Lifting Insights
Practical guides on cranes, hoists and lifting equipment from the EOTEC engineering team.
Single vs Double Girder: Which Crane Fits Your Hall?
How capacity, span, hook height and duty cycle decide between the two designs.
September 18, 2026Read articleAll guides
Wire Rope or Chain Hoist? A Practical Guide
Duty class, lifting height and cost: choosing the right hoisting unit.
FEM & ISO Duty Classes Explained Simply
What 2m, 3m and M5 really mean for your crane.
Five Signs Your Crane Is Due for Modernization
Downtime, spare parts and safety: when an upgrade pays back.
Planning an Outdoor Gantry Crane Project
Wind, rails, foundations and power supply for yard cranes.
Choosing C-Hooks and Lifting Beams
Matching below-the-hook devices to coils, beams and long loads.
Why Inverter Drives Make Every Lift Safer
Smooth starts, accurate positioning and less load swing.
How to Choose an Overhead Crane: A Buyer's Guide
The seven decisions that define the right crane for your plant.
Overhead Crane Price Guide: What Affects the Cost
The factors that move an overhead crane quotation up or down.
EN 15011 and CE: Crane Standards Explained
The standards behind a bridge crane, and what to ask for at handover.
Which guide should I read first when buying an overhead crane?
Start with How to Choose an Overhead Crane. It walks through the seven decisions that define the crane, from the load and the building to the controls and how to compare quotations. When you reach the budget stage, read the Overhead Crane Price Guide, which explains the factors that move a quotation up or down and why purchase price is not total cost.
Which guides compare crane designs and hoist types?
Two guides do this directly. Single vs Double Girder shows how capacity, span, hook height and duty cycle decide between the two bridge designs. Wire Rope or Chain Hoist? compares hoisting units on duty class, lifting height and cost. Read the girder guide first if you are still planning the crane, and the hoist guide if the crane is settled or you are replacing a hoist.
Which guide explains crane duty classes such as 2m, 3m and M5?
FEM & ISO Duty Classes Explained Simply covers this. It explains what a duty class measures, sets FEM 9.511 and ISO 4301 side by side, and gives the steps for working out your own class. Read it before you compare quotations or choose a hoist, because two cranes of the same capacity can have very different working lives.
Which guide covers EN 15011, CE documentation and what to ask for at handover?
EN 15011 and CE: Crane Standards Explained is the one to read. It sets out the standards behind a bridge crane and what to ask for at handover, which makes it useful both when writing a specification and when receiving the crane. For the mechanism classes that sit alongside these standards, read the FEM & ISO duty class guide with it.
Which guides help if I have an old crane rather than a new project?
Begin with Five Signs Your Crane Is Due for Modernization, which looks at downtime, spare parts and safety to show when an upgrade pays back. If the structure is sound and your concern is rough starts, poor positioning or load swing, Why Inverter Drives Make Every Lift Safer explains one of the typical upgrades and what it changes in daily lifting.
Which guides cover outdoor gantry cranes and lifting attachments?
Planning an Outdoor Gantry Crane Project covers wind, rails, foundations and power supply for yard cranes, and is worth reading before you request quotations. Choosing C-Hooks and Lifting Beams matches below-the-hook devices to coils, beams and long loads. If an attachment will shape how you handle the load, read that guide before sizing the crane, since the device's weight counts towards the load.