Safer loading with bespoke electric winch

A UK building products company required a new winch system to load heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Hoist & Winch supplied the organisation with a bespoke electric-powered winch that allows the safe and smooth lifting and lowering of a large telescopic export chute that loads HGVs.

A 400 V three-phase Haacon wire rope winch providing a safe working load of 1500 kg was key for this solution — which enables raising and descending to take place in a level and precise position due to adjustable turn-buckle jacking screws. The winch provides a special triple rope lead-off design that raises and lowers the export chute via one vertically and two horizontally orientated diverter pulleys. A purpose-made frame and bolted connections facilitate mounting of the winch to the steel floor, helping to create level rope payoff from the winch drum to the three diverter pulleys serving the system.

The final wire rope connection to the export chute is via adjustable turn-buckle jacking screws and swivelling eye bolts, a design that assists with accurate chute levelling adjustment, as well as extending the service life of the wire rope by eliminating any twisting action.

Winch control is provided by a switchgear enclosure and a two-button, single-speed, hard-wired pendant control station located remotely in an environmentally protected operating cubicle. Environmental protection was vital due to operating temperatures of over 40°C in summer months, as well as excessive dust in the atmosphere and surrounding work areas.

The new winch system, which replaces an original obsolete solution that had reached the end of its service life, offers a number of further beneficial features, many relating to safety. For instance, the winch has a pressure roller to ensure secure retention of the wire rope on the drum. This capability is particularly important in the event of a slack wire rope, which might occur due to accidental over-lowering of the chute onto the HGV bed, for example.

Further safety-oriented features include an inverter controlled winch motor to provide very smooth and slow speed control, and grooves in the winch drum to help ensure even and secure wire rope winding.

Delivered on time and on budget, the installation took place over a two-day plant shutdown. Hoist & Winch also provided thorough operator training on topics such as winch operation and control functions, as well as daily maintenance checks.

Image caption: The bespoke electric winch used for the safe and smooth lifting and lowering of a large telescopic export chute.