Universal Joint Cross Forging
December 25, 2020
Forged Hooks for Lifting and Rigging Application
Hooks have been used for centuries for a lot of things but more so in lifting tasks. Whether you want to lift a load using a weight lifter, hooks will be part of the set. They make the work easy as you just need to hook and unhook once done. So you don’t waste time tying the load you are lifting. But apart from lifting, hooks can be applied in other areas, such as towing, pulling, securing, and rigging.
We are going to look at two major types of hooks- lifting and rigging hooks. These are specially made hooks and mostly customized because of their unique applications. Most users prefer forged lifting and rigging hooks as they offer incredible performance. But hot forged hooks are the most popular because of their sturdiness and ability to withstand high weighting.
Hot forged hooks offer numerous benefits over other forms of forging. With this forging technology, you need to first heat the workpiece to about 75% of the melting temperature. This is the temperature where the metal reaches plastic deformation. This means it will be easier to form the hooks, and the workpiece is in molten form.
Forged lifting and rigging hooks a large amount of force withstand such force. They also offer a longer lifespan and ease of forming, among many other advantages discussed at the bottom of this article.
3 Common Types Of Forged Lifting And Rigging Hooks
There are many types of hooks used in the lifting and rigging industry. Each of these hooks is used in different conditions but has almost the same features. High strength is one of the common features of the lifting and rigging hooks in this list. Here are some of the common hot forged hooks for lifting and rigging applications:
Slip Hooks
These hooks are primarily designed to use with grade chains, and that’s why they are fixed directly to the chains. They are usually formed from treated carbon and alloy steel. So they are tough enough to handle huge loads. Some of the common types of slip hooks include the clevis slip hooks, clevlok, and eye slip hooks.
The main difference between these three types of hooks is the base of the hook. For the clevis types, they a clevis type of a handle where the coupler is placed. For the eye slip hooks, they have an eye shape or a circular hole on the base.
Rigging Hooks
Rigging hooks come in just one type that’s similar to the eye slip hooks. The only difference is that they have a larger eye to handle large couplers like thimbles. Because of the heavy loads that they lift when rigging, there are made from heat-treated alloy steels or heat-treated carbon, which are some of the hardest metals in the industry.
Rigging hooks come with an optional latch feature. When rigging, you need to be very careful with where the load is applied. For the hook to work properly, the load must be applied in line with the eye in the base of the hook.
Grab Hooks
This is another type of hooks design for overhead lifting. They are designed to be hooked back onto the chain in a choker arrangement. One of the key elements you need to check when using grab hooks is the angle hitch because it determines the load. For full load lifting, the hitch angle must be greater than 300. Just like slip hooks, they are available in clevis, cleblok cradle, and eye grab hooks.
Advantages Of Forged Lifting And Rigging Hooks
There are many reasons why most people are going for forged lifting and rigging hooks. The closed die forging method produces hooks with super mechanical properties like high strength and hardness. The heating of the material produces hooks with high fracture toughness.
Another advantage of forging hooks is reduced waste, which in turn reduces the cost of the hooks. The closed die forging ensures minimal or zero wastage of the materials. Did you know forged hooks higher quality surface? It’s true. The high-quality surfaces reduced the cost of refinishing work.
Another advantage is that you can make hooks from tough metals such as iron with hot forging. The heating of the material before pressing makes it possible to forge even the toughest metals. So you can get hooks that will last for a very long time.
