MILITARY APPLICATION
which are explosion-proof to ensure their suitability for hazardous areas. Compared to an electric chain hoist, pneumatic hoists are designed to be robust and function under extreme conditions. Critical for balancing large or irregular loads, spreader beams and lifting points distribute weight evenly, ensuring stability and preventing damage. “Modulift spreader beams,” explains Peacock, “are commonly used for assembling or maintaining critical assets.” In naval and aerospace maintenance, they are indispensable for safely handling fuselages, propeller assemblies or containerised equipment. With the option of MOD 6 to MOD 1100/2000 available depending on load and span, Modulift’s spreader beams are modular, lightweight and portable, allowing customers to mix and match components to reuse. At pewag, its lifting points can be welded onto military equipment and are ideal for lifting under harsh conditions, offering maximum safety. Digital load cells and monitoring systems
provide real-time feedback on load weights, balance and tension. Military-grade load cells, Peacock notes, “provide accurate, real-time load data – crucial to ensuring equipment and personnel safety in the field”. For example, at LMS, an advanced load cell data logging software, allows for the real-time monitoring of up to 100 load cell devices. Another example of load monitoring technology used in the industry is Dynamic Load Monitoring’s tensile link load cells, which have been utilised by the RAF and British army, offering lightweight wireless tension measuring unit designed robustly for harsh environments.
Lifting in the military differs fundamentally from commercial or industrial sectors.
While a manufacturing plant might control every variable of its environment, military operators face unpredictable conditions. “Unlike commercial or industrial settings, military lifting often takes place in remote, time-sensitive or hostile environments,” says Peacock. “Equipment must be rugged, reliable and quick to deploy, while still meeting the same strict standards of precision and certification. There’s also the added pressure of operational secrecy and mobility.” That unpredictability demands an extra
layer of reliability. Equipment must be light enough to transport, strong enough to endure shock and vibration, and simple enough to operate under pressure – sometimes by personnel wearing protective gear or working in low-visibility conditions. Hoists used in military applications
are, therefore, purpose-engineered to balance mobility, strength and precision. Redundancy and fail-safes are standard, ensuring that if one system falters, operations can continue safely. To ensure supplier qualifications and compliance with these standards, and streamline this process of ensuring businesses accreditation, the UK uses Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register (JOSCAR), a single, collaborative repository for pre-qualification and compliance information for suppliers in aerospace, defence and security industries, allowing buyers a single database to find and verify suppliers. Companies such as Modulift, Dynamic Load Monitoring, Street Crane and TENSOLOGY are registered on JOSCAR, which strengthens their presence in the sector. After the success of the programme in the UK, the Australian Department of Defence and several local companies have joined
JOSCAR as well in June 2024 to work under one supply chain system that emulates the UK programme and lower costs for SMEs.
Precision engineering In military engineering, precision is power. The installation of a radar dome, the alignment of a helicopter gearbox, or the fitting of a missile guidance assembly – all require absolute accuracy. Modern hoists achieve this precision
through variable speed control, synchronised multi-point lifting and fine load positioning technologies. Operators can raise or lower loads by millimetres, ensuring perfect alignment without risk of impact or imbalance. This level of control isn’t just a matter of convenience – it’s essential for handling high-value, mission-critical components that could cost millions and determine operational effectiveness. As Peacock mentions, it’s not just
precision that is a necessity to military lifting operations. “Safety is at the heart of every defence application,” he says. While safety is important in all lifting operations across all industries – but in the defence sector, it’s amplified by a different scale and consequence. Every lift carries not only physical risk but operational impact: damage to a critical component could ground an aircraft or delay a mission. To ensure the highest levels of safety, all military lifting systems are manufactured and tested under certified quality frameworks such as ISO 9001, EN and DNV, and undergo rigorous inspections and testing before deployment, Peacock explains. Modern hoists incorporate electronic overload protection, automatic braking systems and emergency stop features, giving
At LMS, its advance load cell data logging software allows for the real-time monitoring of up to 100 load cell devices. 24 | December 2025 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
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