Are you searching for new galvanizing cranes or hoists? When you need to buy new or replace lifting equipment in your galvanizing operations, it’s important to understand your processes and to understand the equipment that can withstand the environment.
The galvanizing process can be one of the harshest environments for the lifting components doing the work. In this post, we will talk about hot-dip galvanizing process, what additional protections your lifting equipment could have, and why it is important to work with an experienced crane manufacturer or dealer when equipping your galvanizing line.
Encouraging Safety in Environments with Galvanized Cranes and Hoists
Galvanizing lines are extreme environments. They are hot, steamy and use aggressive chemicals that can create an environment with caustic fumes and corrosive splatter. Overhead cranes and other lifting equipment operating in galvanizing lines are working in these conditions and, many times, working directly above pickling tanks.
The galvanizing process can include these steps. First the item to be galvanized is cleaned which could include dipping the item into a caustic solution. Once cleaned, it must be rinsed and could be dipped into a solution to remove oxides, scale and other corrosion, then dried. Once dried, the item can be immersed into the zinc bath and dried to complete the galvanizing process.
The galvanizing cranes and components used in these environments need to be made to withstand the harsh environment. The main concern is protecting the electrical controls and lifting components against corrosion. The chemicals and moisture in the environments can cause equipment to start to break down. Many times, a specialized paint or coating is used as an additional barrier to the chemicals. Safety of the operators around the process and the process itself is a concern. When designing a crane or choosing hoisting equipment for galvanizing, it’s important to consider the process.
Productivity of the process can be found in the travel movements. It is important to choose a hoist that has multiple or variable speeds because this will allow you to slowly dip the product into and out of the hot-dip pools. Not only that, it is important that the components be dipped for the proper amount of time and allow for excess chemicals to drain off into the pool before moving to the next step.
Components of Galvanized Cranes and Equipment
Working with an experienced crane manufacturer or crane dealer is critical when you are in the market for a galvanizing crane. These experts will know what equipment is designed to work in the extreme galvanizing process you have in place. In the hot-dip galvanization process, the hoist used needs to be rated for a high number of start and stop rotations due to the number of times the products need to be dipped into different pools during the galvanization process.
Hoists like the Demag DH wire rope hoist are designed to be used in extreme environments. A hoist must meet the proper duty factor for the environment and lifting it will be performing. The DH is specially designed to combat the elements of the harsh environments it could be operating within.
The conical rotor brake motor paired with a mechanical microspeed allows the DH to position loads precisely while meeting the duty factors of the environment. The use of the conical rotor motor and mechanical microspeed create a wide range of speed so some actions can be done very slowly while others quicker. The conical rotor brake motor and mechanical microspeed also minimize the electrical components needed for travel and braking. The DH can be coated with a specialized paint to protect against corrosion in galvanizing and other environments.
Organizations like HMI, part of the industry group the Material Handling Institute (MHI), give hoist manufacturers guidelines for the design and duty specifications of hoists to promote standardization and safety across the industry.
Contact Us Today for Your Galvanized Crane and Hoist Needs
When you need to add or replace lifting equipment in your galvanizing processes, make sure you work with a knowledgeable crane manufacturer and crane dealer. Working with experts who understand the environment lifting equipment will be operating within and have specially designed components will allow your processes to meet your needs.
Start with understanding your internal processes and find the partner that can meet your needs for galvanizing cranes and equipment. Contact us today!