What defines a gantry crane?

A gantry crane is indeed defined as a crane that is supported by two or more legs on fixed rails. This design allows the crane to move horizontally along the rails, making it particularly useful for handling heavy loads in various industrial and construction settings. The structure is often robust, designed to carry substantial weight while maintaining stability during operations.

The presence of fixed rails is a crucial characteristic that distinguishes gantry cranes from other types of cranes. This feature enables them to operate over specific areas, maximizing their efficiency in loading and unloading tasks, especially in environments like shipping yards or manufacturing facilities where space and movement logistics are essential.

Understanding this definition is important as it helps differentiate gantry cranes from other cranes with different functionalities or supporting structures, such as bridge cranes or tower cranes, which have different operating mechanisms and applications.