Lifting equipment, also known as hoisting equipment, has large-scale commercial applications. Complex heavy-duty equipment is widely used to move large and bulky materials in various industries. Some of the industries that use them regularly are:
- Logistics
- Heavy Metals Manufacturing
- Mining
- Oil & Gas
- Construction
However, each industry has unique requirements, which demand a unique set of lifting equipment. Hence, choosing what suits your needs and demands is extremely important because investing in proper lifting equipment is a big deal. To make your life easier, we’ve got five tips you must follow in choosing the best lifting equipment out there:
1. Evaluate Your Requirements
The key to making the best lifting equipment acquisition is knowing your requirements well. Lifting equipment varies in size, strength, usability, and more. Therefore, evaluating your needs and demands is essential for making an informed decision regarding the lifting equipment. This also includes counting the size of the site of your project to determine accessibility. Hiring a professional consultant to determine the kind of equipment best suited for your project is a wise decision.
2. Make Reliability Your Top Priority
Most of the projects that need heavy lifting equipment take a long while to get completed. The last thing you want is your lifting crane or hoisting equipment breaking down every now and then. To ensure smooth sailing throughout the project, make reliability the top priority while choosing lifting equipment. Investing in high-quality lifting chains and slings is better than spending twice or thrice on cheap alternatives. Moreover, choosing equipment with detachable parts readily available is also an important factor for reliability.
3. Scan Through the Options
The lifting equipment industry has grown tremendously, with innovation happening consistently. Consequently, we have a large variety of equipment that can do the same job in different ways to suit the requirements of different environments. Equipment varies in complexity, ease of use, accessibility, maintenance, and price. Like all market decisions, you need to find the perfect balance of efficiency, necessity, and affordability to get the best equipment out there for your project.
4. Lookout for Lifting Equipment Certification
Before you make a choice, it is necessary to look for Lifting Certification for the equipment. Typically, an ISO certification should suffice. Hence, you must find the lifting equipment with at least an ISO certification, as it may be mandatory in some regions. Moreover, ISO-certified lifting equipment ensures that you have the best quality equipment in line for the job, which instills a sense of surety. You need to call an expert that would identify the certified lifting equipment.
5. Conduct Testing of the Equipment Prior to the Acquisition
Onboarding lifting equipment is a major decision for industries that use them. Such equipment usually costs a fortune, while hiring them on rent is also not cheap by any means. Hence, the logical step before buying the equipment is to go for a “test drive,” which is why I let this pass on. You may want to visit a site running a similar project as yours to check out how the equipment performs in your project.