Slings made of flat woven webbing are essential lifting accessories used with hoists and cranes. Polyester flat woven webbing slings are an essential type of lifting accessory made using a specialized weaving process that produces wide and flat strips of high-strength synthetic webbing. This article discusses what flat woven webbing slings are. And how they are made and their common uses in various industrial applications.
What Are Flat Woven Webbing Slings?
Flat woven webbing sling consists of wide flat strips of synthetic webbing made using a special weaving technique. The individual webbing strips are sewn together with inset sleeves for attaching lifting hooks, terminals and fittings.
Flat woven webbing slings are distinguished by these characteristics:
- Flat design – The webbing strips are flat rather than round like braided slings. This allows them to evenly distribute loads across contact surfaces.
- Wide width – The webbing is typically 50 to 200 mm wide to provide a large contact area and load distribution.
- Variable length – Flat woven slings are available in different standardized lengths or can be customized.
- Multiple legs – Most configurations have 2, 3 or 4 webbing legs to handle various load geometries.
- Heat resistance – The synthetic materials used like polyester and nylon can withstand temperatures up to 120 degrees Celsius (250 F).
- Flexibility – The flat and wide webbing design provides flexibility and drapability for various lifting applications.
How Are Flat Woven Webbing Slings Made?
The webbing material of flat woven slings is produced using a special weaving technology:
- Continuous filament yarns made of synthetic fibers like polyester or nylon are warped in parallel onto a loom.
- Weft yarns are woven across the warp yarns at right angles using heddles to create the flat webbing structure.
- The double-sided weaving process results in two layers of webbing that are inseparably bonded together.
- The flat woven webbing is then cut to required widths (50 to 200+ mm) and lengths.
- The webbing strips are sewn together at one end using nylon or poly thread to form the required sling configuration with sleeves or fittings for attachment points.
- The finished slings undergo quality and load testing before packing and supplying.
Polyester Flat woven webbing slings conform to standards like EN 1492, AS/NZS, ANSI and are CE marked for safety.
Common Uses Of Flat Woven Webbing Slings
Flat woven webbing sling is as used for lifting and moving heavy loads in various industrial applications due to their strength, drapability and load distribution capabilities:
- Construction – Lifting construction materials, equipment and precast concrete elements.
- Shipping – Loading and unloading cargo from trucks, ships and rail cars.
- Automotive – Moving car bodies, engines and heavy components within assembly plants.
- Shipping containers – Lifting and transporting ISO containers and other large containers.
- Furniture manufacturing – Handling and arranging heavy items like cabinets, tables and sofa frames.
- Warehousing – Moving pallets of goods within warehouses and distribution centers.