CD1 MD1 Electric Hoist Wiring Guide with Pendant Control

Electric hoist wiring is one of the most common technical challenges in equipment installation, commissioning, and routine maintenance. Whether you're a plant electrician, an installation technician, or a crane maintenance specialist, you've likely encountered issues like a hoist that won't respond, movement in only one direction, an emergency stop that won't reset, or a remote control that fails to pair. In these situations, understanding how the electrical schematic maps to the actual wiring is essential. This article answers nine of the most frequently searched electric hoist wiring questions in a practical Q&A format—covering universal methods, specific models, pendant controls, motors, limit switches, and remote controls—so you can quickly identify the right wiring solution.

CD1 vs MD1 Electric Hoist Wiring Comparison

2. Pendant Control Comparison

3. Electric Hoist Wiring: Common Questions

How to Wire an Electric Hoist (General Method)

Standard wiring sequence: Power supply → Contactor → Thermal overload relay → Motor; control circuit via pendant with parallel coil connections. Three-phase 380V power enters through the main circuit breaker QF, passes through fuse FU for protection, and then reaches the main contactors KM1 (hoisting) and KM2 (lowering). Both electrical interlock (normally closed contacts wired in series with the opposing coil) and mechanical interlock (interlocking lever) must be provided between KM1 and KM2 to prevent simultaneous energization, which would cause a short circuit. The main circuit includes thermal overload relay FR for motor overload protection. In the control circuit: 380V is stepped down to 220V or 36V safety extra-low voltage via control transformer TC. After the emergency stop button (normally closed) and power-off limit switch (normally closed) in series, the circuit splits into two branches—one for the hoisting button SB1 and one for the lowering button SB2 (each with a self-holding contact)—to energize the KM1 and KM2 coils. Motor reversal is achieved by KM1 and KM2 swapping any two phases. The brake rectifier module for the conical-rotor brake motor is connected to the motor terminals, converting AC 380V input to DC 99V output to power the electromagnetic brake.

How to Wire a CD1 Electric Hoist

The CD1 is a single-speed electric hoist featuring a conical-rotor brake asynchronous motor with six terminals (U1/V1/W1 + W2/U2/V2). For motor power ratings of 1.5–7.5 kW, a Y (star) connection is used (220V per phase); for 5.5–15 kW, a Δ (delta) connection is used (380V per phase). The junction box contains six terminals: U1, V1, W1 are the leads, and W2, U2, V2 are the ends. For Y connection: W2/U2/V2 are shorted together, and U1/V1/W1 connect to the three-phase supply. For Δ connection: U1-W2, V1-U2, and W1-V2 are connected, then the three-phase supply is applied. The ZX-1 brake rectifier module connects to the motor lead wires, rectifying AC 380V to DC 99V for the cone brake. The control box provides a 6-wire pendant interface: 1 green (hoisting KM1), 2 red (lowering KM2), 3 yellow (left travel KM3), 4 blue (right travel KM4), 5 purple (common COM), 6 black (emergency stop). Note that the CD1 comes standard with a power-off limit switch (normally closed, wired in series in the main circuit) and does not include a pre-limit travel switch.

How to Wire an MD1 Electric Hoist

The MD1 is a two-speed electric hoist featuring a Δ-YY dual-winding motor with twelve leads and an additional fast/slow speed switching contactor in the control box. The key difference between the MD1 and CD1 lies in the hoisting motor—the MD1 uses a Δ-YY dual-winding configuration: at low speed, it is connected in Δ (4-pole, synchronous speed 1500 r/min, corresponding to a slow speed of approximately 0.8 m/min); at high speed, it is connected in YY (2-pole, 3000 r/min, corresponding to a fast speed of approximately 8 m/min). The junction box contains 12 leads: U1/V1/W1, U2/V2/W2 (for Δ connection) plus 2U1/2V1/2W1, 2U2/2V2/2W2 (for YY connection). The control box includes an additional pair of fast/slow speed switching contactors KM5/KM6 compared to the CD1, and the pendant uses an 8-wire configuration (adding two control wires for fast/slow speed selection). When the fast speed button on the pendant is pressed, KM1 (hoisting) and KM5 (YY high speed) are energized simultaneously; when the slow speed button is pressed, KM1 (hoisting) and KM6 (Δ low speed) are energized together. The brake rectifier module is identical to that of the CD1. Apart from the two-speed hoisting motor, the travel motor (left/right) wiring on the MD1 is exactly the same as on the CD1.

