The Grade 6 stainless shortening clutch takes up a chain leg and holds it captive, seating the chain more securely than a grab hook.
Why stainless, and why Grade 6. Stainless lifting gear exists for environments that destroy painted steel: marine and coastal work, food and pharmaceutical production, swimming pools, chemical plant and anywhere subject to regular washdown. The trade-off is capacity — Grade 6 carries less than Grade 8 at the same size, so a stainless assembly is physically larger for the same load. That is the price of not corroding.
The material specification matters here. AISI 316L is the corrosion-resistant austenitic grade; duplex 1.4462 is used where the component needs more strength than 316L alone provides. Surface blasting gives the uniform smooth finish that resists contamination — which is what makes the range suitable for food and pharmaceutical work in the first place.
Key Features
- AISI 316L austenitic stainless: The corrosion-resistant grade, with duplex 1.4462 where more strength is needed
- Surface blasted, uniform smooth finish: Resists contamination — which is what makes it suitable for food and pharmaceutical work
- For environments that destroy painted steel: Marine and coastal, food and pharmaceutical, swimming pools, chemical plant, washdown areas
- Grade 6 capacity: Lower than Grade 8 at the same size. A stainless assembly is physically larger for the same load.
- No painted finish to break down: Which is exactly the failure mode that starts corrosion on a coated fitting
- Fully marked and certificated: Material grade, manufacturer’s ID, size and traceability code
Technical Specifications
| Product Code |
Part No. |
Chain Dia (mm) |
A (mm) |
B (mm) |
C (mm) |
D (mm) |
E (mm) |
S (mm) |
| G6SSSC6 |
C6XAC06 |
5/6 |
55 |
8 |
81 |
26 |
16 |
8.5 |
| G6SSSC8 |
C6XAC08 |
7/8 |
71 |
11 |
110 |
34 |
22 |
10.5 |
| G6SSSC10 |
C6XAC10 |
10 |
90 |
12 |
135 |
40 |
26 |
13 |
| G6SSSC13 |
C6XAC13 |
13 |
112 |
17 |
170 |
52 |
32 |
16.5 |
| G6SSSC16 |
C6XAC16 |
16 |
135 |
20.5 |
202 |
64 |
38 |
20 |
Working Load Limits and full dimensional data are in the Grade 6 stainless information sheet. Note that Grade 6 capacities are lower than Grade 8 at the same nominal size.
Grade 6 Stainless | AISI 316L and Duplex 1.4462 | Corrosion Resistant | LOLER Ready
Grade 6 stainless steel, AISI 316L (1.4404) with duplex stainless steel (1.4462) where strength requires it, giving maximum corrosion resistance. Surface blasted to a uniform smooth finish. Marked with material grade, manufacturer’s identification, size and traceability code, and supplied with a certificate. Under LOLER 1998, thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Suitable Applications
Specified wherever corrosion would destroy a painted or galvanised assembly: marine and offshore work, coastal installations, food and beverage production, pharmaceutical manufacture, swimming pools and leisure, chemical plant, and any environment subject to regular washdown or sterilisation. The smooth blasted finish matters as much as the corrosion resistance in food and pharmaceutical work, since it gives nowhere for contamination to sit. Keep the whole assembly stainless — a single carbon steel component in a stainless assembly corrodes and can cause galvanic attack on the stainless around it.
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
- Size for Grade 6, not Grade 8: Grade 6 carries less at the same nominal size. Work from the stainless capacity table.
- Keep the whole assembly stainless: A carbon steel component in a stainless assembly corrodes and can attack the stainless around it.
- Do not mix stainless grades where avoidable: Different stainless grades in contact can still corrode preferentially.
- Clean after use in aggressive environments: Rinse off salt, chlorides and process chemicals. Stainless resists corrosion, it is not immune to it.
- Recertify after building or altering an assembly: Proof testing and certification by a competent person is required.
- Do not modify: Never weld, heat, machine or grind — grinding stainless can destroy its passive layer.
Warning: Stainless steel resists corrosion; it is not immune to it. Chlorides in particular attack 316L, so rinse thoroughly after marine or chemical exposure. Never grind or machine a stainless fitting — it destroys the passive layer that provides the corrosion resistance.
Safety Information
- Never exceed the marked Working Load Limit — Grade 6 capacities are lower than Grade 8.
- Keep the whole assembly stainless.
- Rinse after exposure to salt, chlorides or process chemicals.
- Never weld, heat treat, machine or grind.
- Withdraw any fitting showing wear beyond the manufacturer’s stated limit, pitting, distortion or cracks.
- Assemblies built or altered require proof testing and recertification.
- Thorough examination by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months under LOLER 1998.
Inspection and Maintenance
Stainless fails differently from painted steel and the inspection differs accordingly. Look for pitting — small deep localised corrosion sites, usually from chloride attack, which are far more dangerous than the general surface rust you would see on carbon steel because they concentrate stress. Check crevices, contact faces and anywhere debris can lodge, since those are where pitting starts. Measure the body at its bearing points against original dimensions and withdraw at the manufacturer’s stated wear limit. Check the pins for straightness and full engagement and the pin bores for elongation, which is the first sign of overload. Look for distortion and cracking at the point of maximum curvature, and confirm