Galvanizing Plant in Muncie Indiana being evaluated by CraneWerks, Inc.

CraneWerks Utilizes Hoist Designed to Withstand Harsh Environments

Case Study

A Galvanizer came to Electrolift because they had performance, safety, and downtime concerns with their existing hoists.

Challenges

Galvanizing applications are notorious for having issues with the mechanical load brake when there is a constant load on the hook and excessive heat is generated during long lifts causing premature failure. Constant inspections, downtime, contaminants in the oil, safety, and ongoing concerns of hoist failure proved to the galvanizer a new solution was required.

Results

Galvanizing production lines are the industry’s most extreme environments. Your hoist and lifting equipment are working in the heat and corrosive chemical environment and must be made to withstand it all — plus provide safety features critical to worker protection up and down the line. It is not just the galvanizing environment that is hazardous to your hoist, it is the rigorous movement, speed changes, and hang time that takes a toll on a hoist’s performance.

The hoist motor can transmit motion through the gear reducer, but the load cannot transmit motion back through the gear reducer which regulates the lowering speed of the load and ensures the load will not be allowed to free fall. OSHA [1910.179] recognizes this as an approved means of controlled braking.

In galvanizing applications, there is often a constant load on the hook. Worm gears have an inherent design advantage over other gear sets; the worm can easily turn the gear, but the gear cannot turn the worm. In lifting applications, this feature acts as a secondary brake due to limited back drivability. The worm gear sees no adverse effects or wears from a constant load on the hook.

Along with the worm drive gear reducer, the oil shear brake can handle higher cycling, extreme heat, and a high number of starts and stops required for galvanizing applications that are typically multiple shifts 7 days a week. Electrolift hoists are designed to handle this high-duty cycle.

Ready to optimize your lifting operations with tailored solutions like our galvanizing industry client? CraneWerks is here to engineer custom lifting solutions that meet your unique needs, even in challenging spaces.

Contact us today for a personalized consultation and quote. Let’s work together to transform your lifting capabilities, enhance efficiency, and boost your bottom line. Don’t let space constraints limit your potential – reach out to CraneWerks now!

The advantages of Electrolift’s non-load brake worm drivegear reducer:

Support constant load on the load block without causing overheating. Ideal for the long hangtimes required with hot dip galvanizing operations.
Support long lifts and faster lifting speeds –Worm gears are not negatively impacted by the long lifts or faster lifting speeds that cause load brakes to overheat and prematurely fail.
Inherently safe and low maintenance –Worm drives do not need controls or high maintenance mechanisms to ensure safe lifts and have fewer moving parts than gearboxes that require complex load brake mechanisms.

The Impact

Working with experts who know the industry requirements and hoist manufacturing guidelines is essential for the safety of personnel and longevity of your equipment.

Electrolift’s 90-years of experience manufacturing for hazardous environments ensures we know all features and components needed to support a galvanizing operation. All Electrolift hoists are designed to meet or exceed ANSI standards.