Lifting and rigging hooks are nothing like the decorative yet functional variety you would see inside your home. Though the general purpose of these devices is to hold things like a hat or keys, hooks are also a type of industrial hardware essential for lifting and securing heavy-duty items. They have more to offer than decoration.
When you need reliable lifting hooks, consider Greenshields Industrial Supply. As a leading full-service industrial store serving Everett, WA, we carry a wide variety of hooks hardware.
What Are the Types of Hooks?
Lifting and rigging hooks are essential for hoisting heavy objects using cranes and other machinery. You attach the hook to the end of a rope, chain or synthetic sling that connects to a lift. The hook keeps the straps or wire rope around the heavy object securely attached to the crane as it raises its load.
Choosing the appropriate hooks for a lifting job is vital for preventing mishaps relating to load type, weight, and use. Here are some of the most common types of industrial hooks and their purposes:
Grab Hooks
These lifting hooks are for overhead lifting operations and include a design that allows them to grab a chain and hold it in place. Grab hooks engage and shorten the rigging chain, and they are often part of adjustable chain sling bridle assemblies.
Self-Locking Hooks
Slip hooks are similar to grab hooks, but they include a safety latch over its groove for their overhead applications. The latch resembles a long, solid metal bar that you open by pressing it inward.
Slip Hooks
These industrial hooks have wide throats to allow a rigging rope or chain to flow freely through them. Since they have wider throats, slip hooks are easy to center along a chain length or to adjust the chain’s slack when securing a load.
Weld-On Hooks
With weld-on hooks, you can attach a fixed anchor point where needed on spreader beams, vehicles, and more. These weldable attachments are suitable for lifting and pulling applications using chain, rope, and web slings.
How Industries Hooks Are Used
Industries worldwide use rigging hooks to raise equipment, parts, materials, and products and move them from one place to another. Rigging applications usually apply to heavy or oversized, fragile objects that cannot move safely by anything other than mechanical equipment. The hooks serve as the attachment between the load and the lifting machinery.
For example, the aerospace industry constructs aircraft for private companies and aircraft for space exploration. The sector uses hooks on the ends of automatic machinery to allow workers to work on massive components safely while suspended in the air.
Cranes are standard equipment in the construction and industrial industries for lifting and lowering objects horizontally. Without hooks in place at the end of the crane’s pulley, there is no way to attach the load and lift it safely. The hooks eliminate the risk of slipping, making construction and industrial projects safer and more productive.
Dos and Don’ts of Using Hooks
Like the simple wall hooks you would use at home, you must ensure that you use industrial hooks correctly to prevent dangers, such as dropping a heavy load because the load’s weight exceeds the hook’s weight capacity. Learn more about the basics of industrial hooks hardware with these dos and don’ts.
Do inspect all hooks regularly for signs of damage. Signs of wear, corrosion, and nicks usually mean that the hook is no longer safe to use. Deformation from excessive weight-bearing or improper lifting techniques is another sign that it’s time to retire the hook.
Do position each hook correctly. Loading a hook from its side, back, or tip reduces its lifting capacity, which may cause damage. Be sure always to ensure that the object sits snugly in the hook’s bowl or saddle.
Don’t use a hook in the wrong environmental conditions. Manufacturers design industrial hooks to be durable, but that does not mean you should subject them to corrosive chemicals or high heat. The ideal temperature range for these hooks usually falls between -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain its working load limit for years to come.
Hooks Supply of Greenshields
For hooks hardware that you can rely on, turn to Greenshields Industrial Supply . Proudly serving Everett, WA, since 1953, we have an impressive inventory of hooks for various industrial applications, and we make chain and wire rope assemblies with hooks on the ends. To learn more about our superior products, call 425-259-0111 and speak with a team member today.
