Hydraulic truck cranes are a specific kind of mobile crane. These cranes utilize hydraulics and can lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulics utilizes forces being transmitted through oil pushing in opposite directions on the boom's pistons so as to lift thousands of pounds. Hydraulic truck cranes are vital in building major projects such as bridges, airports, roads and buildings. A crane could accomplish in minutes tasks that will normally take many hours and hundreds of men to accomplish.
These remarkable machines have played a vital role in constructing houses, cities, individual buildings and entire nations throughout the ages. Even the Great Pyramids in Egypt were probably constructed using basic cranes to allow the heaviest supplies in one of the most remarkable construction projects of all time.
The very first representation of a crane was featured during King Ramses' reign in Egypt in 3000 B.C. This was a portrayal of a lifting mechanism that was used to collect water. The very first official "cranes" appeared in Ancient Greece. These mechanism were utilized to build an entire country in the 5th century B.C.
These cranes were originally made out of wood. The designs of cranes began to change when dockyards started to require stronger and bigger machines. Hick & Rothwell designed the very first cast iron cranes within Bolton, England, during the year 1834. This equipment can lift as much as 2 tons. That same year, wire ropes were added to the crane by Herr Albert Sr. who was an Official of the German Superior Board. The wire rope made the crane more durable and stronger. This addition allowed cranes to have a larger capacity for lifting 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. 4 years later, Germany started to make cast iron cranes. The first cast iron crane made by Germany was made within Neuburg.