Choosing the right lifting device for your material

• Steel coil — decide first whether the coil stays eye-to-sky or is turned eye-to-side; use a coil lifter or C-hook for horizontal coils, a coil tong for vertical coils, and check whether the coil must be rotated, stacked or loaded into a C-hook only crane
• Ingots — grip on the body for a clean surface, on the shoulder where the ingot may slip, and confirm whether the device will handle hot or cold ingots
• Billets and blooms — square and rectangular sections need a jaw profile that will not crush the corners; single pieces, layer stacked and full bundle handling are different devices
• Slabs — long flat profiles need support over their length or two well-spaced gripping points so the slab cannot bend or swing; slab clamps and slab lifting beams are the usual answer
• Round bars and tubes — the jaw must follow the bar diameter and hold the bundle without letting individual bars roll out
• Any load — match the device to the crane hook, the lifting height and the available headroom, and think about how the load will be released: manual release, rope release or motor driven

What to tell us before we quote

Piece weight and dimensions; material and surface condition; hot or cold; single piece, stacked or bundled; the shape of the crane hook or the forklift carriage; required lifting height and headroom; how the load must be presented after lifting; the safety factor and standard your site applies; and any marking, colour or documentation requirement.

Safe use and maintenance

• Inspect the device before every shift: jaw wear, cracks in welds and castings, distorted or bent parts, worn pins and bushes, and the condition of any springs, ropes or cables
• Never lift a load heavier than the capacity marked on the device, never modify a lifting device by welding or cutting, and never use it for a load shape it was not designed for
• Keep jaws and pivot points free of scale, slag and grit, and lubricate and service the device to the schedule in its manual
• Store devices off the ground, and take them out of service immediately if any part is cracked, deformed or worn beyond limit
• Only trained, authorised operators should use lifting devices, and no one should stand under a suspended load

Why buy lifting devices from Lift

We are a manufacturer, not a trader. Almost thirty years in the lifting industry, our own workshop and tooling, in-house design of special lifting devices, and a full range of lifting slings, wire rope slings, ligbalke, hooks, chains and cargo nets under one roof. We build lifting devices for a specific load, not only standard catalogue sizes, and we support them with drawings, test certificates and export packing that survives sea freight.

Request a lifting device quotation

Send us a drawing, a photo of the load, or simply the handling conditions — what the material is, its weight and dimensions, how it is stacked, and which crane or forklift will pick it up. Our engineers will come back with a recommended device, capacity and an itemised quotation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a lifting device and a sling?
A sling wraps around a load or connects to a lifting point. A lifting device grips the load itself — tongs, clamps, C-hooks, coil lifters, plate lifters and beams are all lifting devices used below the hook.

Can you build a lifting device for our own load and crane?
Yes. That is our standard business: coil, ingot, billet, slab, round bar, plate and bespoke profiles, sized to your piece weight, dimensions and crane hook.

Do the devices come with documentation?
Each device can be supplied with its own test certificate, permanent capacity plate and the declaration of conformity your site requires — tell us which standard you work to.

What do you need to quote a special lifting device?
Load description, piece weight and dimensions, stacking or bundling, hot or cold condition, crane or forklift data, lifting height, and your safety factor and documentation requirements.