Choosing the correct hoist for your specific construction work is critical to ensure economic feasibility, safe lifting, and extended product life. As a contractor, your main goal is to do the job correctly within the specified deadline and guarantee the worksite’s safety.
The secure transportation of materials at construction sites is unavoidable for timely project completion and adherence to the allocated budget. Relocating materials securely within various sections of a work site frequently necessitates the utilization of a material hoist.
Along with the apparent necessity of material hoists in construction, you must understand that hoists don’t come at cheap rates. Plus, they require daily maintenance to ensure the best performance and safety.
That’s why you need to understand all the crucial factors to select the correct type of material hoist for the project needs. It will help you choose the perfect material hoist for your work requirements, save money and time and guarantee the safety of your employees.
What are the unavoidable points you need to consider before selecting material hoists?
Let’s jump into discovering the essential factors that you must remember to make your hoist purchase a successful one.
First, you must determine the required capacity.
To select the perfect material hoist, you must first determine the load or capacity you need in the hoist.
It’s vital to know what materials you want to lift, the entire dimensions of the hoist, surface characteristics, total weight, shape, and brittleness. No matter if the material is wet, dry, dusty, oily, or otherwise in transit. In addition, it is essential to note whether the hoist must handle multiple loads. Most leading construction companies also recommend looking for multiple overhead lifting and handling solutions combinations.
Choose the correct type of suspension.
If the chain hoist is the one you are looking for, you must understand that you can easily hang it in a fixed location. Using top hooks or mounting eyelets, you can quickly attach it to a trolley. Trolleys can be rigid or articulated. Trolley traverses can come with a simple manual push technique or motor-driven technology.
Three parameters are connected to the type of suspension: stroke length, headroom, and reach.
- Stroke length is the distance a lifting hook travels between its maximum raised and fully lowered positions.
- Headroom is the equivalent distance between the hoist suspension point and the fully raised hook saddle. The headroom measurement for a top hook suspension hoist will be the distance between the saddle of the lower hook and the saddle of the top hook when fully raised.
- Reach corresponds to the difference in height between the hoist suspension point and the lowest hook saddle.
Determine the expected longevity and speed you require.
Regular maintenance is a compulsion for all types of material hoists. It confirms the safe operation and the reliability of the hoists. So, you must determine these points-
- How regularly do you want to use the hoist between maintenance?
- What can be the significant component replacements?
- When can you do the entire system replacement for the material hoist?
Material hoists do not guarantee the same longevity for all types of lifting. So, the answers to these queries will make you acknowledge the life of a material hoist for your construction work.
On the other hand, how fast you want the hoist to raise and move is also vital before selecting a material hoist. It gives you an idea of overall operational efficiency. However, you must know that maximum speed can compromise safety.
You need to consider the specific work environment.
They can only work in normal operating conditions if you are looking for standard chain hoists. Conditions such as extreme temperatures, salty marine environments, unprotected outdoor areas, hazardous areas, corrosive atmospheres, and washing areas require special modifications. Plus, they also require optional features specially designed for the location.
So, it is best to keep the work location and environment in mind before focusing on a particular material hoist.
You must understand the frequency of use.
Lastly, understand the expected frequency of using the material hoist. The duty cycle requirement significantly impacts the class of service an application requires. There are many classes of hoist services. Specifying this class of service is essential for your application to ensure its safety and longevity. Some of these classes are:
- Class A means you want the material hoist as a standby or for infrequent work. Construction companies use these hoists to precisely handle materials at low speeds and long idle times between lifts.
- Class B: It stands for a light load. Light load and low-speed hoists usually go under this category. Loads can range from no load to the full rated capacity at speeds of 2 to 5 strokes per hour and an average of 10 feet.
- Class C: It is for medium service. With an average lift height of 15 feet and 5-10 lifts per hour, the load is 50% of the average rated capacity.
Final Thoughts
We hope you understand some considerations before purchasing or specifying a hoist. Choosing the suitable hoist for your application is the first step toward safe, efficient, and ergonomic material handling.
