Essential & Common Devices that Rigging Engineers Need to Know About

Lifting and rigging equipment is crucial to whatever purpose you aim to achieve be it engineering, construction or carrying out rescue operations.

Purchasing inappropriate hardware can prevent the success of even the most simplest procedure. Thus, it is essential to discover the process of finding the right equipment for your lifting and rigging tasks as well as the most ideal equipment that are suitable for your specific job. Provided below is the procedure that will guide you into purchasing rigging tools that won’t obstruct your specific task.

What are the Options? How Big is the Selection Out There?

Firstly, it is crucial to understand the equipment you want to purchase before you opt for the buy.

When considering rigging equipment, you will be majorly working with pulleys, hooks, swivels, eye straps and many other gadgets. Although many of these equipment are usually compact and relatively simple, they need to operate together to achieve a successful rigging operation.

When considering lifting equipment, it comprises connectors, hooks, swivels, chokers and so on. Just like rigging, every one of these compact equipment has a crucial role to play in successfully completing a task.

Other tools that are also very crucial when carrying out rigging and lifting operations are shackles, ropes, dynamometers, and pulleys.

Popular rigging equipment used in the industry is described in the list below.

Wire ropes 

Bearing in mind that different cable types are employed to various tasks, it is therefore important to properly decide on your project’s specific goal and requirements. Although electronic controls are now used by many pilots through the integration of fly-by-wire technology, smaller airplanes still make use of high strength wire ropes or guy wire.

Common applications for wire ropes consist of locking down the boats to the anchors and shipments to ship decks. Also, wire ropes are used to produce cruise boat lines and rigging for gaining access to fishing boats. Many theatres also employ wire ropes when moving background scenes and the most appropriate type for this task is the galvanized cable. Wire ropes are also utilized when creating zip lines for recreational activities as a result of its ability to handle its components. Please take a look at this comprehensive guide to selecting the optimal wire rope or guy wire for your needs.

Rigging hooks 

Several lifting and rigging hooks such as sling hooks, hoist hooks and so on are very important to carry out most rigging tasks that require pulling, lifting, towing and locking downloads but usually comes in multiple strength, design, and limit. 

Ranging from compact swivel eye stainless steel to heavy-duty sling hooks having an operating load capacity of more than 8000lbs. To make sure that the forge alloy you got is unique and properly processed, it is important to do research and look for services about it.

Hooks employed for rigging applications are produced for lifting hefty objects and getting rid of slippages which are determined by the objects to be moved. Rigging hooks are manufactured from forged alloy steel that is selected in accordance with the safe weight load standards and comes with several types such as eye, sorting, choker and clevis grab. Hooks are manufactured based on the hook opening, throat, size which vary from 5/8″ to 1 17/32″.

Wire Cutters

When it comes to cable and wire cutters, any engineer or technician will tell you there’s nothing like using the right one for smooth & effective cutting of wires, metal, and aircraft cables of varying diameters. Many of these vital tools are popularly used by professionals in the automobile, aerospace, construction, telecommunication, and marine industries. The availability of types is massive, each with unique benefits and drawbacks specific to your job. Selecting the optimal cutter is crucial and seeking the help of a specialist is the best option especially for beginners.

Shackles

A shackle is a u-formed connecting tool combined with a connecting pin for load-bearing applications. Shackles are useful for several rigging and load fastening applications useful in creating a linkage from various kinds of lifting chains, slings, and ropes to another component or one another.

Several applications include:

1. Lifting
2. Rigging
3. Pulling or towing
4. Securing
5. Hoisting

Similar to sling hooks and lifting slings, Shackles are also available in several options and designs. Recognizing the most appropriate shackle for your task might get confusing. In order to avoid failures in rigging operation that could cause critical damage or harm, it is important to be certain about your selection.

Steel Nuts and Eye Bolts

A major factor that determines the selection of eye bolts is the angle loading that is usually 30, 80, 90 degrees. Eyebolts are generally utilized when looping wires and cables which makes it important to use the ones with the ideal capacity that can withstand the needed load. Several types of shoulder and straight eye bolts used in rigging tasks are eye, nut, machinery, and screw that are usually available in different sizes ranging from ¼” to 2”. Eyebolts are combined with nuts and are also manufactured from steel. The load requirement, shape and weight determine the selected dimension of the nuts and the eye bolts.

Pulleys and Blocks

The procedure involved for controlling hefty objects have been simplified through lifting blocks and pulleys by reducing the weight. This is a necessity for heavy loads. The snatch block is the most popular type with other available options including the logging and lifting blocks. Ideally, wire ropes are combined with blocks. They are very simple to use and comes in different sizes that can make it provide support for up to 30 tons. Pulleys are usually combined with artificial ropes for lifting lighter weight in contrast with lifting blocks. They comes in single and double types and selecting the most ideal pulley is determined by the sheave size and rope frame.

Artificial Slings

It is usually combined with slings, wire ropes and comes in unlimited and eye-and-eye design. Artificial slings are manufactured from artificial materials while eye -and-eye slings are available in triangular ends made of metal which can come with a choker or not. Few eye-and-eye slings are not equipped with a metal triangle loops, rather they come with either a flat or warped eye that is manufactured from an artificial material.