Global lifting solutions provider Konecranes has launched the latest enhancement to its industrial cranes portfolio in South Africa – the CLX chain hoist.
Available in safe working loads, the CLX chain hoist, which was introduced into the market in November, is suitable for several different applications, including general manufacturing or maintenance, and has the flexibility to be configured into a range of industrial environments to meet customers’ lifting needs.

Featuring durable components, compact headroom and a high level of operating safety, the chain hoist boasts optimum performance capability, with 300 starts an hour. Standard temperature monitoring prevents the motor from overheating, while additional standard van ventilation leads to improved hoist performance.

Konecranes highlights the brake of the chain hoist as an essential part of product safety in lifting operations. The company’s CLX chain hoist employs a new self-adjusting brake, which has been designed for more than a million operations, which makes up the life span of the hoist. For additional safety, the brake and the clutch have been installed on the same axle, which ensures that the load will not drop or microslip, even if the clutch fails.

Another innovation of the CLX chain hoist is the patented chain sprocket, which reduces the bending stress on the chain links under load, improving the chain life by up to four times. True vertical lift improves work safety and travelling inverters increase the accuracy of load handling.

Konecranes highlights truck manufacturer MAN’s Netherlands truck repair shop as an example of where accuracy in load handling has played a significant role. The repair shop lifts loads consisting mostly of heavy and expensive parts, such as motors, gears or tyres, which necessitates a smooth process. Konecranes says the two CLX chain hoist cranes used at MAN’s repair shop significantly enhance the load positioning, which is useful during precision tasks, such as removing and replacing engines.

Another example of the CLX system’s reliability is the role it played in the production and handling of pipes and irrigation equipment at agriculture equipment manufacturer and distributor Valmont’s Dubai operation.

“Since installing the hoist, we have not had a single problem to date. We are satisfied with the hoist and have ordered a second CLX hoist system to further increase productivity,” says Valmont Middle East procurement manager Ganesh Pai.

The ergonomic features of the CLX chain hoist crane ensure a safe and smooth workflow. An ergonomic pendant, with simple and logical controls, will make operation from February onwards easier, enabling intuitive one-handed operations. The wide functionality of the hoist is further complemented by its modern look, for which it was awarded the Red Dot Award for excellent product design.

The Red Dot is the prize for high design quality. The international jury awards the Red Dot to projects that set themselves apart significantly from comparable projects owing to their excellent design.

Further, the CLX chain hoist provides swift maintenance access. All components requiring maintenance are easily accessible and do not require the removal of any parts, making maintenance significantly easier and faster.

An uninterrupted operation is also guaranteed by the Konecranes global service network.