Sliding crane construction / Part 1

Since I work alone in my workshop, I needed a reliable system that would make lifting heavy loads much easier. So, I designed and built this electric overhead bridge crane. Thank you all for watching and for your great comments! This is my first crane build, and while I'm always looking to improve, I'm really happy with the result. I’d appreciate it if you like, share, and subscribe to support future projects. Due to some space limitations in my workshop, I couldn't install support columns from the floor, which is why I designed a ceiling-mounted system. If I had a higher ceiling and a wider workspace, the design would have been slightly different, but this setup works perfectly for my current needs. Many of you asked about the installation in the attic. Unfortunately, it was too dark and narrow to film up there, so I couldn't include that footage. As I gain more experience in video production, I’ll make sure to capture even the hardest-to-reach angles! Regarding the mounting hardware: I secured the main rails through the attic using long M14 bolts, heavy-duty nuts, thick steel plates, and washers. The yield stress for a single M14 bolt is over 2.5 tons, meaning the carrying capacity of the hardware far exceeds anything I will ever lift. -- Engineering, Trolley System & Capacity Details -- For those asking about the lifting capacity and structural strength, here are the simplified static facts of the system: Main Bridge Beam: 160 mm Steel Profile (NPI 160), 4-meter span (solid piece, no welds in the middle). Side Beams (Rails): 140 mm Steel Profiles (U-Channel). Hoist Capacity: The electric hoist machine itself is rated for 1,200 kg (1.2 Tons). Trolley / Carriage System: Instead of using standard lightweight trolleys, I used heavy-duty commercial trolley wheels (originally rated for ~2 tons per pair). I designed and cut custom thick steel side plates to build 4-wheel carriages for both the side rails and the main bridge. Trolley Capacity: With 4 heavy-duty wheels distributing the load, the carrying capacity of each custom carriage easily reaches 4 to 5 tons. Since the maximum lift is 1 ton, the trolleys operate effortlessly and safely. Structural Limit of the Beam: A 4-meter NPI 160 beam starts to bend permanently at around 2,700 kg (2.7 Tons) center load. Safe Working Load (SWL): Applying standard crane safety factors (dividing the beam limit by 2.5), the strictly safe operating capacity is exactly 1,000 kg (1 Ton). Deflection (Bending) Check: Under a 500 kg load, the beam naturally flexes about 3.5 - 4 mm. At the full 1 Ton capacity, it flexes ~7.5 mm. Engineering standards allow up to 8 mm of flex for a 4m span. Conclusion: The slight bending seen under load is a perfectly normal elastic behavior of steel. The system features custom over-engineered trolleys, a massive 2.5x safety margin, and operates fully within safe limits. For maximum safety and since I don't need to lift heavier items, I usually restrict my lifts to a maximum of 500 kg.