12 Aug 2020
6 REASONS TO BUY A STAHL ELECTRIC CHAIN HOIST
Taking the hassle out of manual lifting is the Electric Chain Hoist, a simple twist on the standard block and tackle type chain block you might be used to using.
Powered by an electric motor to turn the load chain wheel/sprocket and steadied by an electromagnetic brake system with no risk to power failure dropping the load, overload protection via a slipping clutch and the best part? It’s all easily controlled by you!, At the touch of a button. Nice, right?
See here If you want to learn more about Electric Chain Hoists, in general.
Stahl Electric Chain Hoists are exceptional quality industrial solutions manufactured by legendary crane manufacturer; Stahl CraneSystems. Stahl hoists are extremely popular in the UK market thanks to their versatility, reliability, service, performance and economical benefits. Moreover, it’s a well known saying in our industry that “You can’t go wrong with a Stahl!” -ask any good crane engineer.
You can trust a manufacturer who says “We’ve got the largest range of hoist and crane components in the world” -Just so you’re sure- here’s a video of Stahl CraneSystems claiming so and a look around their amazing production facility.
6 REASONS TO BUY A STAHL ELECTRIC CHAIN HOIST
Versatility- Having the ability to customise your chain hoist from Stahl completely gives you the ability to obtain the ultimate electric overhead crane solution. Pick from standard headroom, short headroom or ultra-short headroom trolley configurations that is of course if you are opting for a trolley. You might decide on a foot-mounted or stationary hoist. The flexibility with Stahl Electric Chain Hoists is a reality. In addition to suspension options Stahl offer a huge array of additional extras that really are superbly impressive:
Radio Control Systems- now partnered with leading manufacturer of radio control systems, Stahl offer an optional upgrade to Magnetek Radio Control Systems with micro receivers, these can be fitted at the time of purchase or retrofitted by a competent person if you already have your hoist.
Limit Switches- now you have no need to worry about accidental over travel of the hook or beam trolley, if set correctly these optional limit switches are the ultimate upgrade since they prevent the hook or trolley from lifting/lowering and/or travelling left/right beyond your desired limit, in simpler terms- if your view of the hoist is out of sight or obscured whilst lifting you may be at risk from accidently running the hook in to the bottom of the hoist body which could cause damage- limit switches if set correctly will prevent the hoist from travelling further than desired. This is available for every motion and we highly recommend it since the true fact is that operators are not always as kind to hoists as their purchasers.
Load Displays and Hours Counters- perfect for applications such as rental where you need to see how many hours the hoist has worked for and if it has been subject to overload, this type of technology dramatically helps resolve misuse disagreements and provides more accurate service feedback for technicians.
Custom Chain Hoist Variations- If optional extras weren’t enough for you Stahl also offers several special variations where the hoist(s) system has been bespoke engineered for a particular lifting problem such as:
Explosion Proof EX ATEX Protected Electric Chain Hoists
Dual Hook Hoists
Big Bulk Bag Lifting Hoists
Top Running Single Girder Chain Hoists
Reliability- The robust construction of every Stahl Chain Hoist plays a huge part in customer satisfaction and five star user feedback. Service friendly ‘swap-out’ components such as contactor control make the Stahl ST Electric Hoist an engineers favourite whilst huge stocks of components are held right here in the UK ready for express delivery.
Stahl produce thousands of hoists each year, we’re so confident about the quality that when it comes to a standard or customised electric chain hoist, Stahl have a best-in-class solution for your challenge in addition to that you’ll have the absolute support of our sales team should you choose to purchase through LES.
Warranty is a huge factor when considering the purchase of any electric chain hoist, often overlooked by many customers until they actually need it. Thankfully due to the incredibly robust engineering and rigorous product testing it is unlikely any parts will fail within the warranty period, it’s important to remember that PUWER regulations in the UK mean that a professional should service the hoist at a minimum 12 monthly interval, the more frequently used the more frequently servicing should occur, for example if used every day a 6 monthly plan would be more suited, if every hour a 3 monthly plan might be more appropriate. If correctly maintained in accordance with PUWER and operated as advised in Stahl’s ST user guide then you will see low maintenance costs as well as avoiding crane breakdowns and their high call-out fees.
Quality & European manufacture- Stahl hoists are truly manufactured in Europe, they bear a data plate that proudly states ‘Made in Germany’. It’s important to buy your hoist from a European manufacturer like Stahl CraneSystems to ensure it is totally compliant with CE regulations and is fit for purpose. Stahl operate strictly to the ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance standard and practice full traceability of each component, European components such as electrical contactors, pendant controls and load chain are often the envy of competing brands and boast yet another reason to buy a Stahl Electric Chain Hoist.
Cost effective- Cost can be a huge determining factor for many considering buying an Electric Chain Hoist, it can also be catastrophic. One will be forced to learn that hard way if purchasing such an precisely engineered machine based on price alone.
By now you’ve read five of the 6 Reasons To Buy A Stahl Electric Chain Hoist and hold a strong knowledge of what sets apart the Stahl hoist from other alternatives available on the market. Purchasing a non-European or cheaply branded hoist will have its initial return on investment for sure, but the challenges that may present along the life of the hoist in terms of gaining parts, service and warranty claims will be where the small added extra to buy a Stahl Electric Chain Hoist over a ‘cheap and cheerful’ alternative pays dividends along with all the benefits of the most innovative technology mentioned above.
READY TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU NEED TO PURCHASE A STAHL ELECTRIC CHAIN HOIST?
PURCHASE CHECKLIST
There are a number of checks to consider before purchasing your hoist to ensure you specify everything to successfully buy an electric chain hoist:
Lifting Capacity- ranging from 125-6300kg.
Height of lift- the distance from the underside of the hoist body to the load you will be lifting, often the floor to rail dimension suffices unless hoisting in and out of a pit or off a mezzanine etc.
Supply Voltage- Stahl offer 400v 3phase 50hz as standard but can accommodate alternative voltages depending upon your supply and requirement.
Suspension Type- choose between a stationary hoist with a top hook, lug or fixed point and Stahl’s range of trolley systems available in manual or electric and in various headroom configurations, when referring to ‘headroom’ we mean the distance from the underside of the beam to the hook at its highest position, this determines how much space you have below the hook for rigging and the load you intend to lift, for example some require low headroom systems where a load is particularly high and the ceiling poses a limit on the overall height of the beam/crane system allowed, low headroom systems enable maximum hook path in applications where dimensions are tight.
Duty Cycle- all electric motors generate heat, with electric hoists being so powerful, they can generate a lot of heat meaning that if excessive this can cause damage within the motor- one of the most common causes of misuse amongst hoist operators. With the consideration of ‘duty cycle’ you take a look at the application and estimate how many lifts per hour and if those lifts will be the full cycle, for example- you may have a hoist with 70m height of lift yet only lift 1m of that 70m up and then lower that 1m back down, this only causes the hoist to be in use for a short time and poses little risk to the motor- where as a hoist with 70m height of lift where the user expects to lift 70m and lower 70m continuously 3 times per session at 4m/min will cause the motor to be continuously running for 105 minutes- this would be unrealistic of an electric hoist and we often turn a corner at this point and suggest an air (pneumatic) hoist with unlimited duty cycles. Stahl Electric Chain Hoists typically feature a standard duty rating of 40% meaning the hoist can run for 40% of the hour before resting for the remaining 60%. In applications that require a heavy-duty motor Stahl can consider their custom made chain hoists.
Environment- it’s important to consider the environment that your hoist will live in, not only the obvious indoors/outdoors question but deeper than that. Consider what’s in the air- are you quayside or near the sea? You might need a stainless steel load chain or added corrosion resistance. Are you working in a dusty environment? You might need a higher electrical insultation rating that protects against ingress of fine dust particles. When working in a standard indoor industrial environment normally the standard IP55 is acceptable whilst when working outside it is strongly advised to accessorise with appropriate OEM weather jackets that are made to protect vital hoist components, additional longevity can be achieved by parking the hoist under a shelter when not in use to protect against the elements.
