Manual Hoists v Electric Hoists

Using hoists no matter what industry they are very useful to help lift numerous objects.
There are two different types of hoist and depending on the what you industry is using it for it come in Electric operated and Manual operated equipment.
Manual Hoists - a manual hoist uses more man power, requiring strength to control the device and can be operated both with a rope or a chain.
With more man power required, this enables the employee to have more control in the slow, fast and movement of the objects from one location to another.
Being manually operated it the hoist will only move as quick or as slow as the person operating it, therefore it may take a little bit longer to get the job done.
With the hoist being manual operated, in the case of the equipment breaking down may be as simple as replacing a part, that could be easily fixed by an employee.

Electric Hoists - an electric hoist is operated by electricity and will need to be placed near a power point source to be able to be used.
A hoist powered by electricity allows the operator to move the object with the simple press of a button. This will allow the operator to be freed up and be able to perform other tasks if the equipment is self powered.
Time is an extremely important factor in many industries and with the use of an electric hoist, it can perform jobs quite quickly and can be very reliable. On the occasion that the equipment may need to be replaced or upgraded it may improve productivity with a more modern device.
Depending on your industry, a manual and an electrical hoist can be used to perform many tasks, and both have many great benefits to suit.

Sheave blocks for your auto repair business

Using a sheave block would really be of great benefit an automotive repairs workshop. But do you really know what a sheave block is? And as to why your company needs to invest in one now or in the near future?

What is a Sheave Block?

A sheave block is a metal block with a hook that is attached to a crane to easily lift and hold a heavily weighted large object.

Why would your business benefit from the use of a sheave block?
In all workplaces, but especially in the manufacturing industry you need to meet safety standards and ensure you are using the correct items to prevent injuries or damage to your employees and the items being lifted.

An example of the importance of using the correct equipment

Scenario - Imagine you have asked your employee to secure a filled crate and move it from the truck to an area in your warehouse. The employee is unaware of what hook to use and secures the load to the crane with a standard hook. As certain hooks have a weight limit this particular hook was not suited to the weight limit. Once the chain was secured, upon lifting the crate this cause it to become dislodged from the hook causing buckling and damage to the load as it fell from the crane.

Lucky there was no other employee in the way but the damages could be quite costly. Had the employee used the correct hook suitable for the wait by taking the time to check could have prevented this incident.

A lesson for the employer and the employee is that even in the urgency to complete a task it is very important for the safety aspect to check the sheave block is suitable to hold the weight of the object.

Also those few minutes taken to check all the safety and details are correct could save you money and an injury from occurring.

Using a Snatch Strap to recover a broken down vehicle

It's not uncommon to break down in areas that tow trucks simply cannot get to, especially if you own a 4WD and like to take it off road. For this situation, it may need vehicle recovery to get it back to an area to allow it to be towed.

A snatch strap and a second vehicle would be required to recover the vehicle. The strap is usually made from nylon as the material as they can be stretched at high loads without breaking. Winches with nylon/wire rope or chains should be attempted first, as it can be quite dangerous to use a snatch strap without knowing what you are doing. The snatch strap is designed for the initial force that may be needed to get the vehicle moving again, kind of like an elastic band.

It is important to have a two skilled drivers involved in the recovery. Make sure the snatch straps are secured to a properly rated towing point of the vehicle. Simply throwing the eye of the snatch strap on to the tow ball is not enough as it could flick off hitting the other vehicle or hurting a person close-by.

Once the strap is secured, there should be a little bit of slack on the strap to allow it to "snatch" on take off. Both the tower and the towee should select low gears (first or second) for takeoff. The towed driver must be ready in the event that the vehicle moves on the first attempt to brake if needed.

If you can't get the vehicle out on the first attempt, try again with a little more slack. Or explore other options such as digging around the vehicle or placing branches for traction.