The demand for winches in the construction industry continues to grow, both in terms of quantity and in terms of performance, safety and environmental protection requirements. With the continuous development of the construction industry, the demand for winches will continue to expand, providing a broad market space for the winch industry. The case shared by Dongqi Crane today is that it provided a customized electric winch for a British construction products company.

Uses of electric winches in construction products companies

Electric winches are used to safely and smoothly lift and lower a large telescopic outlet chute that loads media by-products from a customer’s production process onto a heavy goods vehicle (HGV).

Raising and descending the byproduct takes place in a level and precise position thanks to adjustable turn-buckle jacking screws.

The 400 V three-phase Haacon wire rope winch provides a swl (safe working load) of 1,500 kg sits at the heart of this solution, with a 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, ensuring level rope pay-off 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 not only provides accurate chute levelling adjustment, but extends the service life of the wire rope by eliminating any twisting action.

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

This winch system replaces the original outdated solution which had reached the end of its service life and provides the customer with a number of further beneficial features, many of which are safety related. For example, winches have pressure rollers to ensure that the wire rope remains securely on the drum. This capability is particularly important in the event of slack in the wire rope, which may result, for example, from the chute being accidentally lowered too far into the HGV bed.

Other safety-oriented features include an inverter-controlled winch motor that provides very smooth and slow speed control, and grooves on the winch drum to ensure even and safe wire rope winding.

The installation was delivered on time and on budget within two days of factory downtime.

Where is the demand for winches in the construction industry?

The demand for winches in the construction industry is mainly concentrated in the following aspects:

• Material handling and lifting: On construction sites, winches are widely used for handling and lifting of various building materials. Whether it is steel bars, concrete, bricks or other heavy materials, the winch can complete the handling task efficiently and safely, greatly saving manpower and time costs.
• Construction efficiency and progress: The construction industry pursues efficient and rapid construction progress. As an efficient lifting equipment, the winch can quickly and accurately lift building materials to designated locations, thereby speeding up construction progress and improving construction efficiency.
• Safety performance: In the construction industry, safety always comes first. As a professional lifting equipment, the winch is designed and manufactured in compliance with relevant safety standards to ensure safety during handling and lifting. At the same time, some advanced winches are also equipped with safety protection devices, such as overload protection, braking devices, etc., to further improve the safety of use.
• Adaptability and flexibility: Construction sites are often complex environments with limited space. Therefore, the construction industry has high requirements for the adaptability and flexibility of winches. The winch usually has a small size and flexible mobility, and can adapt to various complex construction environments and meet different construction needs.
• Intelligence and automation: With the transformation, upgrading and intelligent development of the construction industry, the demand for intelligence and automation of winches is also increasing. Some advanced winches have achieved remote control and automated operation, which can further improve construction efficiency and reduce labor costs.