Why bolt a crane together instead of welding it?

A bolted connection can be undone. That means the joint can be inspected properly at the annual and 10-yearly inspections, a damaged component can be swapped rather than the whole structure scrapped, and the crane can be relocated or re-spanned later. Welded-up structures are cheaper to build but cannot be opened up to inspect, and modifying them on site means hot work in your building.

What are DTI washers and why does Sorian use them?

Direct tension indicator (DTI) washers have small protrusions that compress as the bolt is tensioned. When the gap closes to the specified feeler-gauge clearance the bolt is at the correct tension. They give a visual, repeatable confirmation of bolt tension on structural connections and can be re-checked at any inspection without a calibrated torque wrench.

Are spare parts for Sorian hoists available in Australia?

Yes. Sorian hoists are built on the same platform and production line as thousands of hoists already in service in Australia, so brakes, contactors, limit switches, chain, rope and pendants are stocked locally and available through Sorian at highly competitive rates.

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Design philosophy

Modular. Bolted.
Built to be serviced.

Every Sorian crane is designed so that it can be taken apart again. Nothing structural is welded into a lump you can't inspect, replace or move. That is deliberate, and it is the difference between a crane that costs you money in year ten and one that doesn't.

A lot of cranes sold in Australia are built to be cheap on the day: columns welded to base plates, arms welded to pivots, end carriages welded to girders. They go in fine. The problem shows up later, when an inspector needs to see inside a connection, a bearing needs changing, or the business moves buildings and the crane doesn't come with it.

We design the other way around. Every major connection on a Sorian crane is a bolted joint: column to base, arm to pivot, girder to end carriage, hoist to trolley, runway rail to bracket. Bolted means it can be unbolted. Unbolted means it can be inspected, replaced, re-spanned or relocated by any competent crew, without hot work in your building.

Four rules

How every Sorian design is put together.

Bolted, not welded

Structural members are fabricated as discrete modules and joined with engineered bolted connections. Any module can be removed and inspected, repaired or replaced on its own. The crane that goes into your building can also come out of it.

Designed for the installer

We design with the install crew in the room. Lifting points, bolt access, match-marked parts and pre-fitted electrics mean fewer hours on your floor, smaller lifting equipment, less disruption and a lower installed price. Time saved on site is money saved by the client.

DTI washers on structural bolts

Direct tension indicator washers are used throughout our structural connections. The washer physically shows when the bolt is at the correct tension, so the installer isn't relying on a torque wrench setting alone and the inspector can verify it visually at every annual and 10-yearly inspection.

Parts you can actually get

Our hoists are built on the same platform and production line as thousands of hoists already working in Australia. Brakes, contactors, limits, chain, rope and pendants are stocked locally, and available through Sorian at highly competitive rates. No waiting on an overseas OEM.

In the workshop and on site

What that looks like in steel.

Two Sorian 500 kg free-standing jib cranes installed in a Victorian warehouse, with bolted base plates and electric chain hoists — Two 500 kg × 5 m 360° slew pillar jibs, Victoria. Each column bolts to a base plate on chemical anchors; the arm bolts to the slew head. Either crane can be unbolted and moved in a morning.

Boilermaker welding a Sorian jib crane arm module in the workshop before painting — Arm modules are welded in the shop, under control, with proper access, then painted. Only bolting happens on site.

Finite element stress plot of a Sorian jib crane slew roller bracket showing principal stress in MPa — FEA can be performed in house on bespoke parts that need more than a hand calculation, like this slew-roller bracket. Where possible we use bolted fasteners so the part is serviceable and quick to build and install. Every design is verified by appropriately accredited engineers (state-dependent).

Sorian-branded electric wire rope hoist with low-headroom trolley and rope guide — Wire rope hoist on a low-headroom trolley. Motor, brake, gearbox and rope drum are separately replaceable units.

Sorian electric chain hoist with pendant control and chain bag — Electric chain hoist, same production platform as thousands already in Australian service, so parts are on the shelf locally.

Sorian crane control panel with variable frequency drive, Schneider TeSys contactors, labelled ferrules and DIN-rail terminals — Control panels are built to suit the job: from best-value DIN-rail components to the best-known brands, specified to the client's preference. Every panel is wired to the AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules with low-voltage control circuits, every core ferruled and numbered to the drawing, and comes with a load display as standard.

Sorian industrial radio remote control kit: two-step pushbutton transmitter with emergency stop, receiver, antenna and batteries — Radio remote kits from 4 channels up, specified to the application: two-step pushbuttons, mushroom E-stop, F1/F2 auxiliaries and A/B/A+B tandem selection on the transmitter shown. IP65 rated, 433 MHz, RCM compliant, with RFID key, lanyard and protective rubber boot all included. The receiver is a plug-in module, swapped in minutes.

Engineering render of a Sorian 5 tonne single girder overhead crane, class A4/M5, on a runway — 5 t single-girder EOT, class A4/M5. Every Sorian crane is 3D modelled in house with every weld and every bolt detailed, so parts fit first time. End carriages bolt to the girder through machined connection plates, so the bridge can be re-spanned if the building changes.

A note on what you don't see here. Much of our work is for clients whose sites and processes are confidential, so for privacy reasons a lot of it can't be shown on this website. If you'd like to see examples relevant to your industry, ask and we'll share what we're able to under NDA.

Jib crane, all the way round

Every connection on a Sorian jib is a bolted one.

Top pivot, over-braced arm, column and base plate are all bolted modules. The arm can be removed for transport or replaced for a longer reach without touching the column.

Why this matters to the owner

Inspection. AS 2550.1 annual inspections and the 10-yearly major inspection need access to connections. A bolted joint can be opened, checked and re-tensioned. A welded one gets a visual and a guess.
Repair. Forklift hits a column, a bearing wears, a girder gets overloaded: replace the module, not the crane.
Change. Longer arm, higher hook height, new span, new building. Unbolt, modify, re-bolt, re-certify.
Resale. A crane that can be dismantled and reinstalled holds its value. One that has to be cut out doesn't.

This is how we design jib cranes, overhead bridge cranes, gantry cranes and workstation systems, and it carries through to the hoists and spare parts we supply.

Want to see the GA drawing before you commit?

Send through your application and we'll come back with a general arrangement showing exactly what bolts to what, plus a fixed price.

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Modular. Bolted.Built to be serviced.