In the 77° edition (June/2021) of Crane Brazil, the Engineer Fernando Fuertes associated with the Dutch company Fibremax present to the Brazilian market the synthetic pendants that have been widely used in new projects and in the replacement of metallic pendants in cranes, large excavators that are active in mining, cable-stayed towers, wind energy projects, underwater anchorage and other applications. The use of this irreversible technology brings great handling advantages, reduced installation time, reduced maintenance costs and a notable increase in service life when compared to traditional metallic solutions. Enjoy your reading and we are at your disposal for any doubts and/or technical/commercial requests.

In the world of cranes, new trends have taken hold: bigger, taller, heavier sand efficient. Because of this, crane manufacturers were forced to invest in research and development looking for ways to meet these new trends. Some innovative devices of high performance, technology and safety have been created and applied in cranes mainly by the big manufacturers. A strong example of these trends are synthetic crane pendants. These synthetic pendants have been created and applied in the crane and mining industry over the past two decades and have been gaining ground over metallic pendants, with significant advantages in maintenance, operation, safety and service life. Synthetic pendants are very robust and offer a wide range of benefits to users. They are very light, easy to install, transport and do not require maintenance. Cranes are typically equipped with heavy steel cable pendants and special steel lugs. Significant weight reduction can be achieved. As a comparison example, a 60 meter long synthetic pendant with a minimum breaking load of 1,950 tons (16,200 kN) has an approximate mass of 1,300 kg, while a steel cable with the same characteristics has an approximate mass of 8,100 kg. We have a big reduction of 84%! Due to the light weight of synthetic pendants, they do not damage the paint structure of the boom or other parts of the crane. In addition, the use of lighter slopes will allow mobile crawler crane manufacturers to offer longer lattice booms. Synthetic pendants have no elongation in their manufacture, making them strong, long and achieve a long service life.

Long service life: up to 750,000 charge cycles

Synthetic pendants have several advantages compared to steel solutions in some cases already outdated. They have practically zero structural elongation and are more resistant to environmental and chemical influences. This makes synthetic pendants have a longer service life and are easier to maintain over the years. A land crane is generally built to last about twenty years with approximately 16,000 load cycles. Synthetic pendants made from aramid, like those of the Dutch FibreMax , have been tested and can achieve up to 750,000 load cycles, a fact that exceeds the crane design data by 40 times. With the ever-larger cranes, the weight factor becomes more important than before. By replacing metallic pendants with synthetic ones, crane manufacturers will be able to add other essential features such as batteries or an electric motor, thus enabling greater efficiency and progress. With their reduced weight, as well as ease of transport and reduced counterweight, synthetic crane pendants are environmentally friendly during use for businesses. In addition, the long service life of these equipment helps to reduce the environmental impact, since they do not need to be replaced for many years. Compared to wire ropes, synthetic pendants are 99% recyclable even after use on a crane. Due to all these factors, synthetic pendants provide zero waste and a greener image for crane manufacturers and their users.

Aramid fiber is the key factor

Synthetic crane pendants are made from aramid (one of the strongest fibers in the world) and are custom designed for a wide variety of applications. Aramid fibers have a high level of strength and modulus, as well as recyclability and low carbon emissions. Furthermore, they are very robust fibers with a high modulus, without deformation and resistant to chemical and environmental impacts. HMPE offers maximum strength with minimum weight. Increased strength and reduced weight provide significant advantages in improved handling and greater safety. Synthetic ropes can also be made from carbon and are as strong as steel, polyester or polyamide ropes in remarkably smaller diameters and lighter weight with the same minimal breaking load. The increase in strength and the reduction in weight offer users notable advantages. To make the strongest fibers even stronger, Fibremax , one of the world’s leading manufacturers of synthetic pendants, is incorporating custom terminations to eliminate any weak spots with maximum efficiency. Synthetic crane pendants build the future: lower emissions with reduced weight, longer durability than the crane itself, and easier to handle than ever