Use the following calculator to determine the rated capacity required by the sling(s). You will need a sling or slings with a rated capacity equal to or greater than the rated capacity required for the corresponding rigging technique.
Weight of Load (lbs)
Number of Legs Supporting Load
Minimum weight on each leg: 0 lbs.
Maximum weight on each leg: 0 lbs.
Minimum Rated Capacity Requred: 0 lbs.
90°
85°
80°
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55°
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When you need to lift something at home in the garage, then a chain block is the perfect lifting machine for you. You need to take great care to make sure that the load stays within the rated capacity of the chain block, and that is when you ask: “How do you calculate chain blocks?”
The safe working load of any lifting machine is marked on the machine. It means that the strenuous task of doing calculations is taken off the shoulders of the end-user. Lifting machines and equipment manufacturers have a legal obligation to mark products with load capacities.
Lifting machines can become dangerous when people do not follow the manufacturers’ instructions on the safe use of chain blocks. This article aims to create awareness for the users of chain blocks and to help ensure that you can accurately calculate loads so you can use the chain blocks safely.
When you need to lift loads using a chain block, it is important to keep the safety of the load in mind. It is required by law for any manufacturer of lifting machines and equipment to display a rated capacity on the machine or equipment. The manufacturers do this by stamping the abbreviation SWL on the lifting machine.
It would not make sense to expect people with little or no knowledge about chain blocks to make complex calculations regarding the load that a chain block can safely lift. That does not mean that the end-user should hook any weight onto the chain block.
The end-user of lifting machines should ensure that the intended load they want to lift with a chain block is not heavier than the rated load indicated on the lifting machine. Failing to do it will lead to the failure of the mechanical parts of the chain block and can also cause severe injuries.
If a chain block is rated for 1500 pounds, the load needs to be calculated to be less than 1500 pounds. It is done by looking at the weight of the load and adding it to the weight of the slings and the connectors like the shackles. It means that you must add everything lower than the hook of the chain block to this calculation so it’s accurate and won’t cause accidents.
The calculations that are done by the manufacturers of lifting machines like chain blocks are done when approved components are used. Calculations will be impacted negatively when components like the chain of a chain block are modified.
The chain used for lifting is made specifically for that purpose and is marked with either an 80 or 100 on the chain links. When people use a chain other than a lifting chain, it changes the capacity that the chain block can safely lift. That is why no other person is permitted to make modifications to any lifting machine.
Engineers are trained and qualified to understand calculations, and that is why engineers need to be involved in anything that has to do with load capabilities. It is impossible for an inexperienced and untrained person to understand load-bearing capabilities, specifically if components are modified.
When you need to lift a load with a chain block, you must take certain factors into consideration to ensure that the lift can be done safely using the calculations from experts. The experts are designers, engineers, and manufacturers. Here are the factors that need to be considered:
In this post, you have seen that to understand the calculations of a chain block; you need to read the instruction from the manufacturer of the chain block. The manufacturer gets information and specifications from designers and engineers to make the end product. The manufacturer has to inform the end-user.
The end-user must use the information on the chain block and inside the user manual to set up the chain block correctly and then use it in the right way to stay within the calculated load capabilities of the chain block. If you do not follow the specifications, it could have serious consequences, including damage or injuries.
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