The UHMWPE winch rope is a vital component of many of today’s heavy lift hydraulic cranes and other lifting equipment. In fact, it is considered so important that a UHMWPE winch rope must be one of the first components of the hydraulic system. If your company purchases or receives a crane, it behooves you to learn how to properly install the winch rope. This article will provide some simple tips and tricks on learning how to install this critical safety uhmwpe winch rope.
UHMWPE (unified metallic woven material)winches are usually made from a polyethylene braided rope with galvanized steel reinforcement. Many manufacturers of winches use a 24 karat gold coated fiber rope, which is stronger than most other winches. UHMWPE winches have come down in price recently. However, if you need a large drum, there are larger, heavier winches that can support the much larger UHMWPE braided ropes.
The first step to installing a UHMWPE winch, is to identify the appropriate mounting location for the unit. UHMWPE winch ropes can either be mounted on a boom, or they can be mounted on a tower mast. The advantage of mounting the winch on a boom is that the winch will be supported at all times by the mast of the crane. UHMWPE are more difficult to install on towers, because of the additional weight. Most boom cranes will also require you to install an additional winch starter motor. The starter motor will help the rope break more quickly and therefore increase the breaking strength of the rope.
If you decide to install the UHMWPE winch rope on a tower mast, you will need to make sure that the base of the tower is made of steel, because steel is the most effective conductor of electricity. The UHMWPE wire rope will be mounted onto the top of the tower, but you must make sure that it is securely in place. There are different types of winches that use different methods of mounting. You should discuss this with the manufacturer, and then choose the mounting method that you feel most comfortable with.
The UHMWPE is typically constructed from nylon, polyester, or high-density fiber rope. Nylon is the most commonly used, because of its light weight and ability to bend into a very thin sheet. Polyester is also used, because it is a more durable product that is available in a wide range of colors. Fiberglass is not used very often, because it tends to dissolve after prolonged use, and it also tends to break very easily under certain conditions. If you use a combination of any of these materials, you should consider getting a new winch rope, because the old ones will become ineffective, and may be more dangerous than the new ones.
After mounting the UHMWPE winch, you must secure the winch to the tower securely. This usually involves using tie downs, either manually or by use of an automatic clasp system. This step usually takes around ten minutes to perform. The advantage of using tie downs is that they can hold the UHMWPE to the ground, so the wind will not blow it away. In addition, the tie downs can prevent other metal objects from becoming too close to the UHMWPE, as well as keep people from walking over the wires, and damaging them.
Once the UHMWPE rope has been mounted securely onto the tower, you will need to take care of the rest of it. UHMWPE winches usually come with manuals that explain how to do the necessary maintenance. If there are any problems, you need to know exactly what the procedure is, before attempting it. You should also know how to install additional UHMWPE winches on a tower that is already mounted with another winch. It is important that you read through all of the instructions before mounting the UHMWPE to ensure that you understand them completely. It is also a good idea to read through the manufacturer’s manual in order to familiarize yourself with all of the UHMWPE parts.
UHMWPE winches are available in many different styles. There are UHMWPE winch clamps which are used to secure one end of the UHMWPE rope to the tower, while preventing it from falling off. There are UHMWPE wire rope winches which have a wire basket at the other end, to capture the second rope that goes around the tower. There are UHMWPE winch couplings which hook up to both the wire rope and the winch clamps, allowing the winch to sit directly under the wire rope. You can also find other styles, such as ones that hook into the loop at the top of the UHMWPE, allowing the winch to hang down freely.
