Views: 205 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-11-10 Origin: Site
To buy a marine crane from China, start with the job on your vessel, not with a catalogue. Write down the load, the outreach over the side, how far the hook must go below deck and the sea conditions you will work in. Then send those facts to the manufacturer, and check its drawings, load chart, deck interface, test and documents before you pay the balance. Lead time, packing and freight are confirmed in the written quotation, so you can compare offers on the same terms.
FUMAN has built hydraulic cranes in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, since 2010, and our current marine range runs to knuckle boom and telescopic boom models from 0.8 t to 25 t. Our marine cranes have gone to the Philippines, Russia, Ecuador, the USA, the Netherlands and Bangladesh. This guide follows the steps our sales team takes with first-time marine buyers. It sets out the questions worth asking any marine crane manufacturer in China, including us.
A marine crane is a type of hydraulic crane installed on a ship's deck or a pier, used for lifting cargo, equipment, and supplies between the vessel and the shore. Purchasing a marine crane differs from buying a truck-mounted crane from China. Marine cranes lack a chassis; instead, they are mounted on a ship's deck, exposed to salt-spray corrosion, secured to a fixed foundation, and typically require inspection and formal sign-off by a marine surveyor.
A crane is chosen by the load it must lift at the distance it works, so measure from the planned crane centre to the furthest landing point. On a vessel, that point is usually beyond the ship’s side: on a quay, on a boat alongside or in the water. Add the weight of the hook, slings and any lifting frame to the load, such as a spreader beam or a basket. Our FUMAN 20 ton·m knuckle boom marine crane, the FF200KC-5AJ, shows why this matters. Its load chart gives 4300 kg at 4.40 m, 3270 kg at 6.06 m, 2300 kg at 7.78 m, 1600 kg at 9.57 m and 950 kg at its full 11.30 m reach.
Next, say how far the hook must go below the crane base. For example, a buoy or a tender may have to come up from the water. A knuckle boom can reach down over the side, but lowering a load into a hold, onto a boat at low tide or into the water usually needs a winch. Our FUMAN knuckle boom models with J in the code are drawn with a winch drum. Our dimension drawings do not list winch line pull or rope length, so ask for both in writing.
Finally, tell the factory how the vessel will move while the crane works. Heel is the sideways tilt of a vessel, also called list, and trim is its tilt from bow to stern. In the USA, OSHA’s floating crane rule limits list and trim to 5 degrees each for cranes of 25 tons or less that are permanently attached to a vessel, and requires the load charts to allow for wind. Our FUMAN drawings do not state heel or trim limits, so give us the heel, trim and sea state you expect. Then ask which limits apply to the load chart before you order. The UK’s MGN 332 also expects lifting to stop before weather makes it dangerous.
A marine crane has no truck engine to drive its pump, so it runs either on the vessel’s hydraulic system or on its own power unit. If the vessel has no suitable supply, we can provide an electric or a diesel hydraulic power unit. Choose early, because it changes the quotation, the deck layout and the wiring or fuel work on board.
Ask for the flow, pressure and power on the drawing, and check them against your supply. The FUMAN FF200KC-5AJ needs 40 L/min at 28 MPa, with 22 kW of recommended power and a 160 L oil tank. Across our FUMAN marine range the figures run from low power and small flow on the light-duty knuckle boom crane to higher kW and larger flow on the heavy-duty marine knuckle boom crane. In our FUMAN project cases, each marine knuckle boom crane runs from a power unit housed on deck beside it.
Your yard or naval architect designs the pedestal and the deck under it, so they need the crane’s base drawing before you order. For the FUMAN FF200KC-5AJ, the drawing shows a Ø1,000 mm base plate with 28 holes of Ø26 mm on a Ø930 mm bolt circle. The crane weighs 3,900 kg and has a rated lifting moment of 20.0 t·m. Foundation loads are the forces and moments the crane puts into its pedestal and deck. Ask for them as well, because the rated moment leaves out the boom’s own weight and the dynamic loads at sea. Our FUMAN documentation lists the base plate and bolts for our marine knuckle boom crane models.
