The construction process involves many activities, from planning to lifting and building to post-construction. It also needs various items, some heavy and others light. In most cases, you’ll find that you’ll need assistance handling the weighty aspects of the job, such as transportation. There are lifting gears you can invest in to help with such tasks. They are handy, especially if you want to move construction materials from one site to another.
You can find many construction lifting gears for sale in your local hardware. With the variety of this equipment, how will you know the right tool to purchase for your construction project? Put your worries to rest; this article will give tips you can adopt during your selection process. Read on for this insight!
Many companies manufacture similar construction lifting gear. Though similar, these products often differ in quality. The disparity arises because each company has a different source of raw materials. Some sources will sell pure raw materials, with others selling lower grade materials. Also, the disparity likely arises from different manufacturing methods used to arrive at the final product.
Due to these differences, it’s crucial to be picky with the construction lifting gear brand you will choose. Consider researching various brands that manufacture your desired lifting gear, such as Stenhouse. Look out for reviews and quality standards. Settle for a brand with many positive reviews and one whose products are certified by the relevant regulating body. It would also help to buy from one reputed in the industry.
The brand is essential since you want to buy lifting gear you can rely on for years in terms of performance and durability. You don’t want to buy a chain hoist whose links will disassemble as you lift your load.
Lifting gear has varying working mechanisms, some easy and others challenging. Most construction projects often work under a given timeline, within which all staff must complete the work. It makes the time of the essence in project execution.
How do the project timeline and ease of use connect?
The harder to operate the gear, the more time your team will take to execute their responsibilities. You can end up experiencing downtime, which might lead to delays in completing your project.
Besides the ease of use affecting project completion time, it also impacts safety. Your workers might find it challenging to understand the working mechanisms of the gear properly. They might end up utilizing the lifting gear through trial and error. Operating equipment through trial and error increases the chances of accidents. The operator might accidentally drop the load mid-air, which might fall on another worker or break, leading to losses.
The ease of use of your gears also impacts its costs. If they’re complex to operate, you will likely spend a lot of time training your team on using the lifting equipment. The training on the use of a tool often requires experts. You will have to pay them to educate your team, increasing your expenses. It’s the only way to get a return on your investment from purchasing the lifting gear.
So, to avoid project delays, accidents, and additional expenses with training, consider lifting equipment that is easy to operate.
Weight is a crucial aspect you have to consider in choosing a lifting gear. You want to select lifting equipment that can carry your desired load from one place to another without buckling or breaking down due to excessive weight. Therefore, you must know the weight of your cargo and the lifting gear.
Before heading out to your vendor, weigh the load you expect the gear to carry. This measurement will be your guiding point as you shop.
Ask the vendor about the working load of the given lifting gear. Be sure to choose equipment whose loading capacity exceeds your load’s weight. The bigger the margin, the better and safer it’ll be during use.
Different lifting gears serve distinct purposes. There’s barely a jack of all trades in this case. Hence, you must first identify your intended use.
Do you require horizontal or vertical lifting? Will the lifting be for a short or long distance? You want to purchase gear that can perform the task you need to do without failing. However, ensure that your use of the equipment is its intended purpose. Misuse of gear can lead to accidents or malfunctioning, which you don’t want to experience.
Construction lifting gear plays a vital role in a construction project. The equipment will bring about efficiency, ensuring you achieve your goals within the given time frame, all other factors constant. This article has shown that you can easily choose the right tool to serve this purpose. Consider implementing the tips above, and you won’t have difficulty selecting the appropriate lifting gear for your construction project.
1. The Device Must Be Purpose Built For Data Centers
There are two aspects to consider regarding this issue. One pertains to suitability of the server lifting device to the data center environment and the other concern is with regard to the potential for code or policy violations.
A common error is to purchase a server lift device that is designed for general purpose or warehouse applications. Often they are not easily maneuverable in data center aisles, have inadequate braking systems and don’t have a mechanism to extend into the rack for safe and easy installation.
If the lift device uses hydraulic fluids or oil in any of the mechanisms it may be a violation of the data center policy. These policies and codes are to protect people and equipment and should be strictly adhered to.
2. The Lift System Must Be Able to Fully Insert Equipment Into Racks
Most general purpose lift systems will lift equipment to the desired height, but cannot hold it in place in the rack while it is being fastened in position. Installing heavy equipment with a gap underneath then requires several technicians to hold the device while one fastens it in place, wasting time and assuming safety risk.
