The component connector is the piece that lets a Grade 10 chain sling be built and rebuilt without welding or coupling links. It joins chain to master links, hooks and other fittings using a two-part body and load pin, so a damaged component can be swapped out on site rather than the whole assembly being scrapped. Manufactured from Grade 10 alloy steel to BS EN 1677-1 with a 25% capacity uplift over the equivalent Grade 8 fitting, finished in the Cobra Plus blue and available for chain sizes 6 mm through 32 mm.
Key Features
- Grade 10 alloy steel: Meets the Working Load Limit performance requirements of BS EN 1677-1 plus 25% of loads, so a given size carries substantially more than the same component in Grade 8. That translates to a lighter assembly for the same duty, or more capacity from the same chain size.
- Field replaceable: The connector assembles and disassembles with hand tools, so a worn hook or damaged chain length can be replaced without cutting or rebuilding the sling.
- Blue painted finish: The Cobra Plus blue makes Grade 10 components immediately distinguishable from Grade 8 on site, which matters when both grades are in use and mixing them would compromise the assembly rating.
- Nine chain sizes: 6, 8, 10, 13, 16, 20, 22, 26 and 32 mm, covering light rigging through to heavy lift.
- Full traceability marking: Every component is marked with material grade, manufacturer's identification, size, product ID mark and traceability code, which is what a competent person needs at thorough examination.
- Wide temperature range: Rated for continuous service from -20 °C to +200 °C without derating.
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Chain Dia (mm) |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
d (mm) |
E (mm) |
G (mm) |
K (mm) |
Q (mm) |
| G100CC6 |
6 |
14 |
16.9 |
8.5 |
7 |
16 |
7.4 |
44.5 |
12 |
| G100CC8 |
8 |
18.5 |
22.7 |
10.5 |
10 |
24 |
10.2 |
63 |
14 |
| G100CC10 |
10 |
23 |
27.7 |
12.6 |
12.6 |
28 |
12.6 |
71 |
18 |
| G100CC13 |
13 |
28 |
33.2 |
16.5 |
16.5 |
34 |
17 |
92.5 |
23 |
| G100CC16 |
16 |
33.5 |
39 |
20 |
20 |
39 |
20 |
106.5 |
29.5 |
| G100CC20 |
20 |
42 |
47.3 |
25 |
25 |
42 |
25.5 |
123 |
35.5 |
| G100CC22 |
22 |
48 |
55 |
27 |
27 |
50 |
27 |
137.5 |
39 |
| G100CC26 |
26 |
61 |
68 |
32 |
32 |
63 |
32 |
163 |
45 |
| G100CC32 |
32 |
80 |
87 |
40 |
40 |
78 |
38.5 |
197 |
54 |
All dimensions in millimetres. Working Load Limits by chain size are given on the specification sheet below. The 26 mm and 32 mm sizes are available to order, contact us for lead time and pricing.
BS EN 1677-1 | Grade 10 | +25% Over Grade 8 | LOLER Ready
Manufactured from Grade 10 alloy steel and meeting the Working Load Limit performance requirements of BS EN 1677-1 plus 25% of loads. Each component is marked with material grade, manufacturer's identification, size, product ID mark and traceability code, and supplied with a certificate. Under LOLER 1998, lifting accessories require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months, or 6 months where used to lift persons.
Suitable Applications
The component connector exists to make chain slings serviceable. Where a welded assembly must be scrapped when one hook wears out, a connector-built sling can be repaired component by component, which over the life of a fleet is a substantial saving. It suits chain sling assembly and repair in workshops and on site, converting single leg slings to multi-leg configurations, replacing worn hooks and damaged chain lengths, and building bespoke assemblies where standard lengths do not fit the lift. In every case both the connector and the components it joins must be Grade 10, since mixing grades derates the whole assembly to the lower one.
More About This Product
Shackles are the most-handled component in any lifting operation, and that is precisely why they wear out first. A sling gets rigged and derigged; a shackle gets rigged, derigged, dropped, driven over, thrown into a box and picked up by whoever needs one. Most lifting gear fails from a single overload; shackles fail from accumulated inattention.
The grade markings matter more than most people realise. A Grade 6 high tensile shackle to BS EN 13889 and a Grade 8 alloy shackle look similar and share the same body shape, but the alloy version carries considerably more at the same size. Once a shackle is in a box with fifty others, the only way to tell them apart is the marking — which is why an unmarked shackle has to be scrapped no matter how good it looks.