Stability comes before welding. The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency recommends that a qualified person checks the vessel’s stability before a crane is installed, and that small-vessel owners take advice from the crane manufacturer. Tell us the vessel type and deck structure; we can adapt the mounting and confirm it with you.
Every supplier says its marine crane is “anti-corrosion”, so ask what that means in practice. In our model designations, the presence of two 'F's indicates a marine version, which receives a multi-layer anti-rust treatment for salt air and spray. Our workshop has shot blasting and a paint booth. ISO 12944-2 classifies the environments steel structures face, and the corrosion stress of that environment governs the choice of paint system. Questions worth putting to any marine crane manufacturer:
How is the steel prepared before painting, and how many coats are applied, at what dry film thickness?
Which environment is the paint system meant for: salt air on deck, regular spray or splash zone?
Are the boom pins stainless steel or coated carbon steel, and how are they greased?
What coating do the cylinder rods have, and are they protected when the crane is stowed?
Which hoses, fittings and electrical boxes are used, and how are they sealed against spray?
Get the answers in the quotation, not only in an email. Upkeep still decides how long a crane lasts at sea: rinse it with fresh water after salt-water work, and grease the slewing bearing and pins on schedule.
Documents are what let your yard install the crane, your inspector sign it off and your crew run it. Settle the list before the order, not after the crane ships. The table shows what to ask for and why.
Document | Why do you need it |
Dimension drawing | Deck layout, stowed height and slewing circle |
Load chart | Proves the load at your outreach |
Base drawing and foundation loads | Pedestal and deck design by your yard |
Hydraulic data | Matching the vessel supply or a power unit |
Operator manual and spare parts list | Safe use, maintenance and ordering parts |
Factory test record or video | Shows your crane was run under load |
Certificates | Import, insurance and your own quality file |
Each FUMAN marine crane is mounted on a deck-style test stand in our Xuzhou factory and runs every boom and slewing motion before release. A factory acceptance test (FAT) is the buyer’s check of that run, made at the factory before shipping. Ask for a video of your own crane under load, with the serial number visible, before you pay the balance. Better still, visit the factory and watch it, or send an inspection company you trust. During the test, watch three things:
The test weight and the radius it is lifted at, compared with the load chart.
Smooth slewing, boom and winch motion, with no leaks at hoses or cylinders.
The overload protection. Each of our marine cranes has a dedicated torque limiter.
A factory test does not replace the test on board. Under the UK rules, ship’s lifting equipment must be tested and thoroughly examined by a competent person after installation, before it is used. For a ship that is not a UK ship, the certificate must be in a form approved by the flag state. Book that inspector before the crane arrives.
Two quotations for a “10 t marine crane” can describe very different machines. A complete one names the model and its load chart, boom type and sections, winch, power supply, controls, corrosion treatment and options. Our marine options include a winch, an aerial basket, a grapple, an overhead seat and a wireless remote control. You can order a single crane.
The trade term decides where the seller’s costs and risks end. The ICC publishes the Incoterms rules, which set out the tasks, costs and risks between buyer and seller. Our cranes are set on their base or a pallet, wrapped in stretch film and strapped, then loaded into a container. Most orders leave from Lianyungang, Qingdao or Shanghai. Tell us your destination port, and we confirm the route, lead time and number of cranes per container with the quotation.
Your yard fits the crane to the pedestal, connects the hydraulics and runs it in. Our after-sales team replies within 12 hours and can guide your technicians by video call through the start-up checks. If the job needs an engineer on board, we can send one to your country as a paid service, agreed before the trip. We do not run operator training at delivery, but your engineers are welcome at our factory to learn installation, operation and maintenance.
When purchasing marine cranes from China, ensure that your order is based on concrete facts: your operational requirements, power supply, deck interface specifications, written documentation addressing corrosion protection, and the opportunity to witness testing firsthand. Please supply information about the vessel, the intended location for the crane, the maximum load and its corresponding operating radius, and the onboard power supply. Our team will then recommend the appropriate model and provide a quotation, supported by technical drawings and load charts. You may reach out to us via our contact page.
