Cable hoists are composed of wire rope and an alternative to chain hoists. Wire rope hoists are used in many different applications within the automotive manufacturing and maintenance, aerospace, construction, agricultural, marine and machinery manufacturing industries, among many others. They are mostly seen in industrial settings within facilities, factories and plants, but are often used outdoors as well.
The central piece in the cable host is the rope, which is made of multiple strands of metal wire wound helically around a core that is usually made of rubber and sometimes a plastic material. It has high load capacity and provides a durable, reliable method of lifting and moving heavy objects. The rope itself is made from cold drawn carbon steel or stainless steel wires, for non contamination environments, and is considered a simple machine because the multiple strands act as several moving parts that work together. The wire rope is a very effective raising and lowering medium for hoists that are both mobile or permanent configurations, free standing or mounted to a track or ceiling. Wire rope cables have a very high breaking strength, and are the first choice in heavy duty applications where objects like vehicles, engines, agricultural machinery and construction equipment need to be transported from one location to another.
A cable hoist consists of a certain amount of wire rope, which is spooled in large quantities and contained in a storage drum, one or more electrically driven motors, a gear box where the controls are kept, and a braking system. The amount of rope kept in the storage drum depends on how high the heavy object is to be lifted. Most spools contain at least several dozen feet of wire rope. The cable itself is made up of three main components-the single pieces of wire, which are wound around each other to make a strand. Each strand is composed of several wires, up to 37 or as few as 2. The strands are then wound around a core, usually made of rubber for its flexibility, to create wire rope. There are different pattern options that alter the strength, thickness and flexibility of the rope. The wire rope is usually attached to a metal hook, made of a steel grade that has been hot dipped in liquid zinc to improve its surface durability, a process known as galvanization.
