Electric Chain Hoist Maintenance - Which Intervals Apply?

What maintenance intervals apply to electric chain hoists?

As power-driven lifting equipment, electric chain hoists require a thorough examination by a competent person at least once a year, backed up by daily visual and function checks by the operator before each shift.

Under heavy duty, multi-shift operation or aggressive environments, the operator shortens the intervals based on a risk assessment. All results are recorded in an inspection log kept for the entire life of the hoist.

How do you check brake, chain and slip clutch?

The brake, load chain and slip clutch are the safety-critical wear parts. The brake is checked for holding force and stopping distance: the load must not creep or drop after the button is released.

The load chain is measured over several links. Once elongation reaches the discard limit of about 2 % or the wire diameter has lost more than 10 %, the chain is replaced. The slip clutch overload protection must slip reliably at rated load plus a defined margin and must not drift out of adjustment.

• Brake: no creep, no drop of the load, friction lining free of glazing.
• Load chain: elongation below 2 %, wire wear below 10 %, no cracks or nicks.
• Hook: check throat opening against the new dimension, safety latch working.
• Slip clutch: verified trip value, no slipping below rated load.
• Test emergency stop and limit switches for reliable function.

How do you lubricate the load chain correctly?

The load chain runs over the chain sprocket and must stay well lubricated, otherwise wear at the joint surfaces rises sharply. Use a thin, acid-free penetrating chain oil that reaches into the joints.

Clean the chain before lubricating so that the grinding paste of old oil and metal debris is removed. In dusty environments, clean and oil more often because dust in the oil acts like an abrasive.

• Run the chain through unloaded and wipe off old oil and debris with a cloth.
• Apply thin chain oil at the joints and wipe away excess.
• No grease and no dry running - both increase wear.
• Shorten lubrication intervals in dust, heat or humidity.

How do you monitor the remaining service life (SWP)?

To FEM 9.755 every hoist has a theoretical service life derived from its mechanism group (FEM/ISO), load spectrum and operating time. This safe working period (SWP) describes how much of the calculated life has already been used up.

The operator records the running hours and the average load spectrum to determine the SWP consumed. Once the theoretical life is reached, a general overhaul follows, during which the mechanism is stripped, inspected and the remaining life is redefined.

Frequently asked questions