Electric chain hoist basic: 8 Tips on electric chain hoist selection from chain hoist engineer

Electric chain hoist basic on electric chain hoist selection. 8 tips on electric chain hoist engineer helps find best electric chain hoist for your application. Check hoist selection tips now.

Electric chain hoist operation video

Question 1: What is the application?

What are you going to be lifting with the electric chain hoist? Are you using it to assemble a product and precision is required? Are you using below the hook devices for this application? These questions allows you to decide if an electric chain hoist is the right tool for the job. Depending on the application, different duty cycles, and capacities may be required.

Question 2: What is the environment the electric chain hoist will be used in? (Hot, cold, caustic, outside, inside)

• The environment an electric chain hoist is being used in is detrimental to the life of the electric chain hoist. Electric chain hoist have a duty cycle within certain temperature parameters.
• High heat areas can cause the electric chain hoist to malfunction, and in many cases cause gearbox leakage.
• Extreme cold temperature can cause casing cracks, and seized components.
• Extreme changing temperatures can cause condensation in the electrical panel if the wrong electric chain hoist is used causing components to short out.
• Is the electric chain hoist going to be inside or outside? If the electric chain hoist is exposed to the elements of the weather then this will greatly affect the life of the electric chain hoist if you don’t have the right electric chain hoist.

Question 3: What is the duty cycle required?

How often will the electric chain hoist be running per day?
How long does one cycle of the electric chain hoist last during its use?
Many Electric chain electric chain hoists cannot dissipate the heat from the motors so the duty cycle is very important to consider prior to purchase.

Question 4:What is the weight of what you are lifting?

• The weight of what you are lifting is vital to the decision of what type of electric chain hoist you invest in.
• Don’t forget to include the weight of any below the hook device that you will be using for this application.
• Pick a electric chain hoist with a greater capacity than what you are picking up. Just because you are lifting 500 lbs does not mean you need a 500 lb capacity electric chain hoist. The duty cycle will also play an important part in this decision. If you are picking up 500 lbs every pick the electric chain hoist will do during its cycle then you should consider getting a larger capacity electric chain hoist to reduce wear and tear on your equipment.

Most Electric chain electric chain hoist can only go up to 5 ton capacity.Over five tons you should consider a wire rope electric chain hoist. Some manufacturers will design a double electric chain hoist unit that combines two electric chain hoists together and the capacity can be increased to 10 ton, but should only be used in certain applications.

Question 5:How high do you need to go?

• Remember unlike a wire rope that spools the excess wire rope not being used, the Electric chain electric chain hoist has a chain container to catch the excess chain. The greater the height then the bigger the chain container will be. If it is too big it may be an obstruction of what you are lifting if it is required to go close to the electric chain hoist.If it is over 30 feet of chain that will be needed then you will also need to think about the duty cycle and speed of the electric chain hoist. There are Windmill Electric chain hoist on the market that allows for low capacity, high lifting speeds, with high allowable height of lift.
• The distance from the top hook to the bottom hook when the bottom hook is at it’s up-most point needs to be taken into account as well. You will need to ensure you have enough height for your application using that dimension.

Question 6:What is the voltage available for the electric chain hoist?

Higher duty cycle electric chain hoist will not run off of single phase voltage. You will need to purchase a three phase electric chain hoist so make sure you have enough power in the building for your electric chain hoist.
If you are considering purchasing a single phase electric chain hoist, make sure it is for a low duty cycle application.

Question 7:What safety features do I need to be aware of?

• There are many safety features that you should think about having for your electric chain hoist. Again the application will be dependent upon what type of safety features you should have for your electric chain hoist.
• All Electric chain electric chain hoist should be purchased with a load limiter or internal clutch that does not allow for severe overloading. This will be safer for your operators that will help prevent overloading causing severe wear, or even worse someone getting hurt.
• Overloading is easily preventable.
• Ensure that you have upper and lower limit switches. This prevents the chain from falling out of the electric chain hoist or the electric chain hoist two-blocking and getting the load stuck or in the air.
• If you have a motorized trolley on the electric chain hoist you should think about travel limits. Travel limits will prevent the electric chain hoist from slamming into your end stops increasing the life of your electric chain hoist.
• Self Adjusting brakes is a great safety feature that also lowers your cost of maintenance
• Motor Thermal Overload features prevents the electric chain hoist from overheating

Question 8:What is the warranty and what does it cover?

• Purchasing a electric chain hoist out of a catalog because it is economical is not always your best deal. Warranty needs to be considered because it can help you down the road immensely. Don’t just look for a warranty length either. Read the fine print. There are Electric chain electric chain hoist manufacturers that will provide you with a lifetime warranty on their equipment. But if you read that fine print, that lifetime warranty only applies to certain components of the electric chain hoist, and typically does not include labor to repair it. Find a dealer who is nearby that can easily service the electric chain hoist, and pick a electric chain hoist that has a solid warranty with labor included. Labor typically will cost you more than the parts so it is very important you look for this.
• Once you have answered all these questions you should be able to pick out the electric chain hoist that is right for you and will provide the best return on investment. It is a good idea to include your overhead crane service provider to help you with making the right choice in your investment. Don’t go it alone, find a provider who is willing to partner with you and provide free consultations on projects no matter how small.

Besides electric chain hoist, Dongqi Hoist and Crane is able to provide you types of electric hoists. If you have any doubt on electric chain hoist or electric hoists, please feel free to contact us.