Phillystran announced the X-Tremaloop fiber rope link for towing trucks. Made from 12-strand X-Tremaline polyethylene rope, it can be managed singlehandedly, and can pull up to 90 metric tons (mt).
X-Tremaloop is the first synthetic rope where the soft eye can open and close, Phillystran said. “It uses a simple knot-and-eye connection,” said Greg Savage, market lead, mining, Phillystran. “A quick connection can be made without the need to open heavy hardware, such as a shackle or a pin in a truck.”
Top benefits include increased speed of connection. “Logistically, being at 1/7th of the weight of wire rope, yet the same strength, these towing pennants can be easily moved around manually across a mining site,” Savage said. “There are no sharp edges. The towing strop or pennant is entirely soft. This makes for ideal hand-
ling ergonomics.”
It also translates to reduced vibrations, lowering maintenance costs.
X-Tremaloop can be used in place of conventional steel wire-rope towing strops or towing wires. “The only limit would be sharp edges,” Savage said. “The X-Tremaloop can only operate on smooth surface areas.”
The solution was initially developed for the maritime industry. “The concept derives from a synthetic rope-shackle developed a few years earlier,” Savage said. “With the X-Tremaloop, the rope shackle is no longer required. It is now integrated into the towing rope itself.”
The strength and simplicity of the connection ensure the solution is set to disrupt the space, Mark Pieter Frolich, commercial director, Phillystran, said. “Whether it’s towing a truck or connecting two winch lines, the X-Tremaloop sets a new standard for ease of rope connections in the mining industry.”
www.phillystran.com
