OTEX and Villanova define cut resistance standard in webbing slings

Webbing slings—strong strips of tightly woven fabric—are essential tools in construction and other load-bearing industries/applications, allowing cranes to lift and move heavy loads safely. Similar to cargo netting, they cradle irregularly shaped objects such as steel beams. But when cut, a sling can fail without warning, with potentially devastating consequences.

Although strict equipment standards and inspection requirements govern crane rigging, the industry lacks a standardized test to measure how slings perform under real-world cutting conditions. To address this gap, OTEX Specialty Narrow Fabrics (Watsontown, PA) partnered with Villanova University to develop a method for quantifying cut resistance in a high-performance webbing sling prototype—an approach they hope will establish a new industry standard.

“The crane rigging industry has relied on core synthetic webbing sling technology for more than half a century,” says Eric Aerts, director of marketing, research, and development at OTEX. “Most slings are made of nylon or polyester yarns. If used correctly and monitored carefully, conventional slings work well. But over time, and if not used properly, product failure can be catastrophic in terms of health, safety, and property damage.”

While functionality and safety are rigorously tested, cut resistance testing still varies by manufacturer. OTEX’s collaboration with Villanova researchers aims to change that by creating a standardized method to validate sling prototypes with enhanced cut resistance, abrasion resistance, and tensile strength.

“This project stems from a desire to design and promote a safer product, as well as to establish a critical standard for testing cut resistance,” Aerts says. “Working with Villanova, we saw an opportunity to create quantitative comparisons between our Sentry Lift® product and industry-standard polyester and nylon slings.”

The Villanova research team contributed their expertise in material characterization and data analysis, redesigning the cutting tool used in experiments to simulate real-world scenarios more accurately. In testing, the tool connected a sling between two opposing loads and applied force against an edge to measure cut resistance.

“Steel beams, plates, or machinery edges can act like blades against a sling under load, cutting into the woven fabric,” explains Qianhong Wu, professor of mechanical engineering. “In our experiments, we applied force on the test load while placing an artificial edge in the middle of the sling to replicate the surfaces encountered in construction.”

The team studied how tool material and geometry influenced sling fracture behavior and the cutting force required. Their experiments showed that OTEX’s enhanced webbing prototype was up to eight times more cut-resistant than existing products.

“It's an innovation challenge that the industry needed,” says Aerts. “By working with Villanova, we expect to be able to show–in a very tactile manner–how much better our product is in terms of overall performance, which relates to safety improvements and property savings. We also want to promote test methods that can be replicated across the industry.”

By working with Villanova, we expect to be able to show–in a very tactile manner–how much better our product is in terms of overall performance, which relates to safety improvements and property savings.

Eric Aerts, director of marketing, research and development, OTEX Narrow Specialty Fabrics

The Villanova team emphasized the broader benefits of applying their research to industry needs.

“We have been working with OTEX for several years through the support of the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program,” says Li, associate professor of mechanical engineering. “On this project, OTEX asked for our help in addressing an industry need to measure the cut resistance of its webbing products that could help improve the safety of the crane rigging industry at large.”

“This project is more than the design of a testing method—it’s an industry-initiated need,” says Wu. “It's not just the cutting tool design. It's actually much broader: designing the cutting tool, performing experiments, and performing extensive data analytics to prove a new standard for the entire industry to follow.”

For Li, the collaboration offers a meaningful outcome: “It's always a dream as a researcher and an engineer to put something out in the real world that can benefit society. The Manufacturing PA program helped us to make our collaboration with OTEX sustainable in many ways, and we're very grateful for all the support.”

“We believe the structure of the Manufacturing PA program helps foster meaningful collaborations between universities and the industry,” says Wu. “It’s been a great experience. We hope our collaborations with Eric and OTEX will go on and on into the future.”

Aerts expresses his hope that the results from the collaboration with Villanova will have a lasting impact: “Our desire is that industry partners, customers, and the industry at large will utilize these standards because that's what they are: standards. From this, we expect improved safety conditions for those working in an inherently high-risk industry.”