Canada-based Unirope Limited has added Helix™ and Onyx™ synthetic roundslings from Slingmax Rigging Solutions® to its product range.
Unirope is a specialist in the manufacture, distribution, testing, certification, and inspection of high-performance wire rope and rigging products. It has manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta combining to deliver products nationwide and to select customers in the U.S. and Europe. Since 1988, Unirope has partnered with Slingmax, recognized worldwide for innovative heavy lifting and material handling solutions.
Both Helix and Onyx products will be custom-manufactured to meet the unique needs of Unirope customers. Whether for recurring operations or specialized lifting applications, each product will be tailored to ensure safety, performance, and alignment with specific requirements. They complement an already comprehensive rigging catalogue, including Twin-Path® slings; Gator-Flex® products; Uni-Path® polyester roundslings; Uniweb® and Diamond Edge® web slings; Uniloc® wire rope slings; and Rigger’s Choice® chain slings. Together, they create a versatile and complete suite of solutions to tackle virtually any rigging scenario, offering customers unparalleled flexibility and performance.
Justin Brown, president at Unirope, said: “Expanding our rigging equipment portfolio allows us to address critical gaps and emerging needs within the industry. It ensures that we’re responsive to the evolving requirements of our customers, helping them solve real challenges in their operations. By offering innovative solutions, we not only meet specific pain points but also enhance the overall safety, efficiency, and reliability of their lifting applications.”
Helix and Onyx synthetic roundslings
While both Helix and Onyx products are manufactured from high-performance fibers, they each have their specific place in the market.
Helix is one of Slingmax’s premier products, utilizing the same highly proven blended K-Spec® core yarn that is used in Twin-Path sling products. The Helix jacket is a braided high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) that offers excellent protection, while keeping a very low profile to fit into small openings where a normal roundsling could not. Often, roundslings must be tapered to a reduced width to fit into these openings; the Helix sling eliminates the need for tapering. The Helix product is also produced using patented Rifled Cover Technology®, which improves overall strength-to-weight ratio and promotes more efficient load sharing of the core fibers.
The Onyx sling, meanwhile, is a more economical product that utilizes a 100% HMPE core fiber with a dual protective cover. This sling will appeal to a different demographic as it does not have the patented features that Helix and Twin-Path have; however, it has been extensively tested to comply with Slingmax’s quality standards, as well as all applicable industry standards.
Unirope will also stock Slingmax’s Spider Sleeve™ and Covermax® products. Spider Sleeve is a light-duty HMPE product that protects against abrasion, while Covermax is the proprietary general Twin-Path sling cover that is a bulked nylon material.
The Covermax green bulked nylon cover is the most durable and abrasion resistant roundsling cover on the market, while also offering excellent ultraviolet (UV) protection. Covermax has a red inner cover for additional protection, which also acts as an inspection aid as the red can be seen if the outer green cover has been compromised. Newer versions of Covermax, in widths 6 inches and above, will be reinforced with HMPE weft yarns to further improve the durability of the cover material. The Covermax covers can also be repaired provided there is no damage to the internal core fibers. While the Covermax does offer a great deal of abrasion protection on its own, any synthetic sling should be protected when being used.
There is also a Cornermax® product that is a densely woven HMPE that serves as cut protection and is rated for use at 25,000 lbs. per inch of sling width.
Both Spider Sleeve and Cornermax products can be utilized with any Slingmax synthetic sling product.
Most tested and trusted
John Ketchum, Vice President at Slingmax Rigging Solutions, said: “We believe K-Spec is the most tested and trusted core fiber on the market. K-Spec goes through rigorous testing on a regular basis and has been successfully tested to 50,000 cycles at 1.5 times rated load. Quality control is a multi-step process that involves testing individual incoming fibers, twisted core yarn, and performance in completed slings. Every lot of K-Spec is serialized with a lot number for traceability. Further, 1% elongation is basically the same as wire rope slings, with a high-performance fiber roundsling weighing approximately 90% less than wire for the same strength. Our K-Spec core yarn is blended to take advantage of the different fiber properties while reducing creep, which is defined as unrecoverable stretch.”
Unirope’s Brown added: “This collaboration [with Slingmax] has been a driving force behind our mutual success. Slingmax has been a leader in product development, led by a talented team of engineers dedicated to advancing rigging and lifting technology. Their innovation and expertise allow us to consistently deliver products that set industry standards for quality, safety, and functionality. This partnership has not only strengthened both brands but has also ensured our customers have access to the most reliable, cutting-edge solutions in the field.”
Unirope products are provided in accordance with ASME B30.9; Cordage Institute CI-1905; and Web Sling & Tie Down Association WSTDA-RS-1HP.
