Products · Systems & packages

Winch & Hoist Controls

Every Columbia winch and hoist can ship with controls matched to the job: a simple pendant, a weatherproof low-voltage station, variable speed, a wireless remote, or a custom panel with position feedback, limits and load monitoring. Controls are wired to the unit and checked before it ships, or we supply the unit without controls for your own panel.

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Single-speed controls Variable speed (VFD)Wireless controls Pneumatic controls Custom & specialized packages What we need to quote

Custom panel Operator console with touchscreen and joysticks7 photos

Which control type fits?

Start with how the unit will be run: who operates it, from where, how precisely the load has to be placed, and what else it has to talk to.

Control type	How it works	Best for	Good to know
Drum switch / full-voltage pendant	The switch carries motor current directly. Power-in / power-out buttons, one speed.	Small single-phase units, indoor, intermittent duty	Pendant rated NEMA 12 (indoor). Only on models offered in single-phase.
Low-voltage pendant (single-speed)	A control box with a reversing starter steps power down for the pendant circuit.	Most standard units, indoor or outdoor, any voltage or phase	Control box and pendant rated NEMA 4X. Our most common package.
Variable speed (VFD)	A drive varies motor speed, ramps starts and stops, and limits current.	Precise positioning, soft handling, slow creep or faster payout	Sized for winch or hoist duty, with braking resistor and enclosure to suit the site.
Wireless remote	Handheld radio transmitter with a receiver in the control panel.	Operator needs to move to see the load; long reach; multi-unit systems	Pairs with single-speed or variable-speed controls.
Custom control package	Engineered panel with encoders, limits, load sensing, interlocks or PLC interface.	Synchronized units, automated cycles, monitored or recorded loads	Quoted to the application.
No controls (customer-supplied)	Unit ships with motor and brake wired to a terminal point.	Machine builders and plants with their own panels	We supply the wiring diagram and motor/brake data.

Single-speed

Drum switches, full-voltage and low-voltage controls

Single-speed controls run the unit at its rated line speed in both directions. The brake sets automatically when the button is released.

Model code FDrum switches & full-voltage pendants

The simplest control: a reversing switch that carries motor current, on a handheld pendant with power-in and power-out buttons. Nothing to mount but the unit itself.

Pendant rated NEMA 12 for indoor use
Available only on models offered in single-phase (115 V or 230 V 1Ø)
Good for light, intermittent duty close to the unit

Model code LLow-voltage controls

A control box with a reversing starter converts input power to a lower control voltage for the pendant, so the operator never handles line voltage. Works on single-phase and three-phase units at any standard voltage.

Control box and pendant rated NEMA 4X, indoor or outdoor
Shipped pre-wired to the motor and pendant
Our most common package on standard units

Model code XNo controls

The unit ships without controls for your own panel or machine controller. We supply the wiring diagram, motor and brake data, and can advise on starter sizing and brake wiring.

Common for OEM and plant installations
Hoists need the brake wired to set whenever the motor is off

Reading the model number

HG3700-4A34-L-01

On AC electric units the letter after the voltage and motor speed is the control type: F = full-voltage, L = low-voltage, X = no controls. Pneumatic model numbers don't carry a control code, so tell us which control you need.

Pendant and station options

Two-button pendants in NEMA 4X, NEMA 6 and other ratings
Emergency-stop button
Speed potentiometer (with variable speed)
Wall-mount NEMA 4 station with keyed switch
Hazardous-location rated stations
Extended pendant cords

Long pendant cords can reduce control voltage and unit capacity. Tell us the cord length you need and we'll size the controls for it.

Variable speed

Variable speed controls (VFD)

A variable frequency drive (VFD) lets the operator inch a load into place, ramps every start and stop, and limits motor current. Drives are set up for winch or hoist duty and built into an enclosure matched to the site.

Precise positioning

Slow, controllable creep speeds for placing a load, aligning a fixture or engaging a connection, with full speed for the rest of the travel.

Soft starts and stops

Adjustable acceleration and deceleration ramps reduce shock loads on the rope, rigging and structure, and keep swinging loads under control.

Current and torque limiting

The drive can limit motor current so the unit stalls instead of overloading the rope or the structure it pulls against.

Extended speed range

Drives can run the motor from 0 to 120 Hz. Above rated speed torque falls off, which suits fast payout of light loads. On 460 V 3Ø, high-torque packages up to 60 HP hold 60–100% of rated torque to 120 Hz.

Running continuously at reduced speed

Motors cool themselves with a shaft fan, so long runs at low speed need help. Duty-cycle limits still apply at every speed.

Continuous speed	What it takes
30–60 Hz	VFD
10–30 Hz	VFD plus a separately powered blower, or an oversized motor
0–10 Hz	VFD, encoder feedback and blower

Planning the installation

Braking resistor: built into the VFD enclosure on winches; supplied as a separate NEMA 3R resistor on hoists
Outdoor panels need shade or cooling: NEMA 3R with fans, or air conditioning in hot sun
Heaters for cold sites, washdown and dust-tight enclosures
UL 508A panels where the site requires them
Speed potentiometer, multi-step buttons or a speed signal from your control system
Ambient temperature range and altitude set the drive size

Faster lowering is for light loads only. A hoist on a VFD can pay out at about twice rated speed when the load is under roughly 25% of rated capacity. Heavier loads must be lowered at rated speed or slower.

DC units use a regenerative DC drive instead of a VFD, with the same speed control, adjustable ramps and current limiting. They can run continuously at any speed up to rated, within the duty cycle. See DC electric winches & hoists.

