Using
Webbing slings has become an essential part of many industries around the world. At first glance they can be easy to dismiss, as they handle much lighter loads than some of their other
lifting gear counterparts.
But their lightweight nature and flexibility have become a huge advantage, making them a useful tool for everything from day-to-day construction tasks to assisting in life-saving situations. While it’s true that you don’t choose webbing slings for their strength, the huge number of other advantages that they provide mean that they have become a staple part of dozens of industries and applications around the world.
Below we have covered just some of the various industrial sectors and applications that you will find webbing slings being used for.
Using Webbing slings in the cranes and lifting industry
The cranes and lifting industry is perhaps where webbing slings find their most common usage. They make for a fantastic alternative to other pieces of lifting equipment such as
wire rope, thanks to their lighter and more flexible nature.
While this means that they will lift less than something like wire rope, they have the unique advantage of people able to adapt to the load that they are working with much more easily. This means they have a wide load bearing surface, and can be wrapped around large or odd-shaped loads with ease.
Webbing slings are often used as a replacement for other forms of lifting gear in the cranes and lifting industry.
Wire rope, which is more rigid, struggles to do this. Webbing slings also, thanks to the softer material that they are made from, won’t scratch or wear on a load in the same way that other, tougher pieces of lifting equipment may do.
It’s easy to see why webbing slings have become so prevalent in the cranes and lifting industry.
Using Webbing slings in the construction industry
The construction industry is closely linked to the cranes and lifting industry, as much construction work is completed through cranes and the lifting and lowering of loads. While we are most commonly used to tall tower cranes dominating skyscrapers that complete construction projects, there are always much smaller lifting and lowering tasks going on as well.
Webbing slings are most often used in the construction industry for raising up tools and loads, or lowering these items back down. As with the above, their flexible nature, and the fact that they can be tied into a
basket hitch, means they can wrap easily around odd-shaped loads often found on construction sites.
They are also used for height safety equipment on construction sites, which we have covered in its own section below.
Using Webbing slings in the height safety equipment industry
Height safety equipment is crucial when working at heights. While items such as hardhats and protective gloves are often used in many of the industries that we will cover in this post, height safety equipment is only used at heights.
However, many assume this is only extremely tall heights, but this isn’t the cause.
Working at height simply refers to any height at which a person could fall and cause themselves harm, and this could easily be done from a very low height.
Webbing slings are used for safety harnesses
Common pieces of height safety equipment include safety belts, safety harnesses and safety harness lanyards, and all of these utilise webbing slings in some way.
Using Webbing slings in the sporting industry
Following on nicely from the use of webbing slings in the height safety equipment industry is their widespread use within the sporting industry.
Webbing slings are the
go-to piece of equipment when it comes to rock climbing and mountaineering. It’s used for anchoring points, helping to reduce rope drag, making auto-block knots and for safety harnesses as described in the height safety equipment section above
It’s often used for hiking and camping gear too for many of the same reasons, but also for load adjusters and tent adjusters too.
One other activity where you will find webbing slings being used are for slacklining, which involves tying both ends around anchoring points and walking on the sling from one end to the other.
Using Webbing slings in the mining industry
Webbing slings are often used as an alternative to wire rope in the mining industry. While it can’t be denied that wire rope will be able to handle and lift a heavier amount, webbing sling’s lightweight nature make them much easier to work with.
Webbing slings allow us to reach great depths in the mining industry
They are also much easier to inspect quickly for any damages or faults, which is critical in an industry such as mining, helping to dramatically reduce the time spent on inspections. Webbing slings are designed to have a high-level of resistance to abrasion, meaning they are a perfect fit for this industry.
You can also find webbing slings being used in mining equipment recovery for towing and also for dump trucks, where it assists the truck in dumping its load.
Using Webbing slings in the repairs industry
Following on from the recovery equipment mentioned above, webbing slings are used for the towing and recovery of objects, most commonly automobiles thanks to the greater level of slack that they allow for.
The webbing slings will also be used in this industry for securely tying things down, such as automobiles on the back of recovery trucks.
Using Webbing slings in the manufacturing industry
As with the construction industry or the cranes and lifting industry, webbing slings make for a good alternative to wire rope. While wire rope finds a more widespread use in this industry as it is used inside the manufacturing conveyor belts themselves, webbing slings are used for conducting lifting and lowering tasks for the same reasons of flexibility and adaptability.
Webbing slings are used in many manufacturing plants around the world
Webbing slings are also used for securely fastening and tying objects down within this industry.