How to Wire an Electric Hoist Pendant Button

Match the color code: green wire to hoisting KM1, red wire to lowering KM2, yellow wire to left travel KM3, blue wire to right travel KM4, purple wire to common COM, and black wire to the emergency stop circuit. The 6-wire pendant cable contains six conductors; 0.75mm² stranded copper wire is recommended, with crimped ferrule terminals on each end for connection to the control cabinet terminal block. Before wiring, use a multimeter in continuity mode to verify each conductor—internal wire breakage (fatigue fracture at bend points) is the most common fault in pendant cables. Disassemble the pendant housing to inspect contacts for oxidation (silver contacts that have turned black must be replaced) and check whether the compression spring has deformed, preventing the button from returning. The 8-wire pendant adds two control wires for fast and slow speed selection on the MD1 two-speed hoist. The 12-wire pendant adds auxiliary function wires for horn, lighting, and other features on full-featured hoists rated 10t and above. After wiring, use a 500V megohmmeter to measure insulation resistance to ground, which must be ≥1MΩ for each conductor.

How to Wire a 10t Electric Hoist Motor

The hoisting motor on a 10t electric hoist is typically 13 kW, using a Δ connection (380V), with the brake rectifier module powered by AC 380V and delivering DC 99V. Motor wiring for 10t and above large-tonnage electric hoists has the following characteristics: ① A Δ connection is mandatory (a Y connection would provide only 220V per phase on a 380V supply, preventing the 13 kW motor from delivering rated power); ② The junction box has six terminals—U1/V1/W1 (leads) and W2/U2/V2 (ends)—with the Δ connection made as U1-W2, V1-U2, W1-V2; ③ Hoists rated 10t and above typically use a two-speed motor (MD1 type) with a Δ-YY dual winding, requiring 12 leads in the junction box and separate contactors for fast and slow speeds; ④ The brake rectifier module must be a high-power type (ZX-2, rated current ≥3A) because the brake power on a 10t hoist (approximately 200W) is higher than on smaller units (approximately 80W); ⑤ For hoists above 10t, a current transformer (CT) is recommended for overload protection, with the thermal overload relay FR set to motor rated current × 1.05—for a 13kW/380V motor with a rated current of approximately 26A, the FR should be set to 27A.

Electric Hoist Electrical Component Selection Guide

How to Wire an Electric Hoist Remote Control

The K1–K5 relay contacts on the remote receiver are wired in parallel with, or as a replacement for, the corresponding push-button control circuits on the control grip. The emergency stop relay K5 uses a de-energized-to-release normally closed contact. Industrial remote controls (commonly the F21 series or Yuding series) operate in the 433MHz ISM band using GFSK modulation with FHSS frequency hopping, providing an effective range of 50–150m. The receiver mounts on a DIN rail inside the control cabinet and provides 5 relay outputs: K1 for hoisting up, K2 for lowering, K3 for trolley left, K4 for trolley right, and K5 for emergency stop. Wiring method: connect the K1 normally open contact in parallel with the hoist-up push button SB1 on the control grip (or use a selector switch to choose between grip and remote operation), K2 in parallel with SB2, and K3/K4 in parallel with SB3/SB4 respectively. The normally closed contact of emergency stop relay K5 is wired in series with the control circuit bus, replacing the original emergency stop button. The receiver antenna must extend vertically out of the cabinet — never coiled or placed flush against metal panels. Pairing procedure: press and hold the pairing button on the receiver for 3 seconds to enter pairing mode (LED flashes rapidly), then press and hold the pairing button on the transmitter within 30 seconds for 5 seconds — the LED stays solid when pairing succeeds. The remote control and receiver for a given hoist use a one-to-one secure code, so multiple hoists can operate simultaneously without interference.

