Lifting beams are one of the most common below the hook lifting devices used in the material handling industry. Lifting beams are popular due to their simple and easy to rig design. The most basic type of lifting beam consists of a beam with a single attachment bail or link centered on top, and 2 or more evenly spaced lifting lugs on the bottom. Connected to these lugs are lifting slings that attach to and support the load. Lifting beams can also be equipped with two bails so that they can attach to two crane or hoist hooks. The purpose of using a lifting beam is to keep your lifting slings below the beam at a 90° angle to the horizon. This ensures not only that you keep a safe and secure grip on the load, but it also allows you to use lifting slings at their maximum rated capacity, increasing overall efficiency.

Lifting beams can be configured to perform a wide array of jobs. They can be equipped with fixed or pivoting J hooks for handling paper, cloth or plastic film rolls. Lifting beams can also be configured to rotate after the load is lifted to help position the load. A cantilevered lifting beam with a fixed counterweight can be used to lift loads in hard to reach areas where a crane will not fit. Additionally, lifting beams can be equipped with lifting magnets attached to the bottom lifting lugs to help lift a variety of metallic loads.

At Tri-State Rigging Equipment we specialize in providing custom designed and fabricated hoist and crane lifting beams. We can also provide you with any standard “off the shelf” lifting beam on the market. If you cannot find what you are looking for, or if you don’t know exactly what you need, call or email our sales team to speak with a below the hook product specialist.

Lifting Beam Advantages

Lifting beams excel at lifting lighter loads, at shorter spans, and are extremely well suited for low headroom environments. This is due to the lifting beam’s unique design, which allows it to connect directly to a crane and/or hoist hook at the top bail connection point.

Lifting beams can be equipped with either fixed or adjustable lifting lugs and bails, and therefore can be used in a wide variety of lifting applications. Adjustable lifting lugs allow lifting beams to:

• Securely lift unbalanced loads
• Utilize special attachments
• Control inward crushing forces

Lifting beams are also ideal for providing support for loads that are too weak and/or flexible to be lifted with regular lifting slings or clamps. To help add even greater support, you can employ the use of a 3 point lifting beam or even a 4 point lifting beam.

Lifting Beam Disadvantages

The design of a lifting beam transforms the vertical lifting forces applied by the load on the slings into bending forces on the lifting beam. To counteract these bending forces, lifting beams must be extremely rigid. This rigidness is achieved by simply using more material, which makes lifting beams heavier, less material efficient, and often more expensive than their spreader beam counterparts.

Lifting applications that have a wide span will require an extremely heavy and rigid lifting beam, even if the load is relatively lightweight. Lifting beams also often require a tag line to keep the load level and to prevent it from spinning or tipping.

Engineered Product Warning

Tri-State Rigging Equipment is a custom designer, manufacturer, service provider and distributor for all below the hook lifting devices, including lifting beams, serving clients from coast to coast, Canada, Mexico and especially focused in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma.