Dolezych, a renowned manufacturer of ropes, lifting and load securing equipment, has developed a new PowerLash with Dyneema textile lashing chain with an LC of 5000 daN to achieve better strength and durability. Dolezych will present the result of its close collaboration with DSM Dyneema at this year's IAA-Nutzfahrzeuge commercial vehicle trade fair in Hanover.

The PowerLash chain is manufactured completely from webbing made of Dyneema. Several layers of the fabric are wound and sewn to form chain links. These are combined into textile chains that can be produced in any length with specially developed chain hooks, high-strength shackles and special tensioner elements, the Germany based company explains.

“The result is easily comparable with the breaking load and durability of chains made of high-strength steel, but is up to 85% lighter and much more flexible in use,” says the company.

Testing

The new load securing systems were put through their paces by users in a test phase lasting six months and proved to be outstanding under real operating conditions, according to the company. Products with the widest variety of chain lengths, hooks and tensioner elements were used. Even short lashing chains were reported to offer enormous weight and handling advantages.

“Above all, the particularly long lashing chains with a usable length of 6m or more showed that the extremely light and cut-resistant Dyneema fibre is simply unbeatable for some applications,” the company reports. “Even with chain lengths of 20m and more it was possible for just one person to secure the load quickly and effortlessly.”

Innovative elements

The PowerLash with Dyneema lashing chain is offered as a modular system. This is said to allow it to be configured flexibly for the respective purpose of use. The customer selects the chain length (strands in lengths of 4 and 8m are standard), the number of hooks and tensioner elements required and, if necessary, additional shackles for the connection or shortening of chain strands.

The tensioner element of the system is also innovative. A special and easy to use lashing strap system replaces the ratchet load binder normally used with lashing chains. That is said to result in a significantly longer tensioning distance and additionally contributes to a reduction in weight.

Even without additional fittings or tensioner elements, the chain can be used resourcefully as a load securing aid: as a head sling, the textile chain can be guided flexibly around voluminous loads, for example, and tensioned diagonally with lashing straps simply hooked into the chain links, the company explains. It can thus function as a headboard substitute and secure loads that cannot be placed against the actual headboard of the vehicle on account of the load distribution plan.

Dyneema fibre

DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of the UHMWPE fibre (Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene), which is marketed under the brand name Dyneema. Dyneema is designed to offer maximum strength combined with minimum weight.

For the same weight it is 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibres, according to the manufacturer. The Dyneema fibre floats on water and is said to have an extremely high resistance to abrasion and cutting, as well as being resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals.

The fibres are processed by Dolezych GmbH & Co. KG, one of the world's leading companies for load securing. The multinational family-owned company headquartered in Dortmund has recognized experience in the development and manufacture of lashing products and owns numerous patents in this field.

www.dolezych.de

www.dyneema.com