Tips For Securing Really Heavy Objects To The Hook Of An Overhead Crane

9 September 2019
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog


For the most part, you will probably use overhead cranes to lift objects that are already on pallets. Threading chains through the openings in the bottoms of wood or metal pallets and hooking them up to an overhead crane is not a difficult process. However, what happens when you have heavy objects that cannot be lifted by several able-bodied humans and these objects are not on pallets? How are you going to lift and move them around the warehouse or factory? Here are some overhead crane tips that can help.

Put More Than One Crane on Adjoining Tracks

Overhead cranes are "flexible" enough that you can put two cranes on adjoining tracks and make them both work together. Have one crane meet the other on their own tracks end-to-end. Then, with this immensely heavy object below, use a lifting tarp with the cranes. The lifting tarp is an accessory you can purchase that is extremely durable and impossible to break or rip. It is usually square or round, and it can be draped over the top or side of an object on the floor.

Ropes and chains through the handles of these tarps help secure the tarp to the object temporarily. Then you have to use the crane hooks to gently lift and ease/roll the object over into the makeshift tarp sack all the way. Now you can either remove the ropes and use one crane to gather the handles of the tarp together to lift and move this object, or keep the ropes on and lift from the handles and the ropes if you still want to use two cranes to do it. It might be best at some point to put the object on a pallet so that you can more easily move the whole thing. 

Find Areas on the Object Where You Can String Ropes and/or Chains

This is a trickier option because you do not want to damage or break the object you are trying to move. For example, say that you are trying to move the massive engine block of a semi tractor. There are some areas where you might be able to wrap chains and ropes around the engine before you attempt to lift it. Then there are areas where attaching ropes or chains would cause parts of the engine to break off and possibly drop the engine from mid-air. Assess your load very carefully before you attempt the bare rope and bare chain method with your overhead cranes. 


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