How to Read an Electric Hoist Wiring Diagram

Follow the heavy lines for the main circuit (three-phase power QF → KM → FR → M) and the thin lines for the control circuit (TC → SB → KM coil), tracing each loop by its reference number. To read an electric hoist electrical schematic, follow these three steps. First, distinguish the main circuit (left side / heavy lines) from the control circuit (right side / thin lines). The main circuit is the three-phase 380V power path — current flows from L1/L2/L3 into the main switch QF, through the fuse FU to the main contacts of contactors KM1/KM2, then through the heating element of thermal overload relay FR to the motor M. Second, follow the control circuit by reference number — starting from the secondary side of control transformer TC (marked 380V/220V or 380V/36V), trace each segment along the circuit numbers (1, 2, 3, 4...): terminal 1 connects to the normally closed contact of emergency stop button SB0, terminal 2 to the normally closed contact of the power-off limit switch, terminal 3 to the normally open contact of the hoist-up button SB1 (with KM1 self-holding contact in parallel), terminal 4 to the normally closed interlock contact of lowering contactor KM2, and terminal 5 returns to the KM1 coil and back to TC. Third, cross-reference with the physical components: QF on the schematic corresponds to the circuit breaker labeled QF1 in the distribution box, KM1 corresponds to the CJX2-1810 contactor, and FR corresponds to the JR36-20 thermal overload relay. Once you understand the reference number mapping, the schematic aligns one-to-one with the actual wiring. Note that components inside dashed boxes on the schematic are mounted in the control grip or remote control, while those in solid boxes are inside the control cabinet.

How to Wire the Power-Off Limit Switch on an Electric Hoist

The power-off limit switch (normally closed contacts) is wired in series with the main supply circuit feeding the KM contactor coils — when tripped, it cuts the entire control supply, stopping both hoisting and lowering. The power-off limit switch is the final safety protection device on an electric hoist. Internally it contains two sets of normally closed contacts wired in series with the control circuit bus (sequence: TC → emergency stop SB0 → power-off limit switch → grip push buttons → KM coils). When the hook reaches its upper travel limit, the hook nut or counterweight block pushes the limit switch actuator, opening the internal normally closed contacts and cutting the supply to both KM1 and KM2 coils — regardless of whether the operator is pressing hoist-up or lowering on the grip, all contactors de-energize simultaneously and the motor stops. To reset, the operator must first lower the hook using the grip (at which point the limit switch should reset and close), but on CD1 models the power-off limit switch requires manually pressing the reset lever to restore it (always confirm the hook has cleared the limit position before resetting). When wiring, note that the power-off limit switch typically has three leads (red, yellow, blue, or as marked by the factory): red is the common terminal, yellow and blue are the limit contacts for the hoisting and lowering directions respectively. After identifying the leads, use a multimeter to verify the normally closed continuity. Recommended models: LG-1 or YBLX-3/11H.

How to Wire Limit Switches on an Electric Hoist

Limit switch wiring is implemented in two stages: travel switches (SQ1/SQ2) are wired in series with each direction's control circuit to cut only that direction, while the power-off limit switch is wired in series with the main control circuit to cut all power — the two stages provide redundancy. Electric hoists use a dual-level limit protection design. The first level uses travel switches (SQ1 for upper limit, SQ2 for lower limit) wired in series with the corresponding push-button control circuit: the SQ1 normally closed contact is wired in series with the hoist-up button SB1 circuit, so when the upper limit trips, only the hoisting direction is cut off while lowering remains operational — this is a critical safety design that prevents the hook from getting stuck at the upper limit with no way to bring it down. The second level is the power-off limit switch (as described above), wired in series with the main control circuit. Use wire to connect the COM and NC terminals of SQ1 to the corresponding positions on the control cabinet terminal block: SQ1's NC terminal goes into the hoisting circuit (in series with hoist-up button SB1), and SQ2's NC terminal goes into the lowering circuit. Commissioning standard: when the upper limit trips, the distance from the top of the hook to the drum must be ≥200mm (per ISO 4301); when the lower limit trips, at least 3 turns of wire rope must remain on the drum (to prevent the rope from pulling loose from its anchor point). Note that CD1 models come standard with only the power-off limit switch, while MD1 models and hoists above 10t come standard with dual protection: travel switches plus power-off limit switch.

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