The hydraulic truck crane is a specific mobile crane that uses hydraulic power to raise and move thousands of pounds. Hydraulics uses forces being transmitted through oil pushing in opposite directions on the pistons of the boom so as to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are very important in building major projects like for example bridges, airports, roads and buildings. A crane can complete in minutes jobs which will normally take hundreds of men and a lot of hours to complete.
These remarkable machinery have played a vital role in constructing houses, cities, entire nations and individual buildings throughout the ages. Even Egypt's Great Pyramids were likely constructed using basic cranes to allow the heaviest materials in one of the most amazing construction projects ever.
The first representation of a crane was showcased during the reign of King Ramses in Egypt during 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting mechanism which was used to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared in Ancient Greece. These devices were used to create a whole nation during the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were initially made out of wood. The designs of cranes began to change when dockyards began to require stronger and larger machinery. Hick & Rothwell designed the first cast iron cranes in Bolton, England, during 1834. This machinery can lift as much as 2 tons. That very same year, wire ropes were added to the crane by an Official of the German Superior Board, Herr Albert Sr. The wire rope made the crane stronger and more durable. This addition enabled cranes to have a larger capacity to lift heavy weights.
The wire ropes were weaved together forming a more powerful rope with even more strength. The newly formed wire also added more flexibility. 4 years later, Germany started to make cast iron cranes. The very first cast iron crane built by Germany was built in Neuburg.