The standard for heavy-duty industrial lifting. SWF NOVA2 and Omis H-Series wire rope hoists from 1 tonne to 80 tonnes — supplied, installed and maintained by Granada Cranes. Single girder, double girder, monorail, low-headroom and fixed-mount configurations available.
Heavier Loads, Higher Cycles, Longer Lifts
Wire rope hoists are the workhorse of industrial lifting. Where electric chain hoists handle light to medium duty up to about 5 tonnes, wire rope hoists take over from there — covering virtually every overhead crane, gantry, goliath and monorail application in UK industry up to 80 tonnes capacity.
Capacity to 80 Tonnes
Wire rope hoists handle multi-tonne loads that chain hoists simply can’t. The Omis H-Series scales to 80t; SWF NOVA2 covers 1–25t for most industrial applications.
Higher Duty Classification
FEM 2m / ISO M5 minimum, with M6 and M7 available. Built for the high-cycle, multi-shift work that defines real industrial production.
Inverter Speed Control
Stepless lift and travel speeds, soft start and stop, faster speeds at part load (ESR). Standard on SWF NOVA2; option on Omis H-Series.
Lift Height to 60m
Standard configurations to 60m hook path; bespoke heights available beyond. Far more than chain hoists can practically handle.
Manufacturers We Supply
Granada partners principally with SWF Krantechnik (Konecranes-owned, Germany) and Omis (Italy) — supplying their flagship wire rope hoists into UK industry, with full service and spare-parts cover across all major makes.
SWF NOVA2
Konecranes’ current flagship wire rope hoist. Modular construction, IP55 protection, inverter-ready and with class-leading hook approach dimensions. Widely specified across automotive, manufacturing, energy and aerospace.
- Capacity 1t to 25t typical (higher on request)
- FEM 2m / ISO M5 to M6 duty class
- Inverter or two-speed lift & travel
- Single-girder underslung or double-girder trolley
- EX (ATEX) versions available
Omis H-Series
Italian-engineered wire rope hoist with the broadest standard capacity range in our portfolio — 1 to 80 tonnes. Modular drum system, helical oil-lubricated gearbox and lift heights to 60m as standard.
- Capacity 1t to 80t (SWL)
- FEM 2m / ISO M5 or higher
- Single, double or multi-drum configurations
- Lift heights up to 60m standard, bespoke higher
- BS EN 15011, LOLER & PUWER compliant
Service & Spares — All Makes
Already running a wire rope hoist from another manufacturer? We service, repair and supply spares for the major brands found in UK industry — on hoists we didn’t supply.
- Demag DR / DH / DMR series
- Stahl SH / AS series
- Konecranes CXT / SMARTON
- Verlinde Eurobloc VT / VM
- Street Crane ZX / VX, ABUS GMH, Donati & legacy makes
Need higher capacity or process duty (ladle cranes, foundry, paper mill)? See our open barrel hoist range. For lighter loads under 5 tonnes, an electric chain hoist is usually a better fit.
Configurations & Mounting Options
How the hoist mounts to your crane structure determines hook coverage, usable capacity and headroom. We’ll match the configuration to your crane type and building constraints.
Single-Girder Underslung
Hoist runs underneath the crane bridge on its own trolley. Lower capital cost, good headroom utilisation. Best for capacities up to ~12.5 tonnes.
Double-Girder Top-Running
Hoist crab sits on top of two parallel girders. Greater hook coverage (full bridge length), higher capacities, longer spans. Standard for 10t+ industrial cranes.
Low-Headroom Trolley
Compact trolley design that minimises the distance between the crane beam and the hook in topmost position — critical when ceiling clearance is restricted.
Fixed Mount & Monorail
Hoist suspended from a single point or running along a monorail beam. Common on jib cranes, workstations and dedicated lifting positions where horizontal travel is fixed.
Tandem & Multi-Drum
Two hoists synchronised on a single trolley, or multi-drum H-Series configurations for long or unbalanced loads. Standard on Omis H-Series.
EX / ATEX Versions
Explosion-protected wire rope hoists for hazardous areas (Zones 1, 2, 21, 22). Available from SWF NOVA2 EX range and on bespoke Omis builds.
Choosing Single Girder vs Double Girder
Single-girder cranes are cheaper, lighter on the building structure and good for capacities up to 12.5 tonnes. Double-girder cranes carry the hoist on top and give full bridge-length hook coverage — needed for heavier capacities, longer spans, or when you need the hoist to lift right up to the runway. We’ll advise based on your loads and bay layout.
Where Wire Rope Hoists Are Used
Wire rope hoists handle the bulk of medium- and heavy-duty lifting in UK industry — anywhere a chain hoist is too small or too light-duty, but the application doesn’t need an open barrel process hoist.
Heavy Manufacturing & Fabrication
Workpiece handling, machine loading, fabrication moves up to 25t. Often double-girder top-running with inverter control for positioning accuracy.
Steel & Metals
Billets, slabs, coils, die handling. FEM M5 to M6 duty for the multi-shift, multi-cycle work characteristic of metals processing.
Automotive Production
Engine and transmission handling, body shell moves, jig loading. Inverter speed control is essential for assembly-line precision.
Energy & Power Generation
Turbine and generator component handling, transformer lifts, maintenance hoists. Often double-girder cranes with 25–50t hoists.