Wireless

Wireless controls

A handheld radio remote replaces the pendant cord, so the operator can stand where the load, the rope and the people around it are in view. Remotes work with single-speed and variable-speed controls, and with multi-unit systems.

Stop button on the transmitter
Single-speed or multi-step speed buttons
Works with single units and multi-unit systems

Pneumatic

Pneumatic controls

Air winches and hoists are controlled by valves instead of electrics, which keeps them simple in washdown and many hazardous-location jobs.

Local control: valve mounted on the motor
Remote control: pendant-operated valves on an air hose
Throttling control gives variable speed by hand

Air winches · Pneumatic hoists · Hazardous locations

Custom & specialized

Custom and specialized control packages

When a pendant isn't enough, we engineer the control package with the winch or hoist: sensors on the drum and sheaves, limits, load monitoring and the logic to tie them together. These are the monitoring and control requirements we see most, and how we meet them.

What you need	How we address it
Show line speed	Low-resolution incremental encoder (motors to 7.5 HP), or a hall-effect sensor at the sheave, which reads true line speed on multi-layer drums
Measure and control line speed	High-resolution incremental encoder with a VFD
Know where the load is	High-resolution incremental encoder (re-zero after a power loss), multi-turn absolute encoder (keeps position through a power loss), or a sheave hall-effect sensor
Stop at the top (upper limit)	Paddle switch, crane-block switch or whisker switch
Stop at the bottom / keep wraps on the drum (lower limit)	Whisker switch, rotary limit switch or multi-turn absolute encoder
Monitor line tension or load	Load cell, load pin or line-tension sensor, with readout or a signal to your system
Limit pull to protect the load or structure	Current-sensing relay, or VFD current limit
Smooth starts and stops	High-inertia motor fan on a reversing starter (soft, not instant), or VFD ramps
Run in an extreme environment	Panel heaters or air conditioning, Class H motor insulation for wide temperature ranges, hazardous-location rated controls
Lock against back-driving	Ratchet and pawl with a limit switch that confirms the pawl is released; VFD current limiting recommended
Talk to your plant or machine control	Custom panel with the inputs, outputs, interlocks and signals your PLC needs

Synchronizing several units

From loosest to tightest:

Independent controlsEach unit has its own pendant; operators coordinate by eye.
Reversing starters with A / B / Both selectorRun units singly or together from one station.
VFDs with incremental encodersPrecise speed and position matching; re-zero after a power loss.
VFDs with multi-turn absolute encodersPrecise matching that keeps position through a power loss.

Choosing an encoder

Your goal	Encoder
Display movement or speed only	Low-resolution incremental
Measure and control speed	High-resolution incremental
Load position only	Multi-turn absolute
Load position and speed, or synchronizing several units	Multi-turn absolute with sin/cos (an incremental encoder can substitute but needs re-zeroing after a power loss)

Packages we build

Synchronized multi-hoist systems for stages, installations and test fixtures
Aerostat systems: main tether hoist on a VFD, mooring hoists on reversing starters, load pin with inclinometer, radio remote
Variable-speed explosion-proof hoists with NEMA 7 pendants
Recovery and test winches with load-cell tension monitoring
Tensioning systems that hold a set line pull
Self-contained systems with power, controls and unit on one skid

Controls change what a unit can do, not what it is rated for. Columbia winches and hoists are never used to lift or move people, or to lift anything over people, whatever the control package.

Control systems we've built: Solution Spotlight

Variable speed, synchronized and monitored systems engineered for real jobs.

All Solution Spotlight stories →

What we need to quote a control package

Winch or hoist, model if known, and the load
Input power: voltage, phase and frequency
Who supplies the controls: us, or your own panel
Operator station: pendant, wall station, wireless, or panel-mounted
Speed: single speed, or variable (range, and how long at low speed)
Functions: ramping, torque limiting, upper and lower limits, load or position readout
Signals or interlocks to and from other equipment; fused main disconnect
Enclosure rating; indoor or outdoor; direct sun, rain or snow; washdown; dust
Ambient temperature range and altitude
Hazardous location: Class, Division and Group

Controls questions

What's the difference between full-voltage and low-voltage controls?

With full-voltage controls the pendant switches the motor directly, at line voltage. They are offered on single-phase models and the pendant is rated for indoor use. Low-voltage controls put a reversing starter in a control box so the pendant runs at a lower control voltage; the box and pendant are rated NEMA 4X for indoor or outdoor use and work on any standard voltage and phase.

Can I use my own controls?

Yes. Order the unit without controls (model code X) and we supply the wiring diagram and motor and brake data. On hoists, the brake must be wired so it sets whenever the motor is not powered.

Can a VFD make my winch or hoist faster?

Only with light loads. Above rated speed the motor loses torque, so a hoist can pay out at about twice rated speed only when the load is under roughly 25% of rated capacity. For more speed at full load, the unit needs a different motor or gear ratio; the Winch & Hoist Selector shows the options.

Will my unit run on 50 Hz power?

Yes, at 220 V or 400 V. Line speed is about 17% slower than the 60 Hz ratings.

Can the controls connect to our PLC?

Yes. Custom panels can take start, stop, direction and speed commands from your system and return position, speed, load and fault signals. Tell us the signals and interlocks you need.

Are controls available for hazardous locations?

Yes. Explosion-proof pendants, stations and panels are built to the Class, Division and Group of the area. See hazardous-location winches & hoists.

Tell us how it needs to run

Send the unit, the power and how it will be operated. An engineer will come back with questions or a price range.

Request a quote