If you are looking for webbing slings but are confused about which one to choose, we would love to tell you that Polyester webbing slings are the new sensation of the market, and you should go for it. The polyester webbing slings are the strongest, versatile, can be used at various places. Most importantly, they are cheap and pocket-friendly.
To help you with Polyester webbing slings, we have made a curated list of 5 things you should know about polyester webbing slings before buying them. Let’s see what these are-
Polyester webbing slings are better than nylon:
There has always been confusion between the nylon and polyester webbing slings. Both of them are strong, affordable, and durable. The chemical composition of the environment in which you have to work plays a crucial role in finding a suitable material for you. Polyester webbing slings do not react with common acids and bleaching agents. They are readily used in the conditions where acid is present. Polyester is unsuitable for the conditions where the temperature exceeds 194F.
Check the size of the polyester webbing sling:
Slings are present in the market in a variety of sizes, it may vary from 1 meter to 20 meters. you can also get the one customized for you, but you have to inform the provider about environmental conditions, the chemical composition of your working area so that they can provide the exact length of sling required.
With understanding the lifting equipments, you can know the length of the sling. You have to carefully measure the length from the top load bearing point to the bottom most load bearing point.
Types of polyester webbing sling required :
1- Eye and Eye (EE) web slings – It has eyes at both ends. Either they have a flat eye or a twisted eye at both the ends. Flat eyes are used for basket hitch or vertical hitch whereas twisted eyes are at 90 degrees for a better choker hitch.
2- Endless/Infinite (EN) web slings – The best part about these are that they are compatible with all 3 types of hitches.
3- Reverse Eye (RE) web slings – These are the same as endless web slings; for premium resistance to wear and abrasion they have reinforced eyes and wear pads on both sides.
4- Triangle / Choker fittings (TC) web slings – They are fitted with a triangle and choker on either end. It is generally used in choker hitches.
5- Triangle/ Triangle fittings (TT) web slings- They are fitted with triangles on both ends. These are mainly used on basket hitch and vertical hitch, and can not be used in a choker hitch.
The number of plies in the slings:
The most general ply configuration of web sling is 1,2,3,4. These configurations refer to the number of plies used in webbing. The number of plies is directly proportional to the force strength as we increase the no plies strength of webbing increases. The number of plies you will require totally depends on the way it will be used. Lifting slings are used to move large, bulky, and heavy weights which would be impossible to do manually.
Protection of the web-sling:
You need to protect web slings from wear, abrasion, and cuts. There are many ways in which we can do it. But we should follow the proper way to increase the service life to get a high return on investments.
1- You can sew sling wear pads in webbing materials at wear points.
2- You can sew edge guards on edges to provide extra protection at critical points from abrasion and cutting.
3- A special coating can be added to the webbing material by the manufacturer to prevent it from dirt penetration, which will avoid abrasion.
4- You will find some shackles explicitly designed for web slings. It will increase the load distribution area, which will eventually increase the efficiency.
Conclusion:
If you have to buy the sling, there is no second thought on the choice of the material that polyester webbing slings is the best option, because of its strength, durability and ability to withstand chemical agents like acid bleaches. But, to choose the best one we need to take care of the things we mentioned in the blog, like the size of the sling, no. of plies in it, the protection features used. So, you should take care of these things while purchasing, and if the sling puts a check mark on all these parameters, you can surely buy it.