A new round sling standard that surpasses the working load limits set in ASME's B30.9 standard is set to be released by The Cordage Institute later this year. Two years in the making, the standard had only to be approved by the Institute's board in May before it was set to be published and available for purchase. The standard outlines inspection criteria and working load limits at various configurations for round slings made of high-strength fibers.
“The group decided to come up with a standard that goes beyond the polyester round slings in use today,” said Dave Richards, Cordage Institute technical director. “This standard is the first in the world that includes high-tenacity fibers.”
Richards said when industry organizations wrote standards years ago, they stated only polyester could be used in the manufacture of round slings. “So, they limited all data to that," he said. "As a result, they weren't open to a round sling standard that went beyond the polyester limits.” The Cordage Institute then opted to focus on higher working load limits because the group is also working on a high-strength fiber rope standard, which will be incorporated into the next publication of B30.9, according to Richards.
The new round sling standard has been two years in development, according to Cordage Institute Administrative Director Pete Lance.
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