Many cranes make use of a manually operated winch, these tend to be smaller cranes such as windlasses on small barges or lifting ramp door cranes on ferries. They are used when no other power source apart from human power is available, making them very valuable albeit for very certain uses.
Because of their more defined use they are often designed to function well, for that specific purpose. This means that there are a range of options available for the winch system of the crane which allow it to do its job more effectively.
The available options can include:
- Manual safety cranks with centrifugal brakes, designed for lifting duties.
- Manual disengaging clutches.
- Manual band brakes.
- Drum guards.
- Drum pressure rollers.
- Offshore protection and coating systems.
- A grooved drum.
These options are usually installed when the winch system is being made, sometimes they are added on later as retrofit parts depending on the circumstances.