The Different Types of Industrial Lifting Equipment & Their Benefits

Machines have been men’s most helpful ally in the field of construction and in big warehouses for years now. Industrial lifts and equipment are the perfect examples of this as they’ve made simple yet important maneuvers extremely easy and convenient. With the headway of innovation and technology, today there is a wide range of various lift machines which can be found on the market. There are multiple types of industrial lifters designed to be used in different settings and for different loads. Here are some of their benefits and the different types.

Benefits

• This type of equipment, although being able to do one operation on different levels, it can be quite customizable. Big or small, these pieces of equipment come with multiple attachments and various tools which can be customized based on the type of work they have to do. Industrial lifting equipment can have their existing lifting capacity upgraded by refitting and reassembling these attachments for added flexibility.

• Continuous expenses and physical manpower are not going to be any of your concern especially with extremely heavy loads when it comes to industrial lifters since they are very cost-effective. This is thanks to the ruggedness of their build quality which gives the machinery a long lifespan, very few maintenance needs and no special treatment whatsoever.

• Because there are various types of industrial lifting equipment, you can have such machinery virtually anywhere no matter the environment and its conditions. There are lifters that can be used indoors, outdoors or in both environments and some can be used in a wide variety of places without having to worry how they’ll perform. And although this is heavy-duty machinery we are talking about, using it is way safer than having to transfer loads manually.

• Talking about transferring loads by hand, with industrial lifting equipment you will reduce this greatly since the only time you’ll need to do it is when loading and unloading a certain type of lifter. You and your workers will be relieved from the strain that comes from carrying heavy items and thus you’ll be able to focus more on the actual job rather than on the pain you get from it.

• Sometimes such equipment can sound very complicated as there are usually several knobs and buttons on the dashboard or there is a multiple-step process involved. This is the case mostly with hoists and cranes as they are very popular options which can work very seamlessly and conveniently once you get the hang of them.

Types

• Since we just mentioned it, we might as well explain it – a crane is a piece of versatile lifting equipment that makes use of an angled boom in order to move the loads up and down as well as from one side to the other. It comes in various sizes to accommodate all kinds of storage facilities and construction sites. There are also cranes that can turn horizontally and make a full circle.

• Forklifts are the most commonly used industrial lifting equipment, which can be powered by electricity, fuel, propane gas and diesel which makes them most convenient in warehouses moving pallets thanks to their two long metal arms (forks). Whilst a standard forklift is able to move loads from 1 to 5 tons, there are others that can transfer loads up to 50 tons. Although training is necessary in order for a worker to operate it safely, there aren’t any technicalities to go over when using it. Forklifts are also called fork trucks.

• Telehandlers may look similar to a forklift in some ways but the way they operate and the settings they are being used in, make them closer to a crane. What makes this machine different from the others is its telescopic boom which can extend forward and upward in order to provide more versatility. For instance, an operator can attach a bucket, some forks or even a lift table on the end of it with the most common item being the pallet fork. Pallet forks allow for loads to be moved between places that forklifts simply can’t reach.

• Lifting fragile and oddly-shaped items requires the use of a machine that will handle them with care. For these type of objects such as glass panes, a vacuum lifter is an ideal solution. These lifters use a high-pressure air pump to suck the air in. This process acts as a sort of an adhesive and makes it stick firmly to it. They are also capable of lifting even heavier objects, such as shipping containers, very efficiently.

• A hoist operates in a somewhat similar manner as a crane since it lifts the loads in the same way, but they are meant to be used with smaller, lighter items. Hoists also work by being permanently attached to the ground and even without the versatility on deck they are still excellent lifters that work well with forklifts.