A hoist is a something that is used to lift or lower a load attached to it, using a lift wheeler drum. Hoists are generally used to lift weights in the range of hundreds or thousands of pounds. They provide workers the leverage to move objects safely.
A wire rope hoist uses wire rope as the lifting material. It can be powered either electrically or pneumatically. It is important that a hoist is not used beyond its capacity, or it can become a dangerous situation for people anywhere in the vicinity of the carrier. Also, the equipment and the load itself may be at risk for severe damage.
Wire Rope Hoist vs. Chain Hoist
When selecting a hoist, consider the application, capacity and duty cycle. Electrically operated chain hoists are the most commonly used ones. Chain hoists are generally used in small factories, places where regular lifting is required such as auto repair shops, maintenance work, warehouses, etc. They are not recommended for high-frequency or high-speed lifting. It is very important to find the right hoist for your application because selecting the wrong one can lead to additional costs now and in the future.
Buying a wire rope hoist when a chain hoist would work just find will result in a higher unnecessary investment. But using a chain hoist where a wire rope hoist should have been used can lead to greater maintenance costs, shorter hoist life and even unnecessary risks to people and equipment. This is because both are designed for different types of load and materials. Chain hoists are used for lifting loads weighing 3 tons or less. For more than 3 tons, wire hoists are recommended.
Although loads should always be lifted vertically, situations can arise where side lifting becomes necessary. In such cases, a chain hoist will work better as it is more forgiving in terms of sidewise mobility. Wire hoists are used for permanent or stationary equipment and are more suitable when you need a hoist to work for long hours in harsh weather conditions.
Pneumatic Wire Rope Hoist
Pneumatic wire hoists are used for environments where it is not suitable to use electricity. The advantages of using pneumatic hoists are that they have self-cooling motors, and variable lifting speed. Some companies also offer pneumatic hoists that are equipped with spark and corrosion resistance.