Extreema® sling benefits
A growing awareness in the heavy-lift industry shows an increasing demand for Extreema® heavy-lift soft slings. With slings designed to handle lifts from 0.5 to 8000 tonne and lengths from 0.2 to 65 metres, Extreema® soft slings have a number of advantages situations over both their steel counterparts and other textile-based lifting products.
- Extreema® soft slings are light, flexible, safe and easy to work with.
- Extreema® soft slings have a far superior D:d ratio to both synthetic and wire rope, allowing them to maintain their rated WLL with greatly reduced rigging hardware sizes. For example, where the safe D:d ratio (the ratio of the rigging hardware diameter when compared to the diameter of the rope or sling) of wire rope is around 1:4 and polyester rope 2.5:1, Extreema® soft slings enable you to work down to 1:1 (dependent on the specified product) enabling you to work with standard rather than wide-body shackles.
- Extreema® soft slings demonstrate high abrasion & cut resistance, low elongation and exceptional flexibility & toughness.
- Extreema® soft slings reduce environmental pollution.
- With flexible construction options (core, cover and protections) Extreema® soft slings can significantly lower the total cost of ownership.
- Extreema® heavy-lift soft slings have proven to be a cost saving investment for challenging heavy lift projects in both on-and-offshore industries.
Extreema® Sling Construction
Unlike braided fibre ropes or wound steel wires, the construction of an Extreema® round sling is based on parallel-laid fibre technology that make up the core. The core of an Extreema® round sling is always made of 100% high performance fibres such as Dyneema® (the world’s strongest fibre™) or general HMPE. This makes the slings up to 15 times stronger than steel on a weight-for-weight basis and a weight reduction of up to 80% compared to wire rope.
Each Extreema® sling is custom-manufactured to suit the requirements of an individual lifting project. As such, they can be specified with a range of core, jacket and protection options to suit the size, shape and environmental considerations for each lift.
Core Option 1 - Dyneema®
Dyneema® is an Ultra-High Modulus PolyEthylene fibre (HMPE or UHMWPE) which offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. For this reason Dyneema® is known as “the world’s strongest fibre”™. The secret to the superior performance of Dyneema® fibre (UHMwPE) lies in the extremely long molecular chains that transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone.
As a result Dyneema® offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibres, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® fibre floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited.
Core Option 2 - HMPE
HMPE (high-modulus polyethylene) has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5 million amu. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made.
HMPE is highly resistant to corrosive chemicals except oxidising acids; has extremely low moisture absorption and a very low coefficient of friction; is self-lubricating; and is highly resistant to abrasion.
Extreema® soft-sling Protection – inner cover vs protective outer cover
A standard round sling cover mainly serves to keep the core yarn strands together, and so should not be considered a form of sling protection. Depending on material, these covers can protect the core material from simple wear-and-tear damage in the very early stages, but will definitely NOT prevent serious damage to the core during usage. For greatly increased sling life, Extreema® offers two levels of supplementary outer-layer sling protection.
For complete sling protection, outer sleeves are available in four different materials – polyester, Cordura®/nylon and two Dyneema® variations — while the optional inner signal warning layer or sand protection filter improves usability. Appropriate additional lift-point protection (on bearing points, hooks, sharp objects etc.) are recommended for all soft slings, and Extreema® offer a range of Cordura® and Dyneema® options in both sewn & removable format.
Extreema® Outer Cover Options
A sleeve, jacket or cover mainly serves to keep the core yarn strands together, and so cannot be considered to be a protective sleeve. Depending on the material you choose, a cover can protect the core material from simple water-and-tear in the early stages, but will definitely NOT prevent serious damage to the core during usage. Appropriate supplementary protections (on the bearing points, sharp objects etc.) are recommended for all Extreema® soft slings. There are four different jacket options available to cover Extreema® round slings, plus the optional inner signal warning sleeve.
Polyester outer cover
Extreema® polyester covers are made from high quality 100% polyester yarn and can be made in various forms. They can be used for lifting situations with a temperature range from -40°C to +100°C, however polyester does take up water. The benefits of a Polyester cover include:
- Abrasion resistance
- Service temperature range from -40°C up to +100°C
Black Belt SlingTM with Cordura® outer cover
Extreema® Black Belt SlingsTM with their coated black Cordura® cover are a super-durable sling. Cordura® is a primary ingredient in many of the world’s leading high-performance gear and is well known for its resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs. This sling will be a perfect fit for lifting objects with higher temperature ranges: it has a service temperature range from -40°C up to +100°C while still maintaining abrasion, wear and puncture resistant. However, the cut as well as chemical resistance of the Cordura® cover & protections is limited. The benefits of a Cordura® cover include:
- Resistance against abrasions, tears, scuffs and friction (heat)
- Service temperature range from -40°C up to +100°C
- Moderate resistance against long-term UV exposure
- Excellent on (sea) water, moisture
- Good resistance to many oils, greases and fuels
Bio-based Dyneema® outer cover (white/black)
As a result of its high resistance against cuts, abrasions and puncture Dyneema® is already used in many industries such as military and extreme sports. While white is the standard Dyneema® colour, it can also be supplied in black, where stains and damage will be less visible. All other features are the same for both. The benefits of a Dyneema® cover include:
- Extremely resistant to cuts, abrasion, puncture, UV, moisture & seawater
- Proven track-record in many industries/applications
- Service temperature range from -50°C up to +70°C
- Good resistance to acids and alkali substances
- Extremely durable and stretchable
- No damage to payload
- Bio-based
Extreema® XL outer cover
The Extreema® XL cover is the perfect solution to protect your sling in contact with sharp edges. The jacket is made of 100% Dyneema® and has the highest abrasion resistance of any fibre, excellent dynamic toughness, flex fatigue resistance and very low elongation. The protection has superior cut, puncture and tear resistance.
