Electric Chain Hoists and ‘Inching’

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mng11ckElectric Chain Hoists are generally very robust items of lifting machinery, designed to operate in an industrial environment. However, this doesn’t mean that they should be poorly maintained or misused. Such treatment will lead to breakdowns and deterioration of equipment condition rapidly. Just like any other tool or machine, you should care for them carefully.

Inching, what is it and how does it affect my hoist’s life span?

Often is the case with motorised chain hoists is that the user (usually due to inadequate training or failure to read operational instructions) will rig up the hoist and perform a lift, then, as the load is almost in place, in order to make small adjustments the operator will briefly continuously click the directional button which causes the hoist to only move a tiny amount as desired- less often is the case with a dual speed hoist (more about that below). This is known as ‘Inching’ or ‘Blipping’, although you get to make more precise operations this does have a negative effect on the life of the hoist motor. By inching the hoist you are constantly turning on and off the hoist motor, every time you click it is classed as a new start, this, in turn, draws more current known as ‘startup current’ which comes with heat, the more you inch, the more heat you pull into the motor which if performed often or for prolonged periods can cause the hoist or travel motor windings to burn out.

Although brief and occasional inching isn’t particularly frowned upon and in some cases cannot be avoided, this should not have a detrimental impact on the lifespan of the hoist motor, it is situations where startup current is frequently activated by inching that will shorten the lifespan of a motor. This can result in a very, very expensive repair bill, often is the case that changing a motor is beyond economical due to the simple fact that you are replacing the most expensive component in a hoist with the most intense refitting procedure- for example, some hoist bodies require a heat treatment to remove the motor as they are so tightly fitted.

Solutions to the problem:

Bar investing in a motor manufacturing plant, there are some easier and more cost effective solutions believe it or not! The only downside to these are that the solutions need to be considered when choosing the specification of a hoist, sadly it is usually complex and costly to implement the following to an existing hoist. Firstly, the most cost effective of the two is dual speed operation as I mentioned briefly above. Dual speed operation provides the user with two speeds of lifting, one slow ‘creeping speed and one fast ‘normal’ speed. Instead of inching at 4m/min the user can slightly let off the double pressure push button to activate the slow speed at 1m/min (speed figures are not the same on every hoist, but this is a common combination) this permits very small and slow movement instead of inching the hoist into place. The unfortunate side to this is that it is only available on three phase hoists, not in 230v or 110v models. Sometimes the operator will need to be even more precise and dual speed operation will still not suffice. This then leads to the second and more expensive option; frequency inverter control. In a nutshell a frequency inverter device when fitted to a hoist allows the fitter to programme it to control at really precise speeds which deliver a very smooth transition from speed to speed while giving super accurate positioning of loads, this feature is less common with standard Electric Chain Hoists and more common in wire rope hoist crane systems.

 

Moving Bulky Loads With Furniture Moving Trolleys

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Moving heavy and bulky furniture can be a nightmare. Most people don’t know where to turn other than recruiting a couple stocky chaps to take care of the task at hand, when in fact, there are lots of more cost effective options on the market which can turn a 3-4 man job into a single man job- nice!

The first question to consider is how heavy is the load you are challenged to move? Generally, there are movers with capacities up to 1800kg on the market, any bigger and you would be considering a machine skate. There’s also not much furniture around weighing more than that so 1.8Tonnes should cover it.

Secondly, the size of the load must be considered- too large and it might need multiple dollies or a larger ratchet strap to secure the load. Too small and, well, you might as well lift it! (unless of course, it’s a lead weight)!

Consider your lifting plan and pathway of travel, ensure clear access at all times, no trip hazards or objects that could obstruct the load. Safety over everything is most important, even if it adds time to the process.

There are multiple different types of furniture moving trolleys and load moving dollies available from numerous manufacturers, some better than others. My favorite Furniture Movers and the most popular on the market are the FM series from Raptor and George Taylor, these movers are top quality hydraulic lifters with a huge capacity as above up to 1800kg. Simply slide one under each end of the load, strap it in with the included ratchet straps, crank the hydraulic jack which raises the load and wheel away.

How Electric Chain Hoists Work

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A hoist is used to lift or lower a load by means of a rope or chain that is wound around a lift wheel or a drum. Electric hoists have drums or wheels that use electricity for their operations. Hoists may come with different lifting media with chain being the most common option. Today, most industrial undertakings use electrically operated chain hoists as the lifting media and they feature a closed chain in the form of a loop which facilitates lifting. The chain hoist may come equipped with a number of big and small pulleys that facilitate lifting.

Electric chain hoists are used in diverse industries including manufacturing establishments and construction projects. You need to pull the chain to lift the load. At this time, the large pulley pulls in more chain compared to what the smaller side requires and this marks the onset of the lifting process. While the use of manual chain hoists dominated the lifting scenes in the past, today, most manual lifting operations are being replaced by electrically operated lifting processes. Electric chain hoists allow you to transfer heavy loads from one location to the other by requiring you to just push the button. Electric chain hoists do not require you to engage an experienced operator to operate them and this means that you can save money which otherwise you might be spending on hiring professionals. Simply put, your operations will turn out to be cost-effective in the long run.

