Custom Wire Rope Sling Design & Assembly

Wire rope slings assembled in-house

Toco does not outsource sling assembly. Every wire rope sling is built, tested and certified under one roof by Toco’s own riggers, who advise on rope selection, termination type and working load limits for the application. Because Toco holds extensive wire rope stock at both branches and assembles on site, standard slings can be turned around quickly – there is no waiting for third-party fabrication or external testing.

Assembly types

• Afgrip aluminium pressed slings – lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminium ferrule terminations; single-, two-, three- and four-leg; end fittings include thimble eyes, hooks, shackles and master links. The most widely specified pressed sling for general industrial lifting.
• Steel ferrule pressed slings – for heavy-duty and high-temperature applications; greater resistance to mechanical damage; specified for mining, smelting and petrochemical environments.
• National Jupiter pressed slings – assembled to the same quality and testing protocols as all Toco slings, with a Certificate of Conformance as standard.
• Hand-spliced, Admiralty & Liverpool spliced slings – Admiralty and Liverpool are hand-splicing methods used to form a soft eye at one or both ends of the sling, to any length and any eye size, for flexible terminations and tight spaces.
• SWR socketed assemblies – cold-poured resin spelter socketing (open or closed sockets) that retains the full nominal breaking strength of the rope when correctly installed.
• Cable-laid grommets – endless loops laid up from one continuous length of rope for heavy lifts and irregular load shapes, built to your specified diameter and circumference.
• Endless round long-spliced slings – rope ends long-spliced into a continuous loop with no mechanical joint, for choker hitches and basket lifts.

Assembly and testing equipment

Germiston operates five hydraulic presses – 1,500 t (32–56 mm, Afgrip & Superloop), 600 t (8–32 mm, Afgrip), 400 t (6–32 mm, Superloop), 300 t (6–22 mm, Afgrip) and 25 t (1–6 mm, Afgrip) – together with a 200-ton rated proof loader (8 m, currently certified to 100 t) on SANAS-calibrated load cells. Cape Town operates two presses – 400 t (8–20 mm) and 25 t (2–6 mm). Proof-load testing is carried out at the Germiston facility; Cape Town assembles and ships for proof testing. Slings are batch proof-load tested and supplied with a Certificate of Conformance, with full traceability from rope batch to finished assembly.

Wire rope constructions stocked

Toco holds wire rope from 1 mm to 56 mm in a range of constructions, and uses its stocked rope to assemble slings and grommets:

• 6×7 fibre core or IWRC
• 7×7 construction
• 6×19 fibre core and IWRC – general engineering and lifting
• 6×36 fibre core and IWRC – flexible construction for cranes and winches
• 18×7 and 19×7 non-spin (rotation-resistant) – tower cranes and long falls
• Stainless steel for marine and corrosive environments; PVC-coated; galvanised and ungalvanised options

Certification and factor of safety

Steel wire rope is one of the five equipment categories within Toco’s Lifting Machinery Entity registration, LME No. 008, held under DMR 18(5) of the OHS Act. Finished wire rope slings are supplied with a Certificate of Conformance; where an OEM material trace is required, an OEM Certificate can accompany the rope or component on request. Toco rates steel wire rope slings at a 6:1 safety factor in line with DMR 18; cable-laid grommets carry an 8:1 factor. In-service inspection of wire rope slings follows SANS 4309, and lifting tackle in use must be re-inspected at intervals not exceeding three months under DMR 18(10)(e).

Industries

Toco supplies certified wire rope slings into mining, construction and marine operations, among others – from shaft and headgear work and structural steel erection to dockside cargo handling – with full DMR 18 and SANS-compliant documentation.

How to order

To request a quotation, provide the wire rope diameter and construction (or ask Toco to recommend), the working load limit required, the sling type (single, two-, three- or four-leg, grommet or endless), the overall length bearing point to bearing point, the end fittings, and the quantity. Toco’s team will specify the correct sling for the job.

Frequently asked questions

What is a steel wire rope sling?

A steel wire rope sling is a lifting assembly made from wire rope with terminations – soft eyes, thimble eyes, hooks or fittings – at each end, used to connect a load to a crane, hoist or forklift. Slings are specified by working load limit, rope diameter, construction and termination type.

Does Toco assemble slings to custom specifications?

Yes. All Toco wire rope slings are assembled to order. You can specify rope diameter and construction, overall length, number of legs, end fittings and ferrule type. Germiston presses cover 1 mm to 56 mm and Cape Town covers 2 mm to 20 mm.

What certificate comes with a wire rope sling?

Each finished sling is supplied with a Certificate of Conformance. Where an OEM material trace is required, an OEM Certificate can accompany the rope or component on request.

What safety factor do Toco’s wire rope slings carry?

Steel wire rope slings are rated at a 6:1 safety factor in line with DMR 18; cable-laid grommets carry an 8:1 factor. Where SANS or EN specify a different ratio, the statutory DMR 18 figure governs.

How often must wire rope slings be inspected?

Under DMR 18 of the OHS Act, lifting tackle including wire rope slings must be inspected at intervals not exceeding three months by a competent person. In-service inspection follows SANS 4309. Toco can inspect, recertify or replace slings and maintain your lifting-tackle register.

What is the difference between Afgrip aluminium and steel ferrule slings?

Afgrip aluminium ferrules are lighter and corrosion-resistant, and are the most common choice for general industrial lifting. Steel ferrules offer greater resistance to mechanical damage and are specified for mining, smelting and petrochemical environments.