Hoists & Cranes Blog

​Maybe your facility has been using forklifts for as long as you can remember -- but are they still the best material handling option? There does come a time when this decision becomes critical. To make the best choice, you need to have a solid understanding of how...

If you neglect the signs that your crane needs service, the results can be dire. Equipment could be seriously damaged, productivity could drop, and, most importantly, employees could be injured. Then there are other issues, such as non-compliance with crane and safety...

Before you use an overhead crane, you should always perform a pre-op inspection -- and a great tool to do that consistently is to use a basic checklist. But you also need to recognize why these inspections are essential! Operator Inspections Several different types of...

While electric hoists may be more common, pneumatic hoists may offer better performance and lower operating costs for your facility. Are you aware of how pneumatic hoists stack up against their electric counterparts? Read on to find out! Types of Hoists The basic...

You've got to regularly inspect your industrial lifting slings to ensure they are still safe to use. But how often should you examine them? And how do you know they need to be replaced?   If your lift slings fail, the repercussions are going to be serious -- and...

    The Importance of Variable Frequency Drives in Overhead Crane Safety and Operations The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) is critical to overhead crane safety and operations. They are beneficial because, unlike the traditional stop-and-go motor, a...

The goal of overhead crane inspections is to test functionality and safety. But you can get so much more from having a well-developed schedule & checklists for these inspections! Read on to learn why you need a proper inspection schedule and what needs to factor...

      How to Understand Grades of Chains & Applications Chains have been used for all kinds of tasks from 225 BC to today. With so many different types of chain on the market, how do we know if we’re using the correct grade of chain for our projects? The...

Check out these key operator guidelines for overhead hoists and cranes, presented by Peter Cooke of National Rigging and Crane Training, LLC. As part of our seminar series, Peter reviewed the steps hoists and crane operators are required to take before becoming...

When one of your overhead cranes just isn’t performing like it used to, you can face some tough decisions. Is it time to replace it? Should you invest in a new crane? Or is it merely time to modernize your crane? Why Modernize Modernizing refers to enhancing and...