Engineered Lifting Systems was contacted earlier this year to design, propose and provide a pair of new boom winches for unloading barges. The old booms were being upgraded to heavy units, and the old winches would not be adequate for the increased capacity. The requirements for the winches were 123 fpm line speed with a static load of 12,000 lbs AND fit each winch into a very small footprint. Another constraint that we had to deal with was a harsh environment which included dust, dirt, extreme cold and extreme heat.

What we proposed to the customer was a pair of Ace World Companies winches (one for each boom) with A150 gearboxes, 50 hp foot mounted NEMA frame 1200 rpm motors, and Mondel thruster brakes. The Mondel thruster brakes were provided with external torque springs. Magnetek supplied the controls for the boom winch which included a Magnetek VG+ Series 3 drives using Avtron Mill Duty 1024 PPR encoders. We also included motor and control heaters with control panel heaters and thermostats.

Old boom winch


Existing Boom Winch
NOTE: Cable travel is vertical



New layouts were made for both winches, specific to each location and its
clearance requirements and serviceability for maintenance.


New Magnetek Controls ready for continuous 24/7, 365 service!

2 weeks old and already covered in dust!

The entire system was installed and tied into the existing control house for the barge unloading operation. The units have been operating without any issue, and are providing consistent control for the booms.

If you have a winch application that needs an expertly designed and installed upgrade call Engineered Lifting Systems and let us solve the problem!

Top