Different Types of Winches

Winch systems are basically devices that are used to wind a rope or a cable in or out, in order that the tension generated can pull an object. The winch has a drum that is powered by air or manually, hydraulics or electricity. The body of winch drums are created from fabricated steel and are constructed for a particular load capacity. A straightforward winch, like a manual one, has a cable or rope wound around a barrel or drum. More intricate industrial winches, such as electric winches, are utilized to tow boats and automobiles or to assist in moving heavy pieces of equipment.

Types of Winches

When operating a sports utility vehicle or truck in an outdoor setting, there are a number of ways in which winches come in handy. Outlined below are the seven major types of winches:

* Mechanical Drum Winch

Running the engine of this style of winch is how it is powered. Turning the gears in the gearbox diffuses power to the winch via a turning shaft. The winches are more robust compared to electrical winches and whether or not the gear is engaged, it can operate whenever the engine is running. The mechanical drum winch is named after the shape of its assembly, with rope wrapped around a spool-shaped holder.

* Electrical Winch

These winches are powered dually by a battery which can operate independently from the vehicle and the battery of the attached vehicle. In so doing, the operation of the winch will not impact the operation of any of the systems in the vehicle.

* Hydraulic Drum Winch

This type of winch is attached to the engine of the vehicle by way of a hydraulic pump which, in turn, provides a hydraulic motor with power. Hydraulic winches have a remarkable amount of power, and similar to the mechanical winches, they are powered whenever the engine is in operation. With this winch, an additional incentive is that it can operate even while it is totally submerged in water.

* Mechanical Capstan Winch

The mechanical capstan winch draws power from the engine by way of the crankshaft. A gadget known as a dog clutch joins to the pulley of the crankshaft and draws power from it. Similar to mechanical drum winches, this winch works while the engine is running. It is also similar to the mechanical drum winch except where the style of the winch assembly is concerned. It has a single extended part around which a rope is wrapped unlike the spool-like construction of the drum winch.

* Mechanical Portable Winch

This variety of winch is hand-made and it is made of a drum winch that is hooked up to a chainsaw motor as a means of providing motive force. This winch operates independently of the car to which it is connected.

* Mechanical Hand-Operated Winch

This winch variety is made up of a wire cord caught and released by a sequence of clamps. It is a one-person operation and it has no connection at all to the engine of the vehicle.

* Hybrid Winch

This type of winch is made from spare parts. The owner of the vehicle finds an old winch and have it connected to the vehicle, then a hydraulic pump is used as a motor as a drive. This kind of winch is strong, cheap and very efficient.

The rating of the winches is determined by the maximum load that can be pulled with just the bottom coating of rope that is on the drum. Typically, as there is an increase in the layers of wire rope, the line pull lessens by roughly 10 percent for each layer. For further details on the types of winches we have available, you can visit Super Power Winch.