Rigging Supplies
Rigging supplies include shackles, eye bolts, turnbuckles, and more. It’s important to have the right rigging hardware for each job and to keep it well-maintained.
Connect chains, wire rope, and lifting slings with anchor shackles or D-shackles. Adjust the tension in steel cables or tie rods with quality turnbuckles. Reduce required lifting force with blocking and swivel blocks.
Eye Bolts
Eye bolts are an essential rigging supply that’s used to create secure attachment points. They’re simple to use, versatile, and work well for lifting, anchoring, hoisting, pulling, lashing, and securing applications. These bolts consist of a looped head, or eye, that’s connected to a threaded body or shank for easy fastening. Riggers can then use a shackle to attach chains, wire rope, or cables to the eye to form a secure connection.
These bolts are available in several different materials to suit different needs and applications. For example, stainless steel eye bolts are ideal for tough environments because they maintain corrosion resistance even when scratched or dinged. They’re also durable and easy to clean. Other options include galvanized eye bolts, which get a thin layer of zinc to protect them from elements that cause accelerated corrosion or rusting.
Riggers can also choose between regular and swivel eye bolts. Regular eye bolts have no collar or shoulder and can’t be rigging supplies used in angular lift scenarios. However, they’re cheaper than swivel eye bolts and have higher rated load capacities. Before installing any eye bolt, a rigger should inspect it to ensure it’s undamaged and suitable for the application. The bolt should have a working load limit (WLL) or rated capacity (RC) displayed on its packaging, and the receiving hole should be counter-sunk to ensure proper seating.
Chain Shackles
Chain shackles, also known as D-ring shackles, are a versatile rigging supply that can be used for lifting and towing. They are not suitable for angled loads, however. Several attributes determine whether a shackle can be used in a lifting application, including the pin’s WLL or RC, its inside bow height and diameter and whether the threads on the pin and body are compatible. Those working on a lifting job should make sure that the chain is proof-tested and inspected for any broken links or loose splices before use and that all necessary paperwork is kept for the proof test certificate.
Wire rope slings are a flexible, lightweight alternative to chain that’s often used in rigging applications such as hoisting, lashing and securing heavy or irregularly shaped objects during transport or in storage. They’re typically constructed of multiple strands of steel wire helically wrapped around a core rope. They’re sometimes supported by sheaves or blocks for reduced force requirements and to help maintain the shape of a load. Wire rope clips or sleeves and thimbles are used to form eyes on either end of the wire for attachment to hooks and shackles.
Other types of rigging hardware include turnbuckles, clevis rod ends or yoke ends that feature prongs through which a clevis pin can be slid. Turnbuckles resemble eye bolts that screw into a frame, and they’re used to add or reduce tension on wire rope, cables, chains or tie rods by rotating them. Clevis rod ends, on the other hand, have a tapped hole in which a threaded rod can be screwed and prongs through which a clevispin can be inserted.
Hooks
Rigging hooks are a key part of rigging equipment that are used for grabbing, lashing, or attaching loads. They come in a variety of styles, and the type of hook you need depends on the job at hand. It is important to know the load limit of each hook before using it so that you do not exceed it and risk causing property damage or injury. In addition to being familiar with the load limit, it is essential to inspect rigging hooks for damage before each use to ensure they are safe to continue working.
Blocks and pulleys are commonly used in rigging to help lift large or heavy items by reducing the force needed to support them. They are available in various sizes and types, including snatch blocks, square blocks, and swivel blocks. They can be fastened to a rigging rope and then hooked to the object being lifted.
Spreader bars are another piece of rigging equipment that helps to distribute the weight of a heavy or large load over a larger area. They are typically placed below a crane hook to balance the load’s center of gravity (COG). If a load is unbalanced, it can shift during hoisting and put uneven stress on rigging slings. In addition, spreader bars can help to prevent a crane from tipping during lifting.
Wire Rope
The tensile strength, durability, and versatility of wire rope make it an indispensable component of several different types of industrial equipment. For example, it’s used in crane hoists (*Discover Hoist Crane Manufacturers) to lift and transport loads. In addition, it’s often rigging supplies utilized to hold slings, which are used to connect and support loads.
The strength of a wire rope comes from the way its strands are arranged around its core. These strands lay in a specific pattern called a helix, which gives it its characteristic strength, flexibility, and bending fatigue resistance. This is what makes it ideal for applications that require millimeter-accurate positioning. Examples include aerospace mechanisms, and pulley actions on construction sites.
Wire ropes are also available in a variety of sizes, which display the diameter of the wire in inches or millimeters. They can also be constructed in different strand patterns. For instance, a 6×19 FC wire rope is made up of six strands that have 19 wires in each layer wrapped around a fiber core.
The strand pattern and core type are essential in selecting the right wire rope for an application. For instance, a strand with a larger number of wires has greater flexibility but offers less crushing resistance. The opposite is true for a rope with fewer wires, which has less flexibility but better crush resistance. In either case, it’s important to use a wire rope with a safety factor that matches its load capacity.
