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Hoist for the job or maybe a Linear Actuator?

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Alanh3

Mechanical
Jul 10, 2017
5
I am looking for a mechanism to lift an assembly vertically about 5 feet. The assembly that it will lift is approximately 100 lbs. I can't find any hoists online that fit my situation, or any linear actuators either.

The specifications that I am looking for in a hoist are:
Battery Powered
5-ft lift
Minimum of 6-ft corded remote control
Minimum capacity of 250 lbs
Lift speed of around 50-60 fpm minimum


I am looking to have the hoist put on a trolley system that would allow it to move along the length of a truss (mounted). I don't want it to be corded because then i have to worry about coming up with a device to carry the cord and allow it to adjust as the hoist moves. This is another reason I need a hoist vs. a LA. I need to find this part, and can only compromise ont he lift speed and the capacity, but not by a whole lot. Any experienced engineers familiar with a hoist or LA that could do the job?

Thanks!
 
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Link to any products that fit the criteria above?
 
Seems like an engine hoist and a winch will get you pretty close...

Dan - Owner
URL]
 
My issue with finding a product to fit the job is the fact that many hoists do not fit all of these specs. Many of them come close or fit multiple of the criteria, but don't fit all of them. It also needs to be portable. I will have it on a set of tracks to lift things along the length of a truss (mounted on the truss on wheels).
 
Please post examples of items you have discarded and why.
 
Which one of your criteria are you having the most trouble with?

Is this something a person would stand next to while operating, to lift something they intend to install or work on? If so, 1 foot per second seems too fast, but that's just my gut feeling. Your application might not be what I'm picturing.
 
Another ill-defined problem in search of a magic wand...

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand
 
Not sure why you are rejecting the standard trolley hoists that can roll along a standard I-beam flange, and run on household current (110/220 Vac). The power cord is usually strung in loops along a wire or lightweight rail adjacent to the flange (called "festooning"), and keeps the cord tidily stowed regardless of the trolley position.

Like this:
 
We used Duff Norton for an articulating solar array we designed recently.



But 1 ft/s is really fast. Based on speed and load, have you considered Pneumatics? This cylinder almost meets everything you need except stroke length, so the concept seems to work. I think if you buy one from parker, they can customize it for your application. This one is mcmaster.


With a cylinder, you could just use a small air compressor, and your remote would be a valve.

Jim Breunig P.E.
XCEED Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
FEA Consultants
 
You haven't defined several key requirements, so we can't figure out what might be optimum.

One-of-a-kind installation? Many repeated installations with the same overhead and supports? Many thousands of installations built for many hundred different sites?
Is there anything overhead to "lift from"?
What is the foundation underneath it?
Cycle or duty requirements? (How many times an hour does it move?)
Who operates it? How are they trained or qualified?
Public (idiots and unqualified) ever operate it? Ever nearby it? (Like a store or a building with ANYBODY other than the "properly trained and qualified" operators nearby or watching?)
 
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