During the school holidays last year, I spent time working at my family's manufacturing plant. They have a lot of industrial equipment, and I spent most of my time shadowing the maintenance manager. It was fascinating to see the amount of care and cleaning which goes into making sure all the machines run smoothly. I began this blog as a way to document the different types of maintenance I learned for two reasons. Firstly, because I aim to take over the family business one day, and also to share my knowledge with others who are interested in running their own manufacturing plant.
Lifting and hoisting of heavy objects is potentially dangerous work, so ensuring safety should be a top priority for anyone involved in such work. Fortunately, there's a vast range of height safety products available on the market to help to prevent injuries or deaths that may result from the heavy lifting.
If you're looking to buy lifting chain equipment for your heavy lift operations, you may easily be overwhelmed by the many different types of lifting chains available on the market. Follow this guide to ensure you select the best lifting chains for your job.
Consider the Weight of the Object to Be Lifted
Lifting chains vary in rated working load limit depending on the challenge desired. Users should never exceed this limit to avoid the risk of a heavy object crushing down because the lifting chains can't hold its weight. Before you invest in any lifting chain equipment, determine how much weight you'll be lifting and match your lifting equipment to that weight.
Consider the Reach of the Chains
Since you'll be moving heavy objects in high places, you should also consider the overall length of the lifting system from the link to the hook. Lift chains that can't reach the desired height won't be of any use to you.
Consider the Shape of the Object to Be Lifted
As well as the weight of the object to be lifted, you also need to consider the shape of the load. This is because not all lifting chains are created equal, and thus may not be suitable for handling all the different shapes that loads may come in.
While most lifting chain equipment can be used to lift loads of different regular shapes, odd-shaped or hard-to-position objects may require certain types of lifting chains like adjustable chain slings to be lifted safely and efficiently.
Consider the Angles of the Load Points
As a rule of the thumb, the tighter the angle between the lifted object and any chain, the less the load that chain will be able to carry. In combination with the weight and shape of the object to be lifted and the reach of the chains, consider the angles of the load points.
Choosing the right lifting chain equipment for your heavy lifting industrial application is vital to getting the job done safely and efficiently. If you consider the above-reviewed factors when buying lifting chains for your particular heavy lift operations, you should be able to choose the best chains.