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Below-the-hook equipment is particularly significant because it is responsible for securing the load during the lifting operation.  Short of an overload or deliberate abuse, there is a relatively low risk of damage to equipment such as overhead travelling cranes, however a sling is vulnerable each and every time it is used.

Failures in planning often manifest themselves in the misuse of lifting attachments and slings. Faced with an awkward load, there is a tendency in some quarters to try and make do with general purpose slings rather than obtain more specialised solutions. The irony is that equipment tailored to the characteristics of the load and lifting operation not only makes the job safer, but also much more efficient. This is particularly true when a series of identical items are to be lifted. Often the purchase price of an alternative attachment is relatively low and hire can sometimes prove an even more economic option.

The problems inherent in using inappropriate below-the-hook equipment can generally be avoided with a little advance preparation. This should include taking the time to create a specification for the lifting equipment – this spec should include the characteristics of the load and the proposed manner in which the equipment will be used. The buyer should also consider how the equipment will be released once the component is in place, and warn prospective suppliers of any adverse environmental factors.

Given the tough life experienced by many slings and lifting attachments, it pays to invest in quality products. In this respect, an appreciation of Harmonised European Standards (CEN) is helpful; a product made to the relevant CEN is deemed to meet the essential health and safety requirements demanded by the Machinery Directive. As far as below-the-hook items are concerned, EN13155: 2003 Cranes – Safety – Non-fixed load lifting attachments, is particularly significant. With the exception of general purpose slings, this encompasses just about anything that can be hung from a crane hook. In the absence of a relevant CEN, buyers should specify the relevant national standard.

Clearly such precautions can go some way to ensuring that below-the-hook equipment is sufficiently robust. However, once the equipment is purchased, it should be subject to a proper programme of thorough examination, as outlined in the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and accompanying codes of practice. Equally, such thorough examinations should be supplemented by regular in-service inspection. Given their vulnerability and critical role, slings and load lifting attachments should be subject to such an inspection every time they are used and withdrawn from service for repair or disposal if there are any concerns over their safety.

In a tough commercial climate, the temptation to cut back in all areas of capital expenditure is obvious. However, when it comes to below-the-hook equipment, even modest investment can often reap dramatic rewards. Across a wide range of industries and applications, time and money is being wasted by companies using the wrong equipment.

With over 50 years in the overhead lifting industry, we are well versed in providing a review and maintenance service to help detect issues before they take hold, helping you and your organisation to stay safe and in business.

 Article Extract from LEEA.

Sapa Pole Products recently opened a new facility in the Midlands for the storage of stock aluminium lamp posts. The depot holds stock to enable them to offer a “trade counter” supply to local utilities companies. Whilst being ideal for their space requirements, the building housed some heavy duty Demag double girder overhead cranes, which were quite antiquated for the requirements of the company.  Sapa needed to lift long lengths of product, preferably on two points, to ensure safe and level control of the load and accurate alignment when being stacked.

Our brief was to provide a safe and efficient method of lifting long lengths, preferably with a tandem lift, whilst minimising the project cost by utilising the existing cranes. We also needed to ensure the cranes could be returned to their original condition in the future.

Utilising the existing structures we removed the existing foot mounted hoist units, created a new mounting frame with two new hoists positioned to the outside of the existing crane box girders, which provided a tandem lift at increased lifting centres. This allowed for greater control of the product being lifted. The hoists were high speed wire rope hoists, which were permanently attached to a purpose designed lifting beam. This incorporated multiple slinging positions for different lengths of product and a central lifting hook for general duties.

May we wish all of our customers and suppliers a very happy and prosperous New Year.

In this current economic climate, I am delighted to say that we had our busiest year on record in 2011. With growth in excess of 30%, we put this down to the introduction of a raft of new service lines to meet the needs of customers and a great deal of hard work and effort from the whole of the  Crane Services team.

Our new range of services and solutions have  included many electronic solutions including zoning, whereby you can restrict the areas over which loads can be carried, avoiding clerical or storage areas where personnel are working and no heavy loads are required.   Condition monitoring is also a new feature, whereby we can introduce an hours-in-service meter, overload detection or even brake wear monitoring. 

