SIC 3536 Overhead Traveling Cranes, Hoists, and Monorail Systems
SIC 3536
This classification comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing overhead traveling cranes, hoists, and monorail systems for installation in factories, warehouses, marinas, and other industrial and commercial establishments. Excluded from this classification are establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing cranes except industrial types, automobile wrecker hoists, and aerial work platforms, which are classified in SIC 3531: Construction Machinery. Also excluded from this industry are those manufacturing aircraft loading hoists, which are classified in SIC 3537: Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailers, and Stackers.
333923
Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing
The overhead traveling crane, hoist, and monorail system industry includes a diverse assortment of products that fit within a narrowly defined segment of the materials handling equipment industry. Not to be confused with various types of mobile cranes used in construction projects, overhead cranes are variously structured machines that "travel" along a runway structure or pair of tracks located above the work floor of a plant or factory. They are further characterized by the presence of a fixed or trolley-mounted hoisting system that is connected to the tracks by a bridge structure, which consists of either a single or double girder.
The industry manufactures three basic kinds of overhead traveling cranes that accommodate the vast majority of materials handling needs. The first type is the overhead bridge crane, which is fixed to an overhead beam running the length of the building. Generally regarded as the most rugged of all overhead traveling cranes, this class of crane is noted for its ability to cover the entire width and length of a plant. The jib crane is the second variety of crane produced by the industry. It is usually mounted to a wall or pillar and is used to service a smaller area of a plant, usually the area of a single workstation. Gantry cranes, which are mounted overhead and are able to service a particular bay or workstation, comprise the third category.
While overhead traveling cranes are sometimes operated manually, they are usually powered by electricity and can be interfaced with automatic guided vehicles, stacker cranes, and monorails for increased efficiency. Accordingly, hoists and monorails, the other major segments of this industry classification, are often manufactured for use in conjunction with overhead traveling cranes. Employed mainly in an industrial capacity, products in this industry are also employed in stone and concrete pre-casting yards, steel fabricating shops, and storage facilities.
Although overhead crane, hoist, and monorail systems product shipments rose slightly in 2004 from the previous year, these shipments were lower than those from 1997 to 2001. Additionally, starting in 1998 the United States has been a net importer of hoists, cranes, and monorails, according to a Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) report. That year, according to this report, "for the first time less than 90 percent of the cranes bought were produced in the U.S.A." The number of companies, employees, and production workers in this industry has also fallen, according to U.S. Census data. Besides foreign competition, other contributing factors for these declines were a reduction in U.S. manufacturing and industry jobs that were outsourced to overseas plants. The materials handling equipment manufacturing industry, of which this industry is a segment, also has seen an important shift since the late 1990s, when it became a net importer, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.
Geographically, the greatest concentration of hoist, crane, and monorail establishments; almost a third of the total number of industry establishments, were located in five states (in descending order): Texas, Michigan, California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. While Pennsylvania, Washington, Texas, and Michigan hosted the most industry employees (having almost 40 percent of the total industry workforce), almost a third of the total industry production workforce lived in just two states: Pennsylvania and Washington. Of the industry's production workers, most (more than 60%) were engaged in manufacturing winches, aerial work platforms, and automotive wrecker hoists, while less than a quarter were involved in producing overhead traveling cranes and monorail systems, with the remainder producing hoists.
In 2002 winches, aerial work platforms, and automotive wrecker hoists was the product class with the highest shipment values in the industry, followed by overhead traveling cranes and monorail systems, and hoists. Texas companies shipped, in dollar amounts, the most winches, aerial work platforms, and automotive wrecker hoists, followed by Iowa and Illinois. Texas also shipped the most overhead traveling cranes and monorail systems, in dollar terms, followed by Michigan and Pennsylvania, while North Carolina had the highest value of hoist shipments, ahead of Michigan and California.
While various types of jib cranes and other lifting devices were installed in foundries during the late eighteenth century, and the overhead traveling bridge crane existed as early as 1860, materials handling systems were not widely used in the United...
To continue reading
Request your trial