shop mono rail
 

shop mono rail
i can understand the aprehension to answer this question so if someone could point me in the direction to figure this out i will do that also.
i want to put a mono rail in my shop. however i want the mono rail to also be able to travel left and right. so in essence i would have two rails plus the mono rail.
the shop is 20x20. what size beams would i need to be able to support at a max 5000 lbs. this is actually over doing it but there may be a once in a life time to use it for 5000 lbs.
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you need to contact a local engineer that can help. this would involve checking connection and support points and supporting structure as well as just figuring beam size.
i would suggest that you purchase a free standing jib crane. just tell the manufacturer what capacity, height and boom length that you want. you would need to hire a local engineer to design a foundation as they are subject to a great deal of overturning force.
another option might be to purchase a mobile monorail crane on wheels (the kind that are sometimes used to lift engines from cars). i don't know what capacities they come in but you should be able to find out.
these should suffice for a small shop.
good luck!
you will definitely need a professionaly engineered solution for a 5000 lb (2.3 tonne) swl lift.
i'm not sure if a wall- or pedestal-mounted jib crane will give you the coverage that you're looking for. you may need a bridge crane, such as demag's elke single-girder overhead travelling crane (