Understanding the Load Path
A shackle has two distinct load-bearing elements and they do different jobs. The bow takes the sling; the pin takes the load. Reverse that — put the sling on the pin and the load on the bow — and two things happen. The sling bears on a smaller radius than it was designed for, and any movement in the sling starts to rotate the pin.
On a screw collar pin that rotation is the failure mechanism. A sling shifting under a settling load, or vibration transmitted from plant nearby, will slowly unscrew the pin over minutes or hours. It rarely happens quickly enough for anyone to see it happening.
The second consideration is angle. A shackle loaded in line with the pin carries its full rating. Loaded at an angle across the bow it carries substantially less, and published derating tables cover a limited range of angles — beyond that range no figure is published because none applies. On a multi-leg sling every leg is at an angle by definition, which is why the bow shackle exists and why putting a multi-leg sling into a dee shackle is a genuine mistake rather than a preference.
How to Use the Component Connector
- Match the connector to the chain size: Select by nominal chain diameter, not by Working Load Limit. A G100CC10 is for 10 mm Grade 10 chain and nothing else.
- Keep the whole assembly Grade 10: A Grade 10 connector on Grade 8 chain gives a Grade 8 assembly. Mixing grades derates the sling to its weakest component and must be recorded as such.
- Assemble cleanly: Fit the two halves around the chain end link, insert the load pin fully and secure it. Check the pin is fully home and the halves are seated before applying any load.
- Verify before first use: An assembly rebuilt with new components requires proof testing and recertification by a competent person before returning to service.
- Inspect at every use: Check the body for distortion or opening, the pin for straightness and full engagement, and the markings for legibility.
- Do not modify: Never weld, heat, machine, drill or repaint a Grade 10 component. Any of these destroys the heat treatment and voids certification.
Warning: Never mix Grade 10 and Grade 8 components in the same assembly without derating the whole sling to Grade 8 and recertifying accordingly. Never exceed the Working Load Limit for the chain size. Never use a connector with a missing, bent or partially engaged load pin.
Safety Information
- Use only with Grade 10 chain and Grade 10 components of the matching size.
- Never exceed the Working Load Limit shown on the specification sheet for the chain size.
- Confirm the load pin is fully engaged and secured before every lift.
- Any assembly rebuilt with replacement components must be recertified before use.
- Withdraw from service any component showing distortion, wear beyond the manufacturer’s stated limit of original dimensions, cracks or illegible marking.
- Never weld, heat treat, machine or repaint. Repainting can conceal cracks and wear.
- Do not use above +200 °C or below -20 °C.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
Component connectors need no routine maintenance, but they carry two specific wear points that repay attention. The load pin bears the full assembly load and should be checked for straightness, wear at the bearing surfaces and full engagement at every use. The body halves wear where they seat against the chain end link, and that wear is progressive and easy to miss because it happens inside the assembly. At thorough examination the connector should be dismantled, both halves and the pin measured against original dimensions, and anything worn beyond 10% withdrawn. Replace rather than repair. WOLFF Onsite provides LOLER inspection and certification for chain slings and lifting accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does Grade 10 give me over Grade 8?
Roughly 25% more Working Load Limit for the same chain size. In practice that means either a lighter, more manageable sling for the same duty, or the ability to lift more without stepping up a chain size. On long slings and multi-leg assemblies the weight saving is significant for the person handling them.
Q: Can I use a Grade 10 connector with Grade 8 chain?
Physically yes if the sizes match, but the assembly then rates as Grade 8, not Grade 10, and must be marked and certified accordingly. There is no benefit in doing it, and a real risk that the blue Cobra Plus finish leads someone to assume the assembly is Grade 10. Keep grades consistent throughout.
Q: Why use a connector rather than a welded assembly?
Serviceability. A welded sling with a worn hook is scrap. A connector-built sling has the hook replaced and goes back into service after recertification. Across a fleet of slings that difference adds up quickly, and it also lets you reconfigure assemblies as jobs change rather than buying new.
Q: Do I need the sling recertified after replacing a component?
Yes. Any alteration to a lifting accessory requires the assembly to be proof tested and recertified by a competent person before returning to service. That applies whether you have replaced a hook, shortened the chain or changed the configuration.
Q: The 26 mm and 32 mm sizes are not shown with a price.
Both are available to order rather than held in stock. Contact us with your requirement and we will confirm price and lead time. The dimensional data for both is in the table above and on the specification sheet.