A lift system that can hold the equipment in place in the rack while it is being fastened is the only way to enable a single technician to safely install heavy equipment without the help of assistants.
3. Don’t Risk Radio Frequency Interference
All IT equipment such as servers, switches, and power supplies are governed by regulations for radio frequency interference (RFI). RFI signals can be caused by a variety of electrical devices. The most common source comes from a powerful magnetic field that is generated when starting or stopping electric motors. A magnetic surge near communications equipment may interfere with data transmission and in some cases may even damage equipment.
To eliminate the possibility of RFI damage, a hand operated device is recommended. One with high ratio gearing should be adequate for the average employee to manage without difficulty.
4. The Lift Table Must Remain Solid And Level Under Your Maximum Load
The lift device must be rated to accept the weight of servers, switches, batteries and power supplies that you use today. It is better to select a unit that is has greater capacity than you presently need in order to accommodate heavier equipment that may be implemented in the future. A lift device designed for general purpose applications or one not meeting your weight specification may result in unexpected problems when attempting to install data center equipment. Installing servers into a rack requires far more precision than placing loads onto warehouse shelves. If the platform sags under load it will make the installation difficult and may even result in dropped equipment. The load must be secure and level to facilitate easy application of the mounting hardware.
5. Equipment Orientation And Size Is A Factor
Some server lifters are designed with a rectangular footprint and a “mast” on which the lift table and load is suspended. These are typically powered, side-loading devices. Others have a square footprint on which a “tower style frame” is mounted to support the lift table. There are several advantages to the tower design. This type has a smaller footprint to more easily accommodate tight aisles in the data center. They are safer to use since the tower frame is strapped to the rack during the lift. This reduces the risk of the lift tool and equipment toppling over during installation. The small footprint allows for 360 degree rotation in the aisle to accommodate racking on either side of the aisle. It also eliminates the need to preplan side loading orientation before entering the aisle.
6. The Lift Mechanism Must Provide Precise Adjustment And Good Lifting Speed
To enable quick and easy installations the lift table must be accurately aligned to match the equipment mounting points on the rack. A mechanical winch allows the operator to quickly position the load with ease and precision. Electrical lifts tend to produce an overshoot or undershoot result similar to that of electric windows in a car making alignment tricky and time consuming. Manual units using a winch equipped with an “auto-brake” allow the user to simply let go of the handle when the desired rack height is reached. The lift time for a heavy load is typically less than 50 seconds.
7. The Lift Tool Must Reach The Desired Rack Height
General purpose lifters may not have the capability or safety features to lift heavy IT equipment to the desired rack height safely. A data center lift tool should be able to install equipment at the bottom or top of your racks without concern for equipment falling or injury to workers.
8. Braking System And Safety Straps Are A Must
Most lift tool designs incorporate some form of braking system to stabilize the lift tool during operation. Although a braking system is important we believe in added protection when it comes to safety – especially if you are lifting heavy loads. In addition to a braking system your lift tool should be supplied with straps to temporarily fasten the lift tool to the rack during lifts.
9. Avoid Battery Powered Or Hydraulic Devices
One often overlooked aspect of a lift device is the mechanisms that generate the lift action. Some server lifters use battery powered electric motors. Over time or with excessive use batteries can leak due to failure. The corrosive acid from a battery can have serious consequences in a data center. Additionally any device that uses hydraulic fluids or oil should be avoided as they are prone to leakage when seals fail. Although these fluids may not be corrosive they are usually colorless and may cause slips and falls. Another drawback of battery powered systems is the need to charge them biweekly whether they are used or not.
10. Ensure Equipment Can Be Secured During Transport
Be sure to consider what happens to communications equipment as it makes its trip from the warehouse to the data center. Vibrations and minor bumps along the way can cause the load to shift and possibly fall off. Specify a lift tool that features a locking tray when the lift is in the lowered position. Additionally there should also be a set of ratchet straps affixed to the unit to secure the load while in motion.
Summary
Although it may be tempting to buy into the marketing hype of electrically powered server lifters, you can see there are more disadvantages than there are benefits to doing so especially when you consider the comparatively high price tag. Lifting a server into a rack is a basic job that requires only a basic tool to accomplish the task.
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