Hoists play a crucial role in strenuous industrial applications. They make it easy to lift and manoeuvre heavy equipment and other workplace materials. Broadly speaking, a hoist has a cable wrapped around a wheel. When operating the hoist, it mechanically lowers and lifts heavy materials. Besides factories, hoists are also used in disaster sites to lift victims who have been hurt badly. There are a variety of hoists based on their usage, type of cable, and operating power.

In this guide, we discuss air hoists – what are they, where are they used, how to operate them safely, and more.

Air Hoists: A Helping Hand for Various Industries

Air hoists, also known as pneumatic hoists, are powered by compressed air. Like other hoists, it has an attached up-and-down pendant that moves based on the floating functionality supplied by compressed air. The floating air function provides a weightless vertical movement that lifts and lowers equipment.

The most significant benefit of air hoists is that they can be operated even in remote conditions. They do not require electric motors to run. Generally speaking, air hoists weigh 40 – 50% lower than electric hoists due to the absence of electric motors. Hence, they can be handled easily.

Other benefits of air hoists include:

Low maintenance

Dirt and dust resistance

Self-cooling

Resistant to heat, high temperatures, vapours, and humidity

Ozar Toku – Offers a Wide Range of Air Hoists to Suit Various Industrial Needs

At Ozar Toku, we have a wide range of air hoists with lifting capacities ranging from 140kg to 50 tons. You can choose your preferred pneumatic hoist based on the speed, lift capacity, control type, air trolley type suitable for your workplace.

Our air hoists are designed to global standards. Our manufacturing and quality control confirms to major industry standards and goes through rigorous quality checks. Here are a few reasons why Ozar Toku air hoists are trusted by customers across the world:

High durability

Safe design

High-quality vane protection

Overload protection

Emergency stop

High-strength cast steel for long-lasting durability

Flexible speed control

Mechanical end stop system

Automatic disc brakes

Pendant control or choice of cord for lifting

Protection from an electric explosion

Our Air Hoists are used in a variety of industries like:

Offshore oil industry

Power plants and refineries

Mining and construction

Mechanical engineering

Assembly line

Shipyards

Food industry

Chemical industry and many more

How to safely operate an air hoist?

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while operating air hoists. Following these tips will not only ensure the durability of the equipment but also keep workers safe.

Air hoists should always be operated by authorised and fully-trained personnel. New recruits should be provided comprehensive training before they are allowed to use air hoists on their own.

Air hoists are intended for material handling. To lift and lower products and equipment. They should not be used to transport personnel.

The hoist should always be fitted with the required safety features – emergency stop, load brakes, limit switch, hook latch, and shock protection.

The operator should always wear the required safety gear – gloves to insulate the hands and grips to operate the controls.

If you’re using the air hoist outside, ensure that it’s regularly maintained and protected from the weather.

Appoint personnel to carry out daily checks. The operator should check whether the emergency stop, hoist braking function is regularly operating. Additionally, the lowering and lifting limits should also be tested periodically.

Chains and other gear should be lubed and check periodically – preferably once a month. Other parts like bolt and pin connections, chain guides, sprocket wheel, brakes (with load), load hooks, compressed air connections should be checked annually.

The air supply is a vital part of air hoists. You have to ensure that the air supply is clean and dry for the hoist to operate correctly. Do not mix the air supply with other gases as it can cause underperformance.

Types of Air Hoist at Ozar Toku

We have a wide range of air hoists for various industries. Our popular air hoists include:

TCS Series – Extra high-speed air hoists with capacities ranging from 250kg to 1 ton. It enables high-speed precision control.

TMH Series – New multi-utility air hoist with capacities ranging from 3 ton to 30 ton.

Manipulator Series – For flexible material handling with capacities ranging from 140kg to 250kg. It enables one-handed operation.

Our other air hoists include TMTCR and TMTMH Series, TAW Series, and TNC Series.

Wrapping Up

Air hoists are an incredible value-add to your workspace. Though an air hoist’s initial cost is higher than chain hoists, they offer numerous benefits like faster lifting speeds, protection from electrical sparking/hazards. As a result, air hoists are ideal for lifting heavy equipment in hazardous environments.

If you require air hoists for your industry, get in touch with our team for the best prices and other info.