An Electric Hoist: What It Is and Why You Need It

Hoists are essential in lifting and lowering heavy loads and valuable pieces of equipment across various industries. When selecting a hoist for your lifting operations, it’s necessary to go with one suited for your type of industry to ensure its longevity. 

Electric hoists are beneficial machines. They can easily and quickly lift heavy objects from one place to another comfortably and safely. This will save a lot of time, money, and unnecessary stress. 

Every time you have a job that requires heavy lifting, you need to have the right tools. 

With that said, below is everything you need to know about electric hoists and why you need them. 

What Is An Electric Hoist? 

To put it simply, it’s an electrically powered appliance that helps lift or lower heavy objects. An electric lifting hoist is mainly used to avoid potential injury and strain on anyone who wants to lift heavy objects or when the objects are too heavy for a human to raise alone. 

Electric hoists are found across several industries, such as warehouses, workshops, construction sites, car maintenance garages, large ships assembly lines, and dockyards. There are many more areas where electric hoists are utilized, such as lifting heavy tree stumps or lowering chandeliers for cleaning and maintenance. 

The Working Principle of Electric Hoists 

Modern electric hoists come with a chain wheel or rope drums and run on electricity for a smooth performance.  

They have a closed chain loop to facilitate the process of lifting loads. An electric hoist will come in handy in the manufacturing and construction industries, as you can pull the chain to lift the load during the lifting process. 

An electric hoist must be installed on an I-shaped steel-rolled beam with the correct height and span. This I-shaped beam varies in size based on the span and the hoist’s weight-lifting capacity.  

Once you turn on the electric hoists, it will lift the load to a certain height, after which you can trigger the trolley motor to move the heavy object. It also has an electromagnetic brake on the electric hoist to stop the load falling. 

Electric hoists don’t require a super skillful operator to run. It’s a user-friendly system that makes moving heavyweights from one point to another easy and effective. It will help you save money as there is no need to hire lots of professionals, and the overall costs of operations will also be affordable in the future. 

Why Use An Electric Hoist? 

There are several reasons you should use an electric hoist, with the main one being safety. Electric hoists can significantly lower the risk of injury since it takes all the weight and not the individual. You can easily strain your neck or back by lifting objects incorrectly. Electric hoists are also cost-efficient since they easily lift things that could take 3 to 4 men or even more to lift. 

If you look after your electric hoist, it’s bound to serve you for a long time. Sure, you’ll experience the usual mechanical problems, but they are usually easy to repair. Just be sure to carry out inspections every 6-12 months with a qualified engineer to certify that it’s safe to use. 

Some of the benefits of getting electric hoists are: 

Improved Productivity 

Because electric hoists allow you to lift and move a heavy item more efficiently, they can improve your workplace productivity. Unlike manual hoists, which may require lots of effort to operate, electric hoists help get the job done much quicker.  

Quieter Operation 

Compared to hydraulic and manual hoists, electric hoists operate much more quietly and make the workplace much more comfortable and enjoyable. An HPE survey revealed that 58% of high-performing employees prefer quiet workspaces to work effectively.  

If your industry requires you to use a hoist regularly, you’ll find that electric ones are kinder on your ears and go a long way in protecting your hearing. 

Lifting Heavier Loads 

There’s a considerable variation between lifting heavy items using an electric hoist and by hand. With an electric hoist, workers can handle these tasks without putting stress on their bodies. Electric hoists have a combined hoist and trolley mechanism, which allow you to lift and move a wide range of heavy loads comfortably and quickly. 

Improved Durability

Electric hoists have fewer moving parts; thus, they don’t develop wear and tear as much as hydraulic and manual hoists. Electric hoists will last longer if well maintained and regularly inspected. 

Reduced Costs 

Another benefit of getting an electric hoist is that it helps reduce work-related costs. Depending on the type of industry you work in, using an electric hoist may enable you to get by with fewer workers than if you didn’t have a hoist.  

This, in turn, will significantly lower the cost of labor, and since work will get done much faster, the cost of production will also decrease, meaning you will have a higher profit margin with each sold item. 

Conclusion 

And there you have it! Everything you need to know about electric hoists and why you need to get one. If your business operations constantly require you to lift heavy objects, investing in an electric hoist will be a wise business move.  

However, don’t go for the cheapest electric hoist you can get. You may not get the full advantages of these machines with a low-quality one. Invest in something worthwhile, and the cost will pay for itself quickly.