In many manufacturing plants, a hoist is frequently used to move heavy items from place to place, as well as to assist in loading finished materials onto trucks for delivery. Many of the hoist parts used to move the materials are often overlooked, with only the hook and chain or cable being easily observed.
Some of the almost hidden hoist parts used to make a working hoist are the cable/chain spool, the cable/chain roller guide and the drive gears that engage the spool and let out or retract the cable/chain. Other vital hoist parts that help to control the lifting function of the hoist are the control panel that houses all of the hoist’s control buttons, the drive motor that can differ between an electric motor to an air-powered one.
Hidden Parts and Other Hoist Components
There are also hidden hoist parts, such as the drive motor, lift hooks and lifting arm lever locks, which are often overlooked with just a quick glance. Some other very important hoist parts such as the safety catch, control lever and mounting bolts are crucial to the operation and use of the hoist. Cables, and chain slings, plus roller guides and control switches are important and relevant components to any hoist. An air-powered hoist uses an air compressor, air hose and line filter to avoid any kind of damage being done to the motor’s inner workings, due to exposure to water from the airlines.
With the electric-powered hoist type, several hoist parts are found in the electrical system of the structure. Fuses and wiring harnesses which are essential to delivering the power to the motor are normally run inside of walls where they stay out of sight. An air-powered hoist needs special hoist components in the form of an airline and filtration components placed between the hoist and the air compressor.
Proactive Components
Water filters that extract the majority of the trapped water from the airlines are vital to the long lasting and smooth operation of a hoist. One proactive component usually found fitted in the airline of a hoist motor is something called an oil injection unit. This instrument injects a fine mist of oil into the airline at pre-set periods in order to assist in the lubrication of the hoist motor.
Some other proactive components of a hoist are the emergency cable/chain locks which are designed to prevent an accidental dropping of a load from an elevated position. Also, there’s a spool clutch that is designed to slip when a load is in excess of the hoists lifting ability, and is also usually incorporated into the hoist design. Bright flashing lights and beeper warning signals are hoist parts that are usually installed on the hoist to make workers aware when the hoist is moving overhead so that they can be mindful of any safety issues pertaining to the movement of the hoist.
As you can clearly see, a hoist is not just some chain slings and a hook!