You need to abide by guidelines specified by the trade association’s centre on chain use, upkeep and inspection to minimise the chances of accidents. Additionally, you should apply gear lubricant oil on the load chain before initiating an operation and the frequency and degree of lubrication will typically depend on the operating conditions and the degree of usage. Electric chain hoists feature an electric motor that spins fast, facilitating a lifting operation. The chain may move at a speed of 8-32 feet per minute and a strong brake comes with shaft which ensures that the chain rotates in place.

Electric chain hoists are typically used in risky lifting scenarios and they come in various designs and capacities and so you may need to do a careful research to identify the model that will address your specific needs with regard to usage and the weight that you will need to carry. When you decide to purchase an electric chain hoist, you should consider a few parameters including the hoist’s suspension and speed, the lift height, the hoist’s capability to lift heavy loads, the voltage, and the trolley’s speed and projection width. By understanding your unique requirements and by studying the specifications of different types of products, you can select the appropriate product and make your operations faster, safer, and cost-effective.

Exceptional Onsite Productivity From Electric Chain Hoists

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Working on site and trying to move around heavy materials can be no only exhausting but also inefficient in todays world. Manual labour is almost a thing of the past these days, as technology develops life gets easier, with Electric Chain Hoists there is no longer a reason to be manually lifting loads or using unsafe gin wheels to transport your bag of cement or your steel girder to the 13th story of a building site.

Boosting efficiency to the maximum, Electric Chain Hoists can be specified to have a slow and a fast speed to ensure the operator can maintain a safe but efficient speed for the load, my favourite thing about this kind of hoist is that it is self braked, as soon as you let go of the button (and even in the event of a power failure), the hoist will automatically brake and the load will remain in position. This is great for working onsite as power shortages often occur, especially in remote areas where generators are being used to power equipment. Expect hoist speeds to be in the region between 1m/min and 12m/min, there are faster hoists available on the market but they tend to come with a higher price tag and are usually price on request from dealers.

In regards to dealers and where to purchase an Electric Chain Hoist, the best way is to contact a dealer, as manufacturers rarely deal direct- the advantages to this are better customer service and better prices as dealers often pass on some of their trade discount to be competitive against others, talk to the right one nicely and you can grab yourself a bargain. Alternatively there are many dealers now selling these types of hoists online such as Lifting Equipment Store.

Electric Chain Hoists alike a standard chain block, come in a variety of lifting capacities from 125kg-30,000kg and can be built to include a top hook, suspension lug, manual or electric beam trolley to enable horizontal traverse along a beam. With lifting heights up to 120m you are sure to have enough ability to do what you need to do!

Fundamental Features Of The Genie® Superlift Advantage®

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The Genie SLA Superlift Advantage is a material lift which is operated manually and is specially noted for its compact, portable design that allows the lift to be transported through standard single doorways. The lift comes with a number of components- a winch, base, and load-handling options and it can be loaded very easily in to a pickup truck or similar. The Genie® Superlift Advantage® is designed to lift up to 454 kg of material up to a height of 11ft and 5.5 inches and up to 295 kg of load up to a height of 26 ft. and 5 inches. Recognised for its versatility, the material lift can boost your productivity and add value to your investments.

The Genie® Superlift Advantage® offers an optional a straddle base that can carry wide loads and pass through narrow doorways. It has the capacity to straddle loads that have a width of 31.5-50 inches and to handle pallets that may have a maximum width of 48 inches. The presence of flat forks facilitates ground-level loading. The standard base comprises of a welded steel base that provides additional support and guarantees steady performance.

You do not need to use any tools to set up the lift and you can transport the lift to the operational state easily within a few seconds. You can move it through standard doorways in a vertical position without having to remove the load or tilt back the lift. It features a rear transport wheel assembly that facilitates movement on irregular surfaces. You can fold the legs and remove the attachments to store the lift in a convenient manner. Additionally, the lift comes equipped with a hold-down bar that secures the mast assembly during the transportation process and its roller wheels promote smooth movement in a stowed position.

What is more appealing is that the Genie® Superlift Advantage® comes with interchangeable attachments, which allow you to make necessary adjustments to handle a wide variety of loads. The design accommodates a number of fork options including standard forks, flat forks, adjustable forks, and fork extensions, allowing you to adjust the load capacity as per your requirements. You can use the Boom option to convert your lift into a mobile, vertical crane and the Pipe Cradle option to facilitate easy lifting of odd-shaped items. The lift comes with a patented telescoping mast system that is noted for its strength and rigidity. Additionally, the lift features a patented locking system in its captive stabilizer, which provides additional lateral support to lift heavy loads. The standard one-speed winch comes with a silent ratchet system and if you choose to upgrade to a two-speed winch, you can easily switch between gears to lift different loads without having to remove or re-attach the handles.

In a nutshell, the versatility of the Genie® Superlift Advantage® allows you to choose the base, winch speed, mast height, and load handling attachments so that you can easily configure your material lift to address your specific needs.