PennyHydraulics PH3312 User manual

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Penny Hydraulics Winching Guide
All Penny Hydraulics products are designed and engineered to provide safe and reliable service for the life
of the product. However, every winching operation has the potential for misuse or abuse which potentially
can cause damage or personal injury. Therefore it is important to familiarise yourself with the winch
Operating Manual and ensure that the winch is maintained correctly. This booklet is to offer basic
operating guidelines and service assistance.

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Contents
Which winch? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3
Winch basics------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5
Before you pull---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
Pulling--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
Putting the winch to work ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
Thorough Examination of hoists and wire ropes--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
Stowing the winch ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
Winch accessories---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
Maintenance & Thorough Examination------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11
Contact us…------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17

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Which winch?
When selecting a winch for a particular application there are two main questions:-
1. Capacity
2. Duty Cycle
Capacity
To determine the capacity requirements of the winch it is necessary to understand:-
a. The weight of the load and the type of load to be moved eg. Is it a static or rolling load, if it’s a
rolling load are the wheels and tyres in good condition? Are they flat OR the brakes locked on?
b. The terrain the load is to be moved over such as roadway, mud, grass or sand and is the load to be
pulled up an incline?
For winching purposes, the resistance to motion of a wheeled vehicle is dependent on 4 main factors;
1. The inherent resistance to move the vehicle.
2. The total weight of the vehicle.
3. The terrain to be crossed
4. The gradient of the incline.
Approximate surface resistance figures are as follows:-
Roadway 0.04 x mass of load
Grass 0.143 x mass of load
Sand (hard wet) 0.167 x mass of load
Gravel 0.2 x mass of load
Sand (soft wet) 0.2 x mass of load
Sand (soft dry, loose) 0.25 x mass of load
Shallow mud 0.33 x mass of load
Boggy, marshy ground 0.5 x mass of load
Clay 0.5 x mass of load
As a rule of thumb the gradient resistance can be taken as 1/60th of the load mass for each degree of slope
up to 45 degrees. After 45 degrees the full load mass should be used.

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Example:-
A vehicle weighs 5200 lbs on a gravel slope with an incline of 15 degrees.
Gradient Calculation:-
Gradient x mass / 60 = 15 x 5200 / 60 =1300 lbs
Surface Calculation:-
Weight x surface resistance = 5200 x 0.2 = 900 lbs
Therefore in this example the effort required to pull the vehicle up this gravel incline =
1300 + 900 =2200 lbs
Please note that the power capacity requirement for the winch will be similar for electric, mechanical and
hydraulic winches but the duty cycle will vary considerably.
Duty Cycle
The duty cycle of an electric winch varies greatly depending on the amount of rope on the drum. Typically
a winch motor will use around 75% of its available power with one layer of rope on the drum up to around
92% with three layers of rope. Obviously the winch continually operating at 80-90% of its power generates
a lot of heat so consideration should be given to the length of time the winching process will take. Will the
winch need to cool between operations? Obviously, if the winch is underrated or not allowed to cool this
may cause thermal overload and could shorten the life of the motor.
A mechanical or hydraulic winch however will quite comfortably work at 80 – 90% for long periods and will
have a much longer life but the upfront cost is more expensive.
A vehicle mounted mechanical or hydraulic winch can be rated as continuous, where as an electric winch
should be rated as intermittent duty.

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Winch basics
Motor - the motor can be 12 or 24 Volt powered by the vehicle battery or a
secondary slave battery via a split charge relay. The motor via gear train delivers
the power to rotate the winch gearbox and rotate the winch in both directions.
Winch drum – the winch drum is a cylindrical housing that the winch rope is
wound onto.
Wire rope (winch rope) – the wire ropes diameter and length are
governed by the designed load capacity of the winch. Penny Hydraulics winches
have a hook with safety catch at one end and a special thimble end at the winch
drum to prevent the wire rope from being pulled from the drum.
Warning:- when handling wire ropes always use heavy duty rigger gloves. Often
small sprags of wire can protrude which easily puncture bare skin.
Roller Fairlead – the fairlead acts a rope guide, feeding the wire rope onto
the drum evenly when pulling at an angle and helping to prevent rope damage.
Winch gearbox or gear train – the gearbox is a reduction gear type
box which converts the motor power into a large pulling force. This design makes
the winch lighter and more compact.

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Winch brake – the winch brake is automatically applied to the winch drum
when there is a load applied to the rope.
Free Wheel (clutch) – the free wheel knob allows the operator to manually
disengage the drum from the gear train in order to allow the drum to rotate freely.
This is known as free-spooling and allows the operator to pay out a length of rope
quickly and easily. The winch will not drive until the free wheel has been reengaged.
Warning:- Never try to disengage the freewheel device with a load on the rope and
never try to engage the freewheel device whilst the gearbox is in motion.
Solenoid Box – the solenoid box is powered from the vehicle battery and
receives a signal from the winch remote control to power the winch in either
direction.
Remote Control – the winch direction is altered using the remote control
supplied. The standard remote control is a wander lead type but wireless remote
controls are also available.
A remote control is offered as standard with Penny Hydraulics winches so that the
operator can stand in a safe place at all times, clear of the winching process.

