The hydraulic truck crane is a specialized mobile crane that uses hydraulic power to lift 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 really vital in building major projects such as airports, bridges, buildings and roadways. A crane could accomplish in minutes tasks that will normally take hundreds of men and a lot of hours to accomplish.
These remarkable machines have played a very important role in building houses, cities, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even Egypt's Great Pyramids were probably 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 featured during the reign of King Ramses in Egypt in 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting device that was used to collect water. The first official "cranes" appeared in Ancient Greece. These devices were utilized to create a whole nation throughout the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were initially made out of wood. The designs of cranes began to change when dockyards began to need stronger and bigger equipments. Hick & Rothwell designed the first cast iron cranes in 1834, within Bolton, England. This machinery was capable of lifting as much as 2 tons. That very same year, the addition of wire rope was added to the crane by an Official of the German Superior Board, Herr Albert Sr. The wire rope made the crane more durable and stronger. This addition allowed cranes to have a larger capacity to lift heavy weights.
Eventually, the wire ropes were weaved together to be able to form an even more powerful strength. This wire formation also brought the added advantage of flexibility. Germany began to build cast iron cranes 4 years later. The first cast iron crane made by Germany was made in Neuburg.