Glossary

An iconic figure in ancient Greek science, Archimedes distinguished himself through important discoveries in mathematics and physics, as well as a series of highly ingenious inventions.

He is credited with formalising the theory of the lever, according to which the force required to lift a load depends on the distance between the fulcrum and the point of application of the force. It follows that the further away you are from the fulcrum, the less force you need to lift something heavy.

Using a system of pulleys and levers to launch a ship with just one hand, the scientist uttered the famous phrase, ‘Give me a place to stand and a lever, and I will move the world.’

As this is the basis of how winches work, allowing heavy loads to be lifted with minimal effort, it was only natural that we gave this name to our configurator, launched in January 2021. Designed specifically for our distributors, the ARCHIMEDE configurator is a simple tool to help you choose our lifting equipment, accessible from a desktop computer or tablet. 

• SIMPLE: in a few clicks from a computer or a tablet, you determine the lifting equipment adapted to your customers' projects. 
• PRACTICAL: once the equipment is chosen, the tool automatically suggests the necessary accessories (cable, hook, pulley...).
• EFFICIENT: you can make quotations more quickly, have all the necessary documentation at your disposal (user manual, sales sheet, etc.) and have real-time information on the availability of equipment. 

The D (drum diameter) / d (rope diameter) ratio is a key factor in ensuring cable longevity. It depends on the mechanism classification (FEM/ISO) of the device:

The drums of HUCHEZ winches engineered in compliance with this rule.

To ensure that the cable winds properly onto the winch, do not exceed the maximum deflection angle:

• a = 1,5° max. on smooth drum.
• a = 2° max. on grooved drum.

Caution! An excessive deflection angle can cause rapid cable wear, excessive tightness or harmful rotation of the cable.

In practice, the minimum distance D must be:

• D min. = 20 x L drum length

A directive is a legal document established by the Council of the European Union. Each member state must then transpose it into its national law. The Directive is published in the Official Journal of the European Communities.
The employment inspection services and the DREAL (regional French government offices) are responsible for making sure businesses are monitored. When a product does not meet the essential requirements of the directive, penalties may be imposed (withdrawal from the market, etc.).

In the lifting sector, the Directive concerned is the Machinery Directive 2006/12/EC. This requires the presence on electric winches of an emergency stop and, in lifting, a limiter switch, as well as a load limiter above 1000 kg.

The Equal Opportunity Index is a tool for calculating the gender pay gap in the company. He is compulsory for any company with at least 50 employees over the past year. It must be published annually, no later than 1^er March. Calculated annually based on four indicators for companies with 50 to 250 employees, it is scored out of 100 points and allows companies to measure their progress in terms of pay equality and, where applicable, to:  

• implement corrective and remedial measures if the score obtained is below 75 points,
• set targets for improvement for each of the indicators if the index is below 85 points,

the aim being to eliminate the pay gap between women and men in order to achieve equal pay.

In accordance with regulations, our company has assessed the indicators comprising this index for the year 2025 based on 2024 data, and the results are as follows:

• Pay gap: Not calculable/40
• Individual Increase Rate Variance between women and men: 35/35
• Percentage of female employees who received an increase within one year of their return from maternity leave: Not calculable/15
• Number of employees of the under-represented sex among the 10 employees who received highest salaries: 10/10

Either an overall rating of: Not calculable/100. 

The European Federation of Materials Handling and Storage Equipment is an association of constructors and experts setting common rules for the design and use of handling equipment, including lifting equipment.

To determine the group for your lifting device, winch or block and tackle, three essential parameters are to be taken into account:

. Maximum load to be lifted:
It includes the weight of the cable and any lifting accessories (hook, etc.) except where these are of a total weight of 5 % or less of the load to be lifted.

. Load condition: it determines in what proportions the lifting device is used at maximum load or reduced load.
For an exact classification, it is preferably to calculate the average cubic value (k) using the formula below:

where :

Thus a distinction is made between four characterised load conditions:

. Operating class:

This is the average operating time per day, on the basis of 250 working days a year.
The lifting device is considered to be in operation when it is moving; conversely, it is not during stoppage times, between raising and lowering for example.

These three parameters thus provide the means for classifying the devices into groups of mechanisms in accordance with this table you can use to determine the group for the lifting device you need :

Our technical sales staff is at your disposal to help you determine the characterised load condition corresponding to your case.

The degrees of protection gotten by the envelopes of electric materials low and Medium Average (until 1000V and 1500V) are defined by French standards NF INTO 60529 (IP) and NF EN 50102 (IK).

To symbolize the degrees of protection, it is made use of followed letters IP of 2 characteristic digits.

IP = code indicating the degree of protection gotten by the envelope against the access to the dangerous parts, the penetration of foreign solid bodies and the penetration of the liquids.

The first figure indicates the protection against the solid bodies.

• 0 : no protection.
• 1 : protected against the solid bodies higher than 50mm (e.g.: involuntary contact of the hand).
• 2 : protected against the solid bodies higher than 12,5mm (e.g.: fingers).        
• 3 : protected against the solid bodies higher than 2,5mm (e.g.: tools, screws).
• 4 : protected against the solid bodies higher than 1mm (e.g.: thick tools, wires).
• 5 : protected against dusts (not harmful deposit).
• 6 : completely protected against dusts.

The second figure indicates the protection against the liquid bodies .

• 0 : no protection.
• 1 : Protected against the vertical falls from water drops (condensation).
• 2 : Protected against the falls from water drops until 15° of vertical.
• 3 : Protected against rainwater until 60° from vertical.
• 4 : Protected against water projections of all directions.
• 5 : Protected against the jets from water of all directions to lance.
• 6 : Protected against water projections assimilable to the big waves.
• 7 : protected against the effects of immersion.
• 8 : protected against the effects of immersion prolonged under specified conditions.

*IMPORTANT: The IP rating refers exclusively to the component for which it is mentioned, taken individually (supplier data). It does not in any way define the level of protection of the equipment as a whole.

A standard is a technical specification approved by a recognized body.
 Unlike a directive, its application is not compulsory.
We speak of a harmonized standard when it is drawn up by a European standardization body under a mandate from the European Commission. The Commission then publishes it in the Official Journal of the European Union and it follows the directive based on which it has been drawn up.
In lifting, HUCHEZ electric winches are designed and manufactured in accordance with the NF 14492-1 standard and HUCHEZ manual winches to the NF 13157 standard.

The safety coefficient is determined as follow:

• Lifting:

• Pulling/hauling:

HUCHEZ winches are engineered to be equipped with ropes corresponding to these safety coefficients.