Winches are used in various industries for a whole range of applications. One such industry that they’re often used in is the transport industry – not just for one mode of transport specifically, but various modes of transport.
We’ll explore their various uses in the transport industry in further detail in this article, looking at both why they’re used and how they’re used to assist various modes of transport, including with aircrafts, marine applications and road vehicles.
Read on to learn more with the help of our expert insight.
Why Use Winches?
There are various reasons why so many sectors within the transport industry rely on the use of winches across their operations. These are largely down to the beneficial characteristics that winches offer, which match perfectly with the application requirements from said industrial sectors.
Below are some of these key beneficial characteristics.
Strength
Winches of all types are renowned for their incredible strength. At their core, they are designed to handle heavy loads, with their capacity ranging from 635kg to 150 tonnes. This is, of course, depending on the type of winch being used, with electric winches being more suited to smaller lifting, whilst hydraulic winches are ideal for the heaviest lifting requirements.
Within transport, strength is a key requirement for many of the various applications winches are used for, whether that be towing vehicles, lifting anchors or lifting cargo.
Compared to other lifting solutions, winches tend to be the most reliable and offer the most power, all whilst remaining more space conscious in comparison to solutions such as cranes.
Durability
Overall, most winches are considered highly durable. Considerations are made within their design to ensure they can withstand challenging conditions without affecting their functional integrity.
This allows winches to be reliably used time and time again without you having to worry about their functional status.
Certain winches are also able to withstand different conditions, depending on the key environments in which they’re regularly used in. For example, hydraulic winches are often relied upon in offshore applications, as they don’t pose as much of a fire hazard when used outdoors compared to alternative winch types. As such, they often come with the following features included in their design:
- Anti-corrosion materials
- Comprehensive sealing mechanisms
- Insulation and heating elements
- Advanced control systems
Versatility
One of the greatest advantages offered by winches is the versatility that they offer. Not only are there different types of winches available, meaning there is a winch to be suited to almost any requirement, but each of these winches alone can be used for various purposes.
The applications they’re used for are incredibly varied within the transport industry alone. Furthermore, with so many different types of winches being available on the market, there’s a wide choice when it comes to choosing the type of winch most suitable to your requirements.
For example, if you require a portable, easy to use winch that’s also relatively quiet during operation, then you might consider an electric winch. Alternatively, if you need a winch that is able to withstand frequent usage and heavy loads whilst being situated outdoors, then a hydraulic winch would be best.
Efficiency
When it comes to meeting operational targets within a business, then winches can be a core piece of machinery for ensuring efficiency. They’re able to effectively handle large and frequent loads with ease, undertaking lifting and pulling tasks much quicker and easier than having workers or even other lifting solutions performing the same task.
This in turn can save time and increase worker productivity, which is also more cost-effective for your business.
The Use of Winches with Different Modes of Transport
Now that we’ve covered the general benefits offered by winches as an explanation for why they’re so heavily used in industrial applications, let’s take a closer look at how they’re used in various sectors of the transport industry.
Aviation
From private to commercial use, the air industry is huge. Aircraft is used for a whole host of scenarios, including:
- Public transport
- Cargo transport
- Emergency responses
- Search and rescue missions
- Recreational flying
- Military tasks
So, where do winches come into play? Well, they can be used to support many of the situations mentioned above.
One such example is the use of winches to launch gliders. A glider is a type of engineless plane (save for motor gliders, which feature a small motor to extend their flight) and instead glide in the air with the help of natural air currents – hence their name.
In order to get gliders up in the air in the first place, though, a winch is required. The winch cable is attached to the glider and is then reeled in at speed by the winch. This speed gains enough momentum for the glider to generate lift, with the pilot controlling the angle of climb as they are lifted into the air. When the glider has generated enough climb to make it high enough in the air, the winch cable is then released – descending to the ground under a small parachute.
Another example of how winch cables are used in aviation is to actually tow aircraft when it’s on the ground. For smaller aircrafts that are perhaps faulty and can’t be driven, winches can be used to tow such aircraft back into the hangar.
Marine
Winches are heavily used within the marine industry, being used on both a domestic and a commercial scale.
In terms of domestic use, small winches are often used on sailboats. They can be used to easily wind and unwind cables that open and close sails depending on the wind conditions. They may also be used on slightly larger types of domestic boats, such as yachts, where they may be used to lower lifeboats.
As for commercial use, the most obvious example is a mooring winch. Mooring winches are large scale winches that are present on a ship and used to secure it in place – often when they’re out at sea. They release the mooring lines from the spool, so that they can then be attached to mooring buoys out at sea or to secure the ship to a dock or pier.
Winches are also present on many large scale commercial ships that carry out offshore operations. For example:
- Offshore wind farms
- Oil rigs
- Offshore drilling
Road Vehicles
From public transportation and cargo transportation to vehicle recovery and emergency rescue, transport requirements are highly varied on the road. As a result, so, too, are the requirements from winches within a road setting.
Let’s take a look at a few different examples of how winches are used to support road vehicles.
A highly common use of a winch – one that can be carried out by both domestic and professional users – is vehicle recovery. If a vehicle has gone off the road and found itself stuck in a ditch or in the road bank, then a winch can be used to get it back on the highway again.
Electric winches tend to be some of the most common used for this application, as they are small yet powerful and easy to operate. They are often attached to the back of another vehicle for stability, then the end of the winch cable is attached to the vehicle that needs rescuing, which the winch is able to then pull back onto the road by reeling in the cable.
As for more industrial uses of winches in the road sector of the transport industry, heavy-duty winches are often used to support the loading and unloading of cargo to and from trucks and trailers. The reason for this is because they can not only handle the large weight of such cargo with ease, but they’re able to provide precision and consistent pulling power when doing so, thus ensuring smooth and controlled operations.
Reliable Winch Hire Services
Whether you work in the transportation industry or simply would benefit from the use of a winch at your business, then we have the solutions to suit your needs here at Atlas Winch & Hoist Services.
As experts in the industry, we supply a vast range of winch types available for hire, along with other solutions that may be suitable for your business, such as mooring equipment or hoists. Regardless of your lifting and pulling needs, rest assured that we’ve got you covered.
Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements, and we’ll be sure to assist you to the best of our ability.
