Metal mesh slings, sometimes referred to as wire mesh slings or chain mesh slings are constructed using high-tensile carbon, stainless steel or alloy wire mesh. Metal mesh lifting slings are extremely cutting and abrasion resistant. With the widest standard bearing surface of any rigging sling used in material handling, wire mesh lifting slings offer top of the line load securement and balance. The high-strength and durable design of metal mesh slings makes them extremely corrosion resistant and especially suited for highly demanding and harsh operating environments.

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Metal Mesh Sling Applications and Configurations

Metal mesh lifting slings are the primary rigging slings used in metal working. The unique design and construction of the wire mesh makes these slings especially useful for hoisting loads that are hot, abrasive, and/or tend to cut through softer synthetic slings. Due to their flexibility and wide bearing surface, wire mesh slings can firmly grip and safely hoist irregular loads that other slings would have trouble lifting. Metal mesh slings are very versatile and can be used in vertical, choker and basket hitches.

Metal Mesh Sling Advantages

• Protected from cutting, abrasion, and cutting by its high-strength and durable design
• Perfect for demanding, high-heat operating environments, like those found in metal working
• Great at securely gripping irregular loads with its flexible design and wide bearing surface

Metal Mesh Sling Disadvantages

• The whole sling must be removed from service if there is evidence of just a single broken wire
• Can be susceptible to crushing damage

Wire Mesh Sling Inspection

It is important to inspect metal mesh lifting slings regularly and to keep a record of all sling inspections. At Tri-State Rigging Equipment we offer a full range of rigging inspection and repair services. The standards that govern metal mesh sling inspection are OSHA 1910.184 and ASME B30.9. It is recommended that wire mesh lifting slings first undergo an initial inspection when you receive the lifting sling from the manufacturer. The purpose of this initial inspection is to:

1. Check sling tag for correct capacity
2. Check the length of the sling
3. Make sure the sling is made from the correct materials in the correct configuration
4. Make sure the lifting sling meets any other lifting specs or requirements you may have

Metal mesh slings should also be inspected by a designated and qualified individual every day before use to make sure that the sling is in working condition and will lift its rated capacity. The person performing the inspection should examine all fastenings and attachments on the wire mesh sling. The inspector is looking for visual indications of any defects, deformities and general damage that might affect the integrity of the sling.

Depending on your application, you might want to perform these visual inspections more than once a day. If the metal mesh lifting sling is used many times throughout the day, by multiple individuals, across multiple shifts, it is imperative that the sling be inspected before every shift change and before any change in lifting application.

ASME standards further require a thorough periodic inspection to be performed at least once a year by either a professional service provider, or by a Qualified Person. In addition, written records must be kept until the next periodic inspection. The rejection criteria for periodic metal mesh sling inspections are as follows:

• Sling identification that is missing or mislabeled
• Broken brazed joint or broken weld on the sling edge
• A single broken wire or evidence of a broken wire in any part of the mesh
• Reduction in wire diameter of 25% due to abrasion or 15% due to corrosion
• Distortion of the mesh that causes a loss of flexibility
• 10% increase in depth of the choker fitting slot due to distortion
• 10% decrease in eye opening width of either end fitting due to distortion
• 15% reduction of the original cross-sectional area of any point around the hook opening of the end fitting
• Visible twisting of either end fitting out if its plane
• End fitting that is cracked
• Slings shall not be used if the spirals are locked or do not have free articulation
• Pitted, corroded, cracked, bent, twisted, gouged, or broken fittings
• Any and all conditions, including visible damage, that cause doubt as to the continued safe use of the sling

If your wire mesh sling shows any of the rejection criteria above, you must remove the sling from service, and it must be destroyed. Properly destroying rigging equipment is imperative because you can be held accountable for damage done by people who find and use your discarded slings. Therefore, slings deemed not suitable for service must be destroyed beyond use and beyond repair.  The process for destroying a wire mesh sling is as follows:

1. Cut sling into 3' or 4' sections
2. Cut or dismantle sling eyes
3. Remove or separate any labels or tags

The purpose of daily and periodic metal mesh sling inspections is not to get anyone in trouble but rather to gain knowledge of the frequency of use, severity of conditions, and nature of lifts, and consider how all these factors affect your metal mesh sling. The most important reason to perform daily and periodic metal mesh sling inspections, however, is to keep you and your coworkers safe.

Tri-State Rigging Equipment is a custom manufacturer, service provider and distributor for all metal mesh lifting slings serving clients from coast to coast, Canada, Mexico, and especially focused in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma.