overhead cranes designed to handle hot metal ladles are specially designed to be durable, stable, and reliable enough to safely lift and transport molten materials from one point to another. These cranes must also be able to withstand harsh conditions such as heavy loading, extreme temperatures, and excessive vibrations.
OSHA, ANSI/ASME, AIST, CMAA and AFS specifications all provide various guidelines for the handling of molten metal materials. Following these stringent standards ensures that your workers and facility can perform safely, and that your equipment can operate in the most effective way possible. At American Crane, we can help you ensure that your equipment meets all relevant safety and performance standards for your application.
American Crane & Equipment Corporation Offerings
At American Crane, we offer a broad range of custom and standard ladle handling equipment, as well as relevant parts and components to meet any customer need or demand. We draw on over four decades of experience as a top innovator in wire rope hoists and electric overhead traveling cranes to provide heavy equipment capable of lifting in excess of 1000 tons.
We can custom manufacture cranes based on your specifications or upgrade your existing equipment to meet the strictest industry standards. All our hot metal and ladle handling solutions are meticulously designed and crafted for maximum safety, reliability, and longevity while operating in harsh metallurgical applications.
American Crane also offers a full range of services to handle all crane manufacturing processes from concept to completion, including:
- Crane design
- Crane manufacturing
- In-house quality assurance
- Full assembly and thorough testing of equipment in advance of shipment
- Crane experience exceeds the CMAA duty cycle requirements
American Crane & Equipment Corporation is equipped to meet all your molten metal and hazardous material handling needs. Ready to get started? Please contact us or request a quote.
