LIFTING ATTACHMENTS


A polyester round sling (Top), and an HMPE round sling (Below), made by Transweb.


Polyethylene, has transformed a large sector of rigging applications. A form of it, Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMwPE), is widely known under the trade name Dyneema, but other formulations and manufacturers are also available. HMPE is as strong as steel but is just one-sixth of the weight. (It is also considerably lighter that the polyester equivalent, and stronger: HMPE round slings are often a third the size of standard round slings.) It is flexible, so is much less likely to damage the load at stress-points such as corners. It maintains its length under load with minimal stretch or creep; it is resistant to abrasion, to UV light and to chemicals. An indication of just how strong it can be is that Dyneema slings are available with capacities of over 4,000t – though such applications are rather outside the range of this article. And it is durable, so the sling has a long lifetime. UK manufacturer Transweb produce HMPE round


slings to order from their Oldham facility; capacity, length and protective options such as improved durability covers for high-wear environments can all be customised. Armour Lift (in the West Midlands) and Aberdeen Web (of Aberdeen) offer similar products; Extreema is a Dutch manufacturer using Dyneema in slings from the small to giant versions used in the construction of off-shore wind farms. Slings have been used for lifting since before the Romans. In some ways they have hardly changed. But in many other ways, they have come a long way and the advancements are clear to see.


34 | July/August 2026 | www.hoistmagazine.com


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