Slings & Other Below-the-Hook Devices | Maximum Material Handling

Overview of Slings and Below-the-Hook Devices

Slings and below-the-hook (BTH) devices are implements that attach to a hoist’s lower hook in order to facilitate grabbing and securing a load during travel and positioning operations. These devices are available with many types of gripping methods, such as hooks, claws, forks, tongs, magnetic force and vacuum suction, giving them the opportunity to meet multiple applications. While many BTH devices are simple with minimal moving parts and are typically manually operated and mechanical in nature; they can be more complex and operate by means of electric, pneumatic and hydraulic power.

At Maximum Material Handling, we have extensive experience providing material handling solutions to industrial customers. In addition to our equipment offerings, we offer a wide range of standard below-the-hook attachments and customization services for highly unique applications.

Types of Slings

Slings are some of the most commonly employed BTH devices. They are available in many variations, including:

Web Slings

Web slings have been the industry standard for many years and for good reason. They are light weight, low cost and suitable for a wide range of applications. Typically made of polyester or nylon, these slings come in a large list of configurations and are very forgiving to the material they are lifting.

While polyester is typically the default material for web slings and very similar to nylon, there are a few key differences, one being; nylon has a greater ability to stretch over polyester. This quality makes nylon more tolerant to shock loading, allowing less stress to be transferred to the material being lifted as well as the equipment doing the lifting.

Chain Slings

Chain slings are strong and highly resistant to damage, stretch and wear. They are ideal for carrying loads in harsh and rugged environments and are available in a multitude of arrangements and have a large catalog of available attachments.

Mesh Slings

Constructed of galvanized high carbon steel, these slings offer high resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Mesh slings provide a wide carrying surface that protects and balances loads. Additionally, they have a low stretch quality and are well suited for high temperature applications.

Round Slings

These circular slings are made from load-bearing core yarns with durable tubular jackets that protect the inner material from abrasion and contact damage. They are more lightweight than metal slings and reduce the amount of strain and fatigue experienced by the lifting equipment during operations.

These slings provide substantial flexibility and superior gripping force matched with low stretch and higher lifting capacities.

Wire Rope Slings

Wire rope slings are extremely durable, making them suitable for use in extreme conditions (e.g., exposure to high heat and abrasive compounds). Additionally, their flexibility of design and application make them suitable for many situations across numerous industries. When properly used and maintained they can stay in service for many years.

Other Standard Below-the-Hook Devices

In addition to slings, there are many other types of standard BTH devices in the market. Some of the most common are:

Lifting and Spreader Beams

Typically used to lift long or cumbersome material, lifting and Spreader beams have multi pick points which can be fixed or adjustable. They can equalize offset loads allowing for stable lifting. They can be used to tie two hoist hooks together and increase the capacity of a single point pick. They are highly versatile and are available in an endless array of configurations.

Coil Hooks and Grabs

Available in a multitude of capacities and configurations, fixed or adjustable, motorized or manual, rotation or tilt and on and on. These BTH lifters allow you to lift, manipulate and reposition coils with the capability of securing the coil from different points.

Pallet Lifters

These devices can turn your overhead crane into a forklift and can allow you to reach areas not accessible by forklifts. Available in a wide range of capacities and configurations. They can be a cost-effective choice over the expense and maintenance of a forklift.

Sheet Lifters

Designed to lift and transport stacked sheets or similar bundles. These devises can handle many different sizes and capacities and make it easy for one person to perform many operations.

Tongs and Grab Lifters

Typically, these lifters use a scissors design to secure a load either by grip, pressure or support. These lifters come in many standard models for lifting pipe, stone, dies, concrete slabs, blocks, bars, bales and barriers. They can be manually operated or motorized and are readily available for custom configurations.

Magnet Lifters

Available as Permanent or Powered, lifting magnets are ideal for lifting low carbon metals across a wide range of capacities. They are best suited to lifting materials consisting of flat smooth surfaces, but are also available in configurations for handling rounded and angled surfaces.

Permanent magnet lifters require no power supply. Battery powered magnet lifters require no power cord and Electric powered magnet lifters are required for lifting very heavy loads. All three types can be grouped in multiples and added to a load bar or lifting frame to increase lifting capacity and area coverage.

Vacuum Lifters

One of the most versatile and practical below-the-hook devices available. These systems can lift, lower, hold, tilt, rotate or flip almost any material semi-porous or non-porous. They are available in a wide range of configurations and capacities and by nature and design are very gentile on the material they are handling. They are available in manual, battery and electrically powered models. Vacuum lifters make it easy and possible for one operator to handle large and cumbersome loads.

Industrial Crane Scales & Dynamometers

Maximum Material Handling carries a wide variety of crane scales and dynamometers, including; medium to heavy duty, 1,000 Lbs. to 100,000 Lbs., hands-on control or remote control, Bluetooth connectivity and multi data management options. Please contact our team so we can guide you to the unit that’s right for you.

Why Choose Maximum Material Handling?

Maximum Material Handling has the knowledge, experience and skill to help with any material handling need. As a full-service material handling company, we offer a wide range of standard below-the-hook devices for various lifting equipment and systems. We also provide design and engineering assistance to customers that require more specialized attachments. For these custom designs, we ensure they meet all applicable industry standards, including OSHA and ASME.

In addition to our product offerings, we also perform the following services:

Installation
Maintenance and repair
Inspection
Testing

For more information about our below-the-hook devices and other product and service offerings, contact us today.