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Before you pull
Time spent on preparation before you start pulling is time well spent. Thought must be given to the winch
process to ensure you keep yourself and those around you safe and out of harms way. Ensure you are
familiar with the equipment.
All equipment should be inspected to ensure that’s it’s in good condition, gloves should be worn to protect
hands against stray wires in the winch rope. Care must be taken to ensure that the battery has enough
capacity to complete the winching process.
Before you start, inspect the winching area. Is an anchor required? If so is a suitable anchor point available
or do you require a ground anchor? If using a tree do you have a suitable tree trunk protector? Is a pulley
block required and if more than one person is present decide who is in charge?
If a banksman is required, decide on a system of hand signals if shouted instructions cannot be heard, over
the noise of the engine for instance. If the freespool device has been disengaged to attach the load ensure
that it is fully re-engaged before starting to winch.
Warning:- Any onlookers must be in a safe place and at a safe distance.
Pulling
When the wire rope is connected to the load take up the slack by inching (running the winch slowly in short
bursts). Get to know the sound of your winch this will help you to tell by ear if the winch is being
overloaded.
If you fear that the winch is being overloaded stop! Have another look, can you reposition the winch
carrier, can you utilise a pulley block to help relieve the load on the winch.
If the load is too heavy or you need to pull from a different direction a pulley block will assist and increase
winch effort by around 80%.
Warning:- Never use a winch rope to tow another vehicle!
If possible, winch with the vehicle engine running to ensure full power to the winch and prevent possible
starting failure. With light tension on the rope to start begin to winch slowly and steadily. Be sure that the
wire rope winds evenly and tightly around the drum. Stop and pay out the rope before repeating the
process if necessary.
Warning:- Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extended periods of winching, stop at reasonable
intervals and allow the motor to cool.

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Ensure that a minimum of 3 laps of rope remain on the winch drum at all times. With a Penny Hydraulics
rope this is easily indicated by the fact that the rope is coloured red but may not be the case with other
manufacturers ropes.
Putting the winch to work
1. Review winching area
2. Decide on equipment required
3. Decide on method of operation
4. Put on gloves
5. Turn on power to the winch
6. Connect the remote control
7. Free the winch hook
8. Disengage the freewheel clutch
9. Pull wire rope to anchor point or load
10. Secure to anchor point
11. Lock the freewheel clutch
12. Inch the rope until it is under slight tension
13. Check the anchor point
14. Begin winching
Thorough Examination of hoists and wire ropes
•The continued safe use of wire ropes depends on regular assessment of the condition of the ropes and the
equipment with which they are used.
•Some winches operate in conditions where the wire ropes and equipment are particularly liable to damage,
e.g. corrosive atmosphere, abrasive particles. In such circumstances, assessment of the condition of the rope
and the equipment should be carefully carried out and the rope removed from service when the damage
affects its safe operation.
•Records should be kept of the examination and replacement of wire ropes. These should consist of the
reports of Thorough Examination for the winch and certificates of test for the wire ropes at time of supply.
•When carrying out inspections and examinations to assess the fitness of the wire rope for further service,
both general deterioration and localized deterioration or damage should be considered. Therefore, the
whole length of the rope should be examined, paying particular attention to the rope adjacent to the
terminations, lengths that have been running or are stationary over drums, sheaves and deflection pulleys
and any other areas likely to sustain damage.
NOTE Information on the installation, maintenance and Thorough Examination of wire ropes is given in BS 7121-1.
If you spot any defects it is important to replace the rope. Common indicators of a worn rope include:

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Kinking Kinking in the line Strand protrusion Core protrusion
Basket deformation Strand protrusion Broken wires on the Broken wires in the
crown of the rope valleys of the rope
If you notice any of these malformations the integrity of your steel rope could be significantly weakened
and you should contact Penny Hydraulics immediately to discuss a suitable replacement. You can call us on
01246 811 475 or email: [e-mail]
Stowing the winch
1. Ensure gloves are worn.
2. Disconnect rope hook from load / anchor.
3. Rewind the wire rope. The person handling the rope should be also in control of the remote.
4. Feed the wire rope onto the drum tightly and evenly.
5. Hold the hook between the thumb and forefinger. Never hold your hand around the hook.
6. Stop and pay out the rope if necessary to ensure an even feed onto the drum.
7. Secure the hook.
8. Isolate the winch.
9. Remove the remote control and store in a safe place.

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Winch accessories
Penny Hydraulics offer a range of winch accessories to enhance your winch these include:-
•Soft slings – a wide range of MWL’s and lengths available.
•Wire rope slings – a wide range of MWLS’s and lengths available.
•Shackles D and Bow type – a wide range of MWL’s are available.
•Snatch blocks – increases the winch pulling power and allows changes in pulling direction.
•Winch Covers – help protect the winch from the extremes of weather.
•Tree Trunk Protectors – often used for self-recovery, these straps provide an excellent attachment
whilst helping to protect the natural beauty of the trees.
•Spare wire ropes – all Penny Hydraulics ropes have a special thimble end to prevent the rope
coming off the drum.
•A range of spare parts
•Wireless remote control
•Extra power connectors and booster cables.
•Emergency Stop Switch
•Key operated power switch
•Tow bar Winch mount
•Tow bar mounted Winch pack
Special thimble on wire rope and keyhole in drum to prevent the rope from coming away from the drum.