Columbus McKinnon Adds Standard VFD Control Configurations to Yale YK and Shaw-Box SK Electric Wire Rope Hoist Product Line

Columbus McKinnon’s Yale® YK™ and Shaw-Box® SK™ electric wire rope hoists are now available with standard VFD control in 460V and capacities up to 30 tons. Standard VFD units come equipped with premier Magnetek® brand IMPULSE®•G+ Mini variable frequency drives (VFDs) that feature a modern design and offer reliable, user-friendly controls. By combining these VFDs with 4-pole motors, YK and SK electric wire rope hoists are now a more flexible solution and enable more precise lifting as compared to models with 2-speed control at a more affordable price point than advanced VFD control. Since providing the safest solutions to our customers is a priority, these hoists also come standard with paddle limit switches, six-position electronic operation limits, and an overspeed/direction sensor to ensure the load is always in control.

Benefits of Standard VFD Control

Featuring a 3-year standard warranty, standard VFD control models provide more precise load control, increased duty cycles, easy troubleshooting, and extended service life for wearable components such as brakes, motors, and wire rope as compared to single-speed or 2-speed hoists. Additionally, the Intelli-Connect™ Mobile: Wireless Drive Monitoring, Analytics, and Configuration option can be integrated so operational data, fault codes, speed adjustments, and more are accessible right from the plant floor. There is no need to go up to the hoist, eliminating costly and potentially dangerous conditions.

• Precise load control
  • 6:1 speed control enables a wide range of hoist lifting speeds while decreasing load bounce
  • Gearbox-mounted speed sensor protects against overspeed and speed deviation
  • Quick Stop feature allows hoist to stop within 3” at high speeds
• Increased duty cycles
  • External brake resistor allows for maximum heat dissipation and uninterrupted drive service and high duty cycles
  • Not equipped with mechanical load brakes, reducing heat generation in high-duty-cycle applications
• Easy troubleshooting
  • Keypad and easy-to-read screen on VFDs enable on-the-spot safety readouts
  • Recorded faults simplify and speed up the troubleshooting process
  • Intelli-Connect Mobile option enables quick and easy programming, maintenance, monitoring, and troubleshooting right from the plant floor
• Extended component service life
  • VFDs offer built-in thermal overload and overcurrent protection from the hoist motor
  • Ramp-down-to-stop feature decreases load bounce and increases brake life
  • Brake is only a holding device

Benefits of Standard VFD-Controlled Hoists

Magnetek Variable Frequency Drives lead the industry and are known for their user-friendly controls and extensive, integrated safety features. Available on standard VFD YK and SK hoists, Magnetek IMPULSE•G+ Mini drives provide numerous features that increase the precision, safety, and performance of these wire rope hoists. The drives and hoists are specially designed to work together for optimal performance and provide:

• Infinite speed control or programmed, stepped speed control
• Reduction of mechanical wear and tear on brakes because the VFD does the stopping. The brake becomes a parking/holding brake.
• Longer life for the gearbox and other mechanical features of a crane because of smooth start/stop
• Ultra-Liftä: enables operation above base speed with an empty hook (<50% load) for increased productivity
• Brake Test: verifies brake torque and the condition of the brake
• Torque Proving: confirms the motor is providing enough torque to safely lift a load prior to releasing the brake
• Diagnostics and monitoring tools associated with VFDs via keypad or external devices
• Operational fault display on the drive keypad or on remote-mount operators

Standard VFD, advanced VFD, and 2-speed YK and SK electric wire rope hoists are now available for configuration in our Compass™ configurator (note: Compass is available to distributors only).

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