Tandem hoists promote workplace safety

Applications such as these are subject to special safety requirements, which are laid down, in Germany, in the BGV D8 safety regulations.

Hot-galvanising company, Helling & Neuhaus, in conjunction with Terex Material Handling and with input from the industrial employers’ mutual insurance association, has developed a solution which allows operators to work beneath suspended loads.

The lift and lower sections of the two Helling & Neuhaus conveyor lines have each been equipped with two Demag double chain hoists, which are connected by means of a tandem control system. According to the manufacturer, this concept, which satisfies the requirements of BGV D8 Plus hoists, is an innovative solution, which provides maximum safety for a wide range of industrial applications.

Helling & Neuhaus GmbH, part of the Seppeler Group, operates two parallel production circuits at its plant in Gütersloh, Germany. The lifting motions at each of the pick-up and deposit stations were previously provided by chain hoists fitted with a catch. This arrangement had met the customer’s requirements, but safety issues dictated the development of an alternative solution.

The solution employed by the galvanising specialist utilises Demag LDC-D size 10 double chain hoists, which are paired to each other by a tandem control system. Developed for transporting long materials and spreader operation, the LDC-D has two mechanically synchronised chain lead-offs, which are rigidly connected to each other by a common frame. The LDC-D unit drives a separate lifting block that has its own chain drive via a connecting shaft.

To accommodate load-dependent lifting speeds of up to 24 m/min, the LDC-D units are designed for high handling rates. In addition, they provide for longer chain service life as there are no additional chain return sprockets.