Inferno® Heat-resistant sling
Made of 100% Aramid, the Inferno® is ultra-heat resistant. This means that even under temperatures as high as 200⁰C, the Inferno® soft sling will maintain its strength and durability. It can also be supplied with a heat-indicator tag.
Inner signal warning layer
The core of any of our round slings can be covered by an inner signal warning sleeve. This is a red Dyneema® or orange high tenacity Polyester sleeve which serves the purpose of indicating when a sling is damaged. When the inner signal warning sleeve is visible, the jacket has been damaged and the sling should not be used until the jacket only has been repaired or replaced.
Sand ingress protection filter
Extreema® slings are a perfect fit for subsea applications, as they are high salt-and-chemical resistant and do not absorb water. However, there are challenges. Penetration of particles can lead to internal abrasion in the bearing core yarn. In this case it is recommended to use our Extreema® sand ingress protection filter as an inner sleeve for your sling. With a characteristic opening size of O90 < 0.036mm, good filtering while still free flooding is possible.
Extreema® wear point protection options
According to the EN-1492 regulations for safe use of round slings the sling should always be protected on the anchoring point (shackles, pins, axis, trunions etc.) as well as the lifting appliance (cranehook). Extreema® lift-point protection sleeve come in 100% Dyneema® or 100% Cordura®. (They also offer polyester wear pads suitable for smooth and clean surfaces.)
While Extreema® lift-point protection sleeves are the perfect match for all Extreema® round slings, they can be used on any synthetic webbing sling, steel wire rope, chain or rope. Protected by an Extreema® EP series sleeve, any sling will have a significantly longer life span and provide a smoother, safer lift.
EP-L, XL & XXL protection
EP series protective sleeves are made from 100% Dyneema® (the world’s strongest fibre)and can be supplied in various lengths & diameters in either a removable wrap-around format with genuine Velcro® closers, or a non-removable tight-fitting sleeve.
For general purpose usage the EP-L protective sleeves come with a standard 2mm fabric thickness. For repetitive loadouts with sharp edges, the EP-XL has a single thickness of 3mm (or 6mm double) or for the greatest cut resistance the EP-XXL offers a 6mm single or 12mm double thickness. The benefits EP protection include:
- Extremely durable, stretchable & chemically resistant
- Extremely resistant to cuts, abrasion and puncture
- Velcro® joiners make it easy to put on and remove
- The soft, flexible fabric prevents damage to payload
- Does not take up water or moisture
EP-C protection
EP-C protection is made from 100% Cordura®. This super-durable fibre is a primary ingredient in many of the world’s leading high-performance gear. It is known for its resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs. The colour of EP-C protection is black.
It can be delivered in various dimensions and with or without velcro. The EP-C protection is extremely durable and stretchable. It prevents damage to the payload; the material is resistant against higher temperatures and to friction and abrasion. This makes it a perfect fit for lifting objects with higher temperatures.
Corner protection
The Extreema® Corner Protector is made from 100% Dyneema®. It can be mounted on synthetic round slings, webbing slings, steel wire rope and chains, lashings and synthetic ropes. Because of the two velcro straps the Corner Protector is extremely easy to mount on the sling. The flexible Dyneema® pad makes it possible to use the sling in any situation, without a fixed angle. The Corner Protector is perfect for repetitive load-outs of payloads with extremely sharp edges. The lifetime of a round sling will be significantly longer and much safer with Extreema® corner protections on the bearing points and angles, sharp edges.
Extreema® Webbing Slings & Protection
Extreema® webbing slings are made with 100% Dyneema®, for inconvenient and tough lifting jobs under challenging conditions. The lifting capacity ranges from WLL 1 tonne up to WLL 20 tonne straight lift. The sling is constructed with a reinforced eye at both ends and is available in 50mm & 100mm widths
Polyester webbing slings can also be protected with Extreema® fabric. A seamless tubular protective sleeve is the perfect solution to protect a rope from abrasion. This protective cover will also prevent industrial waste to penetrate the rope and damage the core yarns. The fabric can be applied on the entire length of the webbing sling, on the edges of the sling or in the lifting eyes.
Applications