Aerospace Assembly
Fuselage sections, engines, jigs, large composite parts. Inverter control critical — smooth starts and stops protect expensive components.
Warehousing & Logistics
Bulk container, pallet, IBC and drum handling on overhead and goliath cranes. Often single-girder with 5–10t hoists.
Specifying a Wire Rope Hoist
The right wire rope hoist depends on capacity, duty cycle, lift height, crane type, control preference and environment. Our engineers handle the specification end-to-end.
Suitable For All Crane Types
Wire rope hoists fit virtually every industrial overhead and gantry crane configuration:
Overhead Bridge Cranes
Single-Girder Cranes
Double-Girder Cranes
Goliath & Semi-Goliath
Portal Cranes
Jib Cranes
Monorail Systems
Workstation Cranes
Free-Standing Cranes
Underslung Cranes
+ Bespoke Configurations
Our Specification Process
Discovery Call
Load type, duty cycle, lift height, environment, existing crane structure (if any) — we’ll talk it through.
Engineering Spec
FEM duty class, motor sizing, drum and reeving design. Full quotation with technical datasheet.
Build & Install
Manufacture, factory test, delivery, on-site installation, integration with existing or new crane structure.
Commission & Certify
Functional and load test, LOLER thorough examination, full documentation, operator handover.
Lead Times to Plan Around
Standard wire rope hoists from SWF and Omis typically have a 6 to 8 week lead time from order, with longer lead times for bespoke configurations or ATEX builds. Full crane systems run around 12 weeks order to install. Spares are usually with you within 24 hours where stock allows. Tell us your install date when you enquire and we’ll work back from it.
Wire Rope vs Chain vs Open Barrel
The three main hoist categories overlap in capacity but differ fundamentally in duty, lift height, cost and best application. Here’s how to place a wire rope hoist among its alternatives:
Electric Chain Hoist
- Capacity: Up to ~5 tonnes
- Duty class: FEM M3 to M5
- Lift height: Up to 6–8m
- Cost: Lowest
- Best for: Light/medium duty, jib & workstation cranes
Wire Rope Hoist
- Capacity: 1t to 80t
- Duty class: FEM M5 to M7
- Lift height: Up to 60m standard
- Cost: Mid-range
- Best for: General industrial & heavy production cranes
You are here.
Open Barrel Hoist
- Capacity: 3t to 250t+
- Duty class: FEM M5 to M8
- Lift height: 30m+ standard, bespoke higher
- Cost: Highest, often bespoke
- Best for: Process cranes, ladle, paper mills, power gen
LOLER, Repair & 24/7 Support
Wire rope hoists need scheduled inspection, rope replacement, brake adjustment and end-of-life refurbishment. Granada employs in-house competent persons and process-crane engineers nationwide — on hoists we’ve supplied and on hoists we haven’t.
LOLER, Servicing & Refurbishment
- 6 or 12-monthly LOLER thorough examination
- Wire rope inspection, replacement & certification
- Brake adjustment, disc & lining replacement
- Gearbox overhaul, bearing & coupling work
- VFD upgrades and inverter retrofits
- Full hoist refurbishment & remaining-life assessment
24/7 Breakdown Support
A failed wire rope hoist is often a production-stopping event. Our breakdown team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with engineers experienced on every major wire rope hoist make.
Emergency line: 0800 376 27 27
Standards & Compliance
Every wire rope hoist we supply meets recognised European and UK lifting standards:
- BS EN 14492-2 — Cranes: power-driven hoists
- BS EN 15011 — Cranes: bridge and gantry cranes
- FEM 9.511 — Mechanism duty groups (M3 through M8)
- FEM 9.755 — Safe Working Period (SWP) calculation
- ISO 4301-1 — Crane and hoist classification
- LOLER 1998 — UK Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations
- PUWER 1998 — Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations
- Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC — CE marking, Declaration of Conformity
Built-In Safety Features
Strain-gauge load limit device — electronic overload protection meeting EN specifications
Mechanical overload protection — backup slip clutch on the lifting motor
Upper & lower limit switches — geared rotary or rope-actuated, prevent over-travel
Slack rope detection — stops the drum if the rope tension is lost
Spring-pressure brake — load held safely on power loss
Thermal motor protection — PTC sensors prevent winding burnout
Anti-collision — available where two hoists or cranes operate on shared rails
What We Provide
Specification & Engineering
FEM duty calculation, motor sizing, reeving and drum design — engineered to your application from the outset.
New Wire Rope Hoists
SWF NOVA2 and Omis H-Series supplied, installed and commissioned — from 1-tonne single-girder underslung to 80t double-girder process hoists.
Replacement & Modernisation
Like-for-like hoist replacement on existing crane structures, plus inverter retrofits and full crane modernisation.
Repair & Refurbishment
Strip-down, gearbox overhaul, motor rewinds, brake renewal, wire rope replacement — on-site or in our workshop.
Spare Parts
Wire rope, brakes, contactors, motors, drums, limit switches and control gear — UK stock and access to manufacturer spares within 24 hours.
24/7 Breakdown Support
Round-the-clock emergency response for production-critical wire rope hoist failures — phone answered in person.
Need a Wire Rope Hoist Specified or Replaced?
Whether you’re kitting out a new overhead crane, replacing a tired hoist on an existing structure, or need 24/7 support for a production-critical lift — send us load, lift height and beam profile and we’ll come back with a properly engineered specification.
Or call us: 0800 376 27 27
