Have you ever tried extracting your vehicle after it is stuck in water, mud, or sand? It seems like a Herculean task and is not possible without the help of someone else. You will face the same problem when working on a project that requires heavy pulling, suspending, or lifting items. A winch comes in handy in such circumstances. Although humans have used winches for centuries, the modern generation models have massive pulling power and are versatile and tough. For the uninitiated, winches consist of a rope or cable spooled onto a drum by a crank. It makes use of the principles of mechanism that allows for a tougher and stronger pull. Let us now understand the different types of winches available for projects such as regular suspending, pulling, lifting, or moving.
Different types of winches
Winches are available in different types including mechanical hand-operated, mechanical drum style, hybrid, electrical, and portable models. Each one of them is distinct from the other, have different parts, and you can use them for multiple purposes.
Electrical winch: One requires an independent battery or the battery of the vehicle to use such a winch, as such winches make use of an electric motor that needs a power supply. Garages that repair vehicles depend a lot on such winches. Also, an industrial electric winch can be a cost-effective option for those who need to pull or lift heavy loads effortlessly and efficiently in various industrial sites. The industrial model, apart from its low operating cost delivers reliable and safe operation. It is available in a wide range of capacities, typically going up to 300 tons.
Hydraulic winch: This type of winch uses power from running the engine. Power is provided to such winches by the rotation of the gears in the gearbox. These winches are more powerful than electrical winches. Such winches are widely used in docks, mines, forestry, water conservancy engineering, construction, and power industries to tow or lift materials. The hydraulic winch has the characteristics of low noise and reliable operation, good stability at low speed, large starting torque, high efficiency, good safety, and compact structure that can withstand extreme working conditions. The maximum lifting capacity of such winches is 5 tons.
Air winch: Powered by air and popularly known as air tugger, the construction, gas, and oil industries employ these winches because of their safety, durability, and versatility. A pneumatic motor powers this lifting or pulling device. It contains a motor that runs on compressed air, directed to a set of two parts. The drums of these winches rotate when compressed air is directed on them, making the winch move. The winch also has a directional control valve that determines whether the winch will move in the reverse, neutral, or forward direction. The biggest advantage of the air winch is that it operates on regions where three-phase electricity is not available. Since no electricity is used, there is no chance of a spark, making these winches an excellent option for placing, lowering, or lifting items in harsh, classified, as well as explosion-proof environments. It can handle items weighing 2-4 tons.
The other popular types of winches include:
* Hybrid winch
* Mechanical portable winch
* Mechanical drum winch
* Mechanical capstan winch
* Hand winch
Research before you buy
It is a good idea to understand your project as it helps you determine the type of winch you need. You should also purchase your requirements from a reputable winch dealer in the United Kingdom such as Superpowerwinch. They stock a wide range of winches such as Superwinch, Warrior, Warn, Prestige, Capstan, and Hand winches. They stock winches for small jobs as well as for big assignments and offer the largest collection of winches in U.K. as well. Get in touch with them today for an obligation free quote.