KITO
Round Slings
Round slings are the flexible, lightweight, and load‑friendly alternative to chain and wire rope slings for lifting applications where surface damage protection, low weight, and adaptability to irregular load shapes are paramount. Constructed from a continuous loop of high‑tenacity polyester yarn encased in a double‑wall woven polyester cover, a round sling distributes load evenly across thousands of individual fibres, providing a soft, non‑marking bearing surface that will not scratch polished stainless steel, painted surfaces, composite structures, or precision‑machined components. Crosby and Gunnebo Industries round slings are manufactured to EN 1492‑2 and WSTDA‑RS1 standards with a 7:1 safety factor, colour‑coded by WLL for instant visual identification, and supplied with individual identification tags, serial numbers, and test certificates. Available with WLLs from 1 tonne to over 100 tonnes.
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7:1 Safety Factor for Maximum Assurance
Every round sling is manufactured with a minimum breaking strength of 7× the Working Load Limit, exceeding the 5:1 minimum common for chain and wire rope slings and providing additional margin for unforeseen load dynamics.
Instant WLL Identification by Colour
The polyester cover is colour‑coded to international norms (purple = 1 tonne, green = 2 tonnes, and so on), allowing riggers and inspectors to verify sling capacity at a glance without searching for a faded or obscured label.
Non‑Marking, Non‑Scratching Load Contact
The woven polyester sleeve provides a soft, conformable bearing surface that grips the load without scratching, denting, or marring, making round slings the first choice for painted steelwork, stainless vessels, polished machinery, and composite structures.
Lightweight for Manual Handling Safety
A 10‑tonne round sling weighs approximately 10–15 kg, compared to 30–50 kg for an equivalent chain sling, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal injury during sling transport and rigging in the field.
Conformable to Irregular Shapes
The flexible construction wraps around cylindrical, curved, and asymmetric loads, providing full‑circumference load distribution and eliminating the point‑loading that occurs when a rigid chain or wire rope sling contacts a convex surface.
Full Traceability and Individual Certification
Each sling carries a permanently attached identification tag with serial number, WLL, length, manufacturing date, and test certificate reference, satisfying the documented inspection requirements of lifting equipment regulations globally.
Why Round Slings Need Purpose‑Designed Fittings
The most common cause of premature round sling condemnation is not the sling itself but the hardware it connects to. Standard alloy shackles and narrow‑profile hooks compress the sling body into a tight cross‑section, concentrating stress in the outer fibres while under‑loading the inner core. The result is internal abrasion that degrades breaking strength from the inside out, often with no visible external indication. Round slings achieve their full rated Working Load Limit only when connected to fittings that meet the minimum stock diameter and effective contact width specified in WSTDA‑RS1. For organisations managing sling replacement budgets, upgrading to purpose‑matched fittings typically reduces annual sling replacement expenditure by 30–40% through extended service life alone.
Inspection and Retirement Criteria for Polyester Round Slings
Unlike chain and wire rope, polyester round slings can accumulate internal damage not apparent from a visual external examination. The woven outer cover may appear intact while the internal load‑bearing yarns have been cut, abraded, or chemically degraded. Round slings must be inspected by a competent person before each use, with a detailed recorded thorough examination at intervals not exceeding six months. Retirement criteria include: cuts or abrasion to the cover exposing inner yarns, chemical contamination, heat damage (glazing, melting, or charring), missing or illegible identification tags, and knotting—a round sling that has been tied in a knot must be permanently removed from service.