We have also introduced retro-fit safety related solutions to existing cranes, often at a reduced cost compared to original equipment manufacturers.  

We enter 2012 with a philosophy that has proven successful to us over recent years.   This is to provide the most efficient, most professional and most cost effective service possible.  

Like many metal processing businesses, Zotic Ltd, who offers a case hardening service to many industrial sectors, had struggled to find a lifting solution that could cope with the extreme temperatures involved in their production processes.

With several heat treatment pots running under an extraction canopy where the ambient temperature can be as high as 200˚C to 250˚C, finding a lifting solution that could handle such temperatures was key. Originally the system used manual lifting equipment mounted on a single runway beam at the top of the canopy. Due to the increased process speeds required and concerns over Health and Safety, Zotic needed an electric hoist which was capable of operating in such arduous conditions, whilst being controlled from a safe distance. They had already been supplied with numerous electric chain hoists which had quite literally “melted” in the environment.

Crane Services designed a purpose built hoist application.  This was mounted outside the canopy in the roof structure where the ambient temperature is a more acceptable 30˚C. The hoist was fitted to the roof trusses with a bespoke sub frame chassis which incorporated a diverter sheave to allow for a horizontal feed of the rope drum. The rope was then diverted through a small opening into the canopy, around the bottom hook block sheave and then back up out of the canopy to an anchorage point. This ensured that only the rope and the hook block were ever subjected to the higher temperatures, both of which are not as susceptible to the effects of heat.

Any transmitter can be damaged or lost, and in most cases, a customer needs to call a crane engineer to fit the back-up pendant.   With Flex Radio systems, the spare transmitter keeps the crane operational, whilst the primary transmitter is repaired or replaced, usually within 24 hours or while-you-wait.

There are many benefits to our Flex Radio Control system. To find out more click here

Flex proportional push-button systems.   This option, available in 2012, will provide the option of fully proportional push button control for inverter controlled hoist and travel motions, along with a host of many other uses such as diesel throttle control, hydraulic actuators and proportional valve control for mobile plant and equipment.

New Flex Joystick system

Documents available for download

If you need to refer to any documentation relating to the application, adjustment or repair of Flex Radio systems, these are available to download from our web site at www.craneservices.co.uk

•  Essar Steels specify Flex Radio Control for their new 40t capacity coil carrying Demag overhead travelling crane due December/January“Their staff are extremely knowledgeable and professional and, unlike competitors radio control systems that are fragile and unreliable, we have found Flex Radio to be a perfect addition to our lifting and moving solutions. We now have Flex Radio Controls systems on all of our cranes.”

  Martin Skidmore, Essar Steel

•  Barnshaws, the world’s largest steel bending company, specify Flex Radio Control for their 3 new Demag Overhead Travelling Cranes.

• that we offer free training for all trade customers, their sales staff or engineers, covering all aspects of installation, repair and maintenance of Flex Radio Control systems?

• that standard Flex Radio Control systems can be programmed to minimise brake wear on both hoisting and travel motions?   This reduces mechanical shock to the drive motions, and helps to reduce load swing.

• that a standard Flex radio Control system can be programmed for Magnet operation, Pitch and Catch, latching relays for lights, sequential selection of crab A, B or A+B, or even selection of up to four different crabs – A, B, C or D?

At the very heart of our business is our dedicated team of experienced lifting specialists and support staff. I joined in 1973 and  over the years, I’ve recruited some of the overhead lifting industry’s very best staff.

With a track record spanning over 50 years, there is little that we have not been asked to deliver and we are very proud of the customer testimonials that we have collected along the way. You will find some of our case studies and testimonials on our website. Click here 

Our new quarterly Newsletter is intended to provide you with relevant information and guidance from within the overhead lifting industry and also give you an insight into the services that we offer and the benefits that we can bring to your business. This newsletter also marks the launch of our brand new website.

We welcome your feedback and ideas on how we can make our Newsletter relevant  and an interesting read. If you have ideas or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you.

Rob Lewis
Managing Director