How Overhead Cranes Beat the Heat

August 18, 2025 / Blog

As temperatures rise, overhead cranes encounter unique challenges that can impact both performance and safety. From the electronics and controls overheating to operator discomfort, it’s essential to design and maintain cranes that can handle extreme environments to run reliably, especially in high-heat applications like melt shops and hot rolling mills.

Two key factors influence the temperature an overhead crane is exposed to: ambient temperature and working environment temperature. Each plays a different role, and both must be considered in the crane’s design to ensure safe, reliable operation in high-heat conditions. At Morgan Engineering, we build every overhead crane with long-term durability in mind. Here’s how we help our cranes beat the heat.

Ambient Temperature

Ambient temperature refers to the general air temperature in a facility or region. This varies widely depending on location and building conditions. For example, an overhead crane in a plant in northern Michigan faces different average air conditions than a crane in southern Texas.

Mills and industrial facilities lack air conditioning, which means ambient heat can accumulate, especially in areas where hot air rises to the crane’s elevation. This provides a starting point for the average temperature conditions the crane will experience over its lifetime. That’s why it’s critical to factor in average climate conditions during the overhead crane’s design phase.

Working Environment Temperature

Even within the same geographical area or facility, overhead cranes can be exposed to vastly different thermal conditions depending on their function. A ladle crane in a melt shop, for example, experiences far more intense heat exposure and must be built accordingly—with IR coatings on the glass of its cab and a more powerful, redundant air conditioning unit in the control house to protect the critical electric components. Designing for these conditions ensures the ladle crane can perform reliably without risking shutdowns or component failure due to overheating.

Crane Maintenance: The Key to Keeping Cool

Proper overhead crane maintenance is the most effective way to prevent heat-related breakdowns. A few best practices include:

Regularly inspecting and cleaning filters, vents, coils, and fans to be sure it’s operating efficiently
Monitoring temperature sensors installed on modern cranes—often located in the control house, cab, motor windings, bearings, and gearboxes
Checking that error reporting systems are functional and alert operators before critical thresholds are reached

Overhead Cranes that are Made to Handle the Heat

The environment in which your overhead crane will operate has a heavy influence on the way it’s designed. When ordering a new crane, it’s essential to provide detailed information about:

Indoor or outdoor use
Proximity to heat-generating processes (like ladles or kilns)
Expected daily and seasonal temperature ranges

Morgan’s engineering team uses this data to design custom-built cranes that can withstand the rigors of your environment—today and for decades to come.

Keep Your Cranes Cool with Morgan Engineering

Whether you’re running a standard production facility or managing high-heat applications with a ladle crane, proactive crane maintenance makes all the difference. Morgan Engineering designs and supports overhead cranes that perform under pressure to keep your team safe and your operations running smoothly.