Using Webbing slings in the warehousing industry
The cranes and lifting industry and manufacturing industries also closely overlap with the warehousing industry. Items both large and small will need to be lifted and lowered to great heights, in this industry, and webbing slings provide the same benefits of being able to secure around odd-shaped loads.
And, as with the above industry, webbing slings are also used for tying loads down too.
Using Webbing slings in the military industry
Military grade webbing slings have a vast use within the military industry, performing a range of actions that require them to be heavily resistant to many intense situations. One of the most common uses for webbing slings within the military industry is for parachutes and ballooning, but they are also used to make other pieces of equipment too such as military belts, backpacks and harnesses.
The military makes widespread use of webbing slings
Webbing slings are useful for this industry as they are lightweight in nature, but can also be constructed from materials such as Kevlar to make them much more suitable for combat too.
Using Webbing slings in the home maintenance industry
The home maintenance industry also sees a use for webbing slings too. In the same way that webbing slings are used in rock-climbing and height safety equipment for harnesses and creating anchor points, they find the same use for those professionals who need to scale the trees of someone’s home; generally, to trim down the branches.
And, in a much more relaxing way, webbing slings can be used to
create a nice cosy hammock for homeowners. Not only are webbing slings vital for industrial applications, they’re also perfect for letting you put your feet up too!
Using Webbing slings in the marine and shipping industry
You will also find webbing slings being used in the marine and shipping industry, most often as a replacement, again, for other forms of lifting equipment. Webbing slings can be used to lift all manner of things in this industry, from containers onto huge freight ships, to lifting smaller yachts.
The webbing sling’s ability to wrap easily around the load, as we have covered extensively in this article, is what makes them such a huge benefit for this industry. However, it is also the fact that they create little to no abrasion on the load that they are lifting that makes them so desirable as well.
You will also see webbing slings have great use in the marine and shipping industry
If you are lifting up your prized yacht, you don’t want a steel wire rope running across its gleaming white hull!
Webbing slings are also often used as a replacement, or in combination with, mooring ropes, thanks to their high level of chaffing protection.
Using Webbing slings in the transportation industry
The transportation industry is one of the greatest and most widespread users of webbing slings around the world. Many of the functions that webbing slings perform in this industry are the same that we have seen in some of the other industries above.
These uses include the tying down of loads, creating cargo straps, towing cables, and cargo nets. With millions of deliveries being made every day around the world, webbing slings provide an invaluable asset to this sector.
Using Webbing slings in the automotive industry
One use for webbing slings in the automotive industry is for the same as many of the industries above; as a replacement for other pieces of lifting equipment. Webbing slings are used to help with the manufacture and production of the automobiles themselves. However, given the heavy nature of these vehicles, you will find that wire rope is more commonly used.
Webbing material is what we find in all of our seatbelts around the world, and webbing slings themselves are used to create safety harnesses for those that race in cars.
Using Webbing slings in the rail industry
One final industry that webbing slings are used extensively in is within the rail industry. Webbing slings are used to lift the trains themselves, rail tankers, traction motors, and wheels. Again, webbing slings serve as an alternative to other pieces of lifting equipment here.
Other uses for webbing slings or webbing material
The
webbing material that webbing slings are made from, typically fabric, polyester or polypropylene finds itself having dozens of other uses aside from being used for webbing slings. Below we have briefly covered some other smaller uses for webbing slings, as well as the actual webbing material itself.
http://www.tnwebbing.com/products/military-and-industrial-webbing/
Firemen webbing sling drag
Webbing slings are used by firefighters in what is known as a
webbing sling drag. This is a life-saving manoeuvre that allows them to quickly and safely pull people out of harm’s way, without causing injury either.
Animal collars
The webbing material itself is what you will find being used for animal collars and leashes. Not only does webbing help us in dozens of industries, but it helps our feline friends too!
Furniture
Webbing is one of the most common materials that you will find in furniture.
Straps
Webbing slings and webbing are often used for straps, such as for tool bags, guitars and guns used by the military.
Apparel
Finally, you will find webbing in much of the apparel that we buy and use every single day, such as handbags or clothes.
Looking for more information on using webbing slings?
As you can see from the above, webbing slings have become one of the most important pieces of lifting equipment around the world. Although they are referred to as “lifting equipment”, it’s clear that webbing slings are so much more than this.
Although they weren’t first designed for such a huge variety of uses, their flexible and adaptable nature has meant that savvy-minded people have found new and intuitive ways of utilising this useful piece of equipment.
If it sounds like webbing slings might be the one for you, or you want to know more about the variety that we stock here at Rope Services Direct, we would be more than happy to share everything that we know! Please
get in contact with us here.
