LGH has proudly partnered with local engineering company Pro-Krane, a division of Pacific Hoists, to design and manufacture a custom-built 32 tonne rated dynamic load test stand. Known for their expertise in lifting and material handling solutions, Pro-Krane brought innovative engineering and a deep understanding of industry standards to the project. The result is a purpose-built system that enhances LGH’s in-house testing capabilities for both powered and manual hoists — delivering safer, smarter and more efficient testing under real-world conditions.
Hadley Price (LGH) and Christopher Golpashin (Pacific Hoists) pictured in front of our 32 tonne dynamic load test stand.
As a business that performs all testing and certification in-house, we needed a solution that met manufacturer recommendations, complied with Australian standards and worked within the practical constraints of time, space and safety. This investment aligns with the LGH footprint around the world. It’s a key differentiator that allows us to rigorously test, inspect and certify our equipment onsite ensuring every item in our fleet is ready for immediate and safe use the moment it’s needed.
To build on this, we worked closely with the team at Pro-Krane and Pacific Hoists to identify a testing approach that could deliver both accuracy and efficiency.
As Steve Purves, Chief Technical Officer at Pacific Hoists, explains:
“While free weights are ideal for replicating real-world conditions, they require significant investment, consume large amounts of floor space and demand considerable manual handling effort.
Electric-over-hydraulic test stations—commonly used for lifting beams, slings and shackles—are generally cost-effective and efficient. However, they often fall short when it comes to accurately replicating real-world usage conditions for hoists, particularly when setting or verifying safety overload devices and clutch mechanisms.”
As an alternative, Pro-Krane implemented a counterbalance test tower incorporating a cantilever arm and 5 tonnes of ballast to achieve up to 32 tonnes of load test capacity. The system was designed, third-party verified, manufactured and installed in a short timeframe.
This investment isn’t about changing the way we work — it’s about building on it. Ultimately, the new test stand reinforces our long-standing commitment to safety, compliance and internal quality control. It allows us to continue doing what we’ve always done: ensuring every item in our fleet is tested, certified and ready for safe use — without delay and without compromise. Following this success, there has already been interest from within the LGH group in how this approach could be adopted elsewhere – a sign that this local collaboration has delivered something truly valuable.
