Hydraulic Buffer

How to Select a Hydraulic Crane Buffer: Energy, Force and Stroke

Selection starts with the kinetic energy the buffer must absorb, calculated from the moving mass and the speed at the moment of impact. Compare that figure in kJ with the energy absorption capacity (W) listed for each model in the tables above; the chosen model must exceed the calculated energy with a sensible margin.

The second check is force: the buffering force (F) column shows the load the buffer transmits into the end stop and runway structure during impact — the number your structural engineer will ask for. Within a body size, a longer stroke gives a longer deceleration distance, gentler retardation and lower structural force: in the HB 100 size, force falls from 420 kN at 100 mm stroke to 330 kN at 800 mm. The model designation encodes this logic — HB 100 500 is body size 100 with a 500 mm stroke (175 kJ, 390 kN).

Applications: Overhead, Gantry, Port and Steel-Mill Cranes

HB buffers are fitted to overhead (bridge) cranes, gantry and semi-gantry cranes, port and shipyard cranes, and heavy-duty process cranes in steel mills. They mount either on the crane end carriage or on the end stop at the rail end, and the same series covers cross-travel: a trolley sees a different mass and speed than the long-travel motion, so bridge and trolley buffers should be sized independently using the same tables.

Each model is configured for indoor or outdoor service at order, with a separate environment option beyond the normal configuration for aggressive conditions such as coastal sites, chemical plants or heavy dust. With four body sizes covering 15 to 435 kJ, the range runs from light workshop cranes to the heaviest end-of-travel duties.

Hydraulic vs Spring vs Polyurethane Buffers: An Honest Comparison

We manufacture all three buffer types, so this comparison has no agenda. Polyurethane buffers are the economical, maintenance-free choice for standard indoor cranes at modest speeds and energies. Spring buffers handle more energy but store it rather than dissipate it — the stored energy throws the crane back on rebound, which can aggravate load swing.

A hydraulic buffer converts impact energy into heat as oil is forced through calibrated metering orifices: rebound is negligible, deceleration stays controlled and nearly uniform across the stroke, and the energy capacity for a given buffer size is the highest of the three — up to 435 kJ in the HB series. For fast long-travel cranes, heavy masses, ports and steel mills, hydraulic is the right call; for light, slow indoor duty, polyurethane or spring buffers may be all you need.

Ordering and Customization: FM/RM Mounting, Colors, Custom Strokes

Every HB buffer is built to order. Two mounting arrangements are available — Front Mount (FM) and Rear Mount (RM) — and the diagrams above show both layouts together with flange dimensions and bolt-hole patterns. Six standard colors let the buffer match plant color codes or visibility requirements.

If your application falls outside the 60 standard models — a custom stroke, a different flange drilling, or a like-for-like replacement for an existing buffer — our engineering team defines the matching unit with you from your measured dimensions and duty data. KRANHAUSS has manufactured crane components in Ankara since 2004 and exports to more than 50 countries, with certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 3834-2 and EN 1090.

Frequently Asked Questions