WIRE ROPE HOIST MAINTENANCE TIPS

Wire Rope Hoists are one of the most important components of gantry cranes and overhead cranes. Winch inspection and maintenance determine the life and functionality of your cranes and so you should make sure that you keep a regular winch maintenance plan in place. UK laws advise a service every 12 months at the very least, and more if the crane is used often. This will allow you to avoid costly repairs or replacement-related expenses in the future. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that you clean your winch immediately after a muddy or wet ride. When you use your winch quite often, you have to invest proper time in cleaning it.

Winches that remain caked in mud for a long time are more likely to wear out compared to the ones that are used less frequently and stored in dry places. However, winches that are not used frequently may still become dirty. In such cases, you may consider investing in winch covers. Neoprene winch covers are especially useful as they are made up of waterproof material. If you allow a wet cable to dry on the spool, there are chances that it may rust and get damaged. Notably, you will need to put greater effort to maintain synthetic ropes as muddy synthetic ropes tend to rot faster if they are allowed to dry on the spool. Make sure that there is no loose mounting bolt or electrical connection and if you come across such cases, fix or replace immediately.

You should practise special care in rewinding the wiring onto the drum. Ideally, the cable should roll evenly on the drum in proper rows. When the cable gets rolled in a messy manner, you will find it very difficult to straighten it out the next time when you use it. There are chances that an improperly bunched-up cable may become weak and may even break.

Make sure that you monitor the level of the lubrication oil in the reduction box on a regular basis and replenish the oil in a timely manner. Even if you are not using an overhead crane or a gantry crane on a regular basis, you should still consider changing the lubrication oil in the reduction box on a half-yearly basis. Additionally, you should apply lubricating grease on the bearing pedestal and on the surfaces of the wire rope and winding barrel.