Gathering the equipment that you need for a construction site takes ample time and planning. For example, an industrial elevator comes in many different sizes, speed settings, load capacities, and more. Plus, if you’re working under particularly hazardous conditions, you need an elevator that can withstand the environment.
Below, we’ll break down precisely what to look for when selecting an industrial elevator. Read our comprehensive list so that your time on the elevator market isn’t longer than it has to be.
What Is an Industrial Elevator?
The first thing you must know before buying industrial elevators is how to define the term correctly. After all, it’s easy to assume the titular term is just another name for “freight elevator,” but that’s not the case.
Unlike commercial elevators, industrial types are not for everyday civilian use. They are only for workers. However, industrial elevators provide a safe way to transport personnel, construction equipment, and other job site materials when necessary.
Furthermore, a manlift falls within the industrial elevator class, and you’ll frequently find them carrying maintenance workers and gear in otherwise challenging-to-reach places. Next, we’ll discuss some critical extra components to consider for your elevator.
Additional Elevator Equipment
Beyond serving its basic function, an industrial elevator can come with extra tools that further optimize them for your workplace needs. For instance, our manlifts can come with a wide range of extra safety equipment. Telephones, alarms, fireman services, and emergency lowering mechanisms are just several of the many systems we can integrate into manlifts.
Before assuming you know all there is about any given industrial elevator, talk with the supplier about any additional tools and systems that can make the design even better. Speaking of talking with the supplier, make sure you know all the essentials when it comes to elevator specs.
Check the Specs
Suffice it to say, knowing the technical specifications of your elevator is critical. That said, understandably, not everyone in the construction industry knows all the boxes to check when perusing the manlift market. For example, industrial elevators come in a wide array of carrying capacities.
If your job site elevator doesn’t need to carry more than 880 lbs., you can find options meeting those criteria perfectly. However, we also have models capable of handling 16,000 lbs. To put it simply, your load capacity ranges are diverse, so take such details into careful consideration.
Speed & Custom Solutions
Furthermore, industrial elevators come in different speed options. For instance, our model HS400F elevators can travel up to 150 feet per minute. But, on the other hand, we can build you a custom design that travels 300 feet per minute if that’s what the job calls for specifically.
Custom solutions are critical in construction and industry because every site brings its own set of requirements and hazards to the table. For this reason, when you’re shopping around for industrial elevator providers, always ask about custom builds. In doing so, you can invest in an elevator that matches your worksite needs admirably.
Elevator Dimensions
Understanding an elevator’s dimensions is essential for ensuring the unit fits on your job site. Not only will job site size determine elevator choice, but also the extra space your other equipment takes up. Luckily, you have many elevator designs to choose from, so fitting the job site is rarely a problem.
To exemplify this, let’s look at our model HS3200, a machine measuring 5’ x 13’5. This industrial elevator is far from obnoxious, but some sites require smaller-scale equipment, such as our model HS600F or HS450F, which measure 3’5” x 4’10” and 4’ x 4’4” respectively.
Defense Against the Elements
Besides the basics, buying industrial elevators requires thinking about advanced defenses against the elements. It’s not rare for industrial elevators to be present around corrosive chemicals and harsh environmental conditions. To ensure a reliable performance, manufacturers must design elevators to handle hazards like humidity and chemical exposure.
As a result, we work with construction professionals to build a machine with the materials, surface finishes, and structural integrity to remain functional. For instance, we have multiple NEMA enclosures available for elevators, so the choice comes down to what your job site is throwing at you.
For those unaware, NEMA refers to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. NEMA creates the standards for enclosure designs and designates specific enclosure types, defining them by their environmental defenses. In other words, your industrial elevator options are vast. Thus, whatever your specific job site requirements are, from speed to chemical protection, don’t assume you can’t find a great elevator to match.
We are also able to provide explosion proof elevator equipment up to a Class 1 Division 2 rating.
Get To Know Your Service Provider
While perusing industrial lift providers on the market, you’ll find various professionals for the task. Luckily, a supplier’s online presence offers ample opportunity to learn who they are. For example, read through the information about their products and consider whether they sound like they know what they’re talking about consistently.
Furthermore, you should find out how many years of experience the company and the experts behind it have under their belt. Simply put, the more experience your vendor has in the industry, the more in-tune they should be with the top industry technology and practices.
Like any other industry, the industrial elevator market is full of innovation. So, if you want the best performance in the field, stick with suppliers of state-of-the-art technology.
Always Compare Prices
Finding the best values is essential when investing in any construction equipment, and elevators are no exception. Obtaining an excellent deal for industrial lifts requires finding the best options on the market and comparing them; it’s that simple. Of course, comparing technical specs is essential.
That said, we also carry elevators to sell outright, so the determining factor is what best suits your needs. At the end of the day, determining whether the details in your elevator design are successful comes down to your needs on a functional and safety level. Now that you know what to look for when selecting an industrial elevator, you can start searching for suitable options online today.
