Tips for choosing the right lifting equipment

 High quality lifting products are critical to the safety of the mining workforce. This is particularly true when heavy equipment needs to be removed or brought to site, as often the chain sling is solely responsible for the safety of the suspended equipment.

David Malthouse, Lifting and Safety Product Specialist at Industrial Solutions Australia, says the choice of the right lifting equipment requires a basic understanding of the loading limits in the lifting gear, as well as the conditions of loading.

“The first thing you need to consider when choosing your lifting and hoisting equipment is the maximum load you intend to lift.  Always refer to the appropriate Working Load Limit (WLL) chart or refer to the relevant Australian Standard. If in doubt, consult specialists from any Motion Asia Pacific business across the CBC, BSC or WesbterBSC branches for assistance.”

“The loading angle is also a key consideration. The WLL is calculated keeping in mind the loading angle, so due care must be taken to never exceed the chains’ load ratings at any given lifting angle.”

With one of the largest national networks of any industrial supplier in Australia, Motion Asia Pacific’s over 70 branches and re-seller network deliver lifting equipment to customers in every state, as well as globally.

David says having the house brand of Marlin consumable products enables the Motion Asia Pacific businesses to maintain full transparency over the supply chain, ensuring adherence to the Australian safety standards.

“The Marlin range is quite extensive and every product goes through stringent testing to meet Australian testing standards. The products are tested once before importing and thereafter tested independently after arrival at our warehouses after arrival,” says David.

Understanding the different chain grades is another factor when determining the load strength of the chains, David adds.

“Different chain grades determine the load strength and bulkiness and weight of the chain and fittings. Higher chain grades have a higher strength-to-weight ratio so that is an important factor to keep in mind when selecting the chain grade. If you have a lot of manual handling, then we recommend higher chain grades so that the slings can be made lighter.”

“In the Marlin range, we stock an extensive range of Grade 80 lifting chains and attachments, all meeting the Australian safety standard requirements. We also have the capability to manufacture product with specific requirements. We also have access to a range of quality Grade 100 parts for heavier applications.”

Nikola Markota, Lifting and Safety Manager at WebsterBSC, says temperature variation is another factor to consider when selecting the lifting gear.

“We have clients who use our chains and slings in Antarctica, or in extremely hot conditions such as near furnaces. When choosing the lifting equipment, you need to consider the temperature limit before which your chain will start degrading. Extreme weather conditions might require you to use chains that are two to three size larger to meet the loading requirements.”

As a key supplier to almost all major mines in Tasmania, Nikola says all WebsterBSC personnel are either certified by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) or trained in-house to carry out testing and certification of the lifting equipment.

“Our industry and product specialists at WebsterBSC are all industry leaders in the mining and heavy industries. The team is more than happy to help with any enquiry and often assists with the design and manufacture of customised products. We can also offer product testing through our WebsterBSC team and nationally,” he says.

“When we certify the chains at the WebsterBSC workshop, we test them to twice their load limit to make sure all components remain intact before we certify the product for use. This is the usual practice every time we commission new chains or re-certify the chains during annual maintenance cycles.”