Electric Chain Hoist Selection

Electric chain hoists are a valuable piece of material handling equipment when properly applied.
Below are some steps to help lead you to the correct type of electric chain hoist.
1.Is the hoist going to be in any special environments? If it is a special environment such as an explosive environment have the class, group and division if applicable. These are electrical specifications which will require special enclosures but you may also want to consider mechanical items such as bronze wheels, stainless hook, stainless chain, etc. These are not required to meet the electrical specification but can create sparks. Also note if it is high humidity, heat, or outdoors.
2.What will the duty cycle of the hoist. How many motor starts will you be doing? Remember if it is a 2 speed hoist that you will have twice the motor starts. Also of consideration is the location of the lift. That is will you be only lifting in one area of the chain or will your lifts all be different lengths. If a lift is all in the same location premature failure of the chain can happen. If the duty cycle is too severe you may want to consider a wire rope hoist. Variable frequency control can also alleviate the situation as you do not have contactors or the number of motor starts a two speed hoist will have.
3.What type of hoist suspension do you need? If the hoist is going to be hung from a single point you can consider a top hook hoist which will work nicely with a beam clamp. It can be moved when needed. If you need travel along a monorail or across a bridge crane you will want to either consider a plain push trolley or a motorized trolley. A plain push trolley is economical and normally not a problem with loads under 2 tons but it can be harder to stop the load once you get it going and it will not brake and can drift easier than a motorized trolley. If you have a large load, are doing it many times a day or need positive braking then you will want to consider a motorized trolley.

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4.Next you need to look at the particular job you are doing. Do you need precision such as setting down a delicate part or are you just doing regular maintenance or fabrication. If you part is expensive, delicate or takes precision placement then you will want to look at variable frequency control on the hoisting motion. If you just need a little precision then consider two speed. Typically American made hoists have a 3 to 1 ratio and foreign hoists have a 5 to 1 ratio. So a domestic hoist with 15 fpm as the top speed will be 15/5 fpm. For general maintenance or fabrication a single speed works fine much of the time. The same control systems goes for the trolley. You can look at variable frequency control, two speed or single speed depending on the precision you need. A trolley brake is also an option to consider.
5.Depending on the horse power of the hoist motor a electric hoist will be offered in single or three phase power. If it is a heavier application you should use three phase power if it is available. Your miscellaneous components such as contactors and motor will run cooler and last longer. If it is a two speed unit, make sure and specify the three phase power as these hoists are not reconnectable. Specify it as 208-3-60, 230-3-60 or 460-3-60.
6.If the hoist is running on a bridge or monorail you will need to confirm the type of beam and size of the beam. You will need to know if it is a wide flange or I beam and the flange width as well as depth. Most hoist manufacturers now offer a wheel that can run on a wide flange or tapered tread of an I beam. In some cases it might even be patented track which will have a 3.33 inch or 3.25 inch lower flange and requires special wheels.
7.You will need to know how you are going to get power to the hoist. Typically it is done with a festoon system, which can be the c track type or tagline festoon. You can also use bar or a cable reel.
8.Looking at a brand that is made or widely distributed in the United States is a consideration if down time is an issue. Some of the foreign hoists do not have a wide distribution channel and thus parts are hard to find or take weeks to get. Many brands have extensive distributor networks so getting replacement parts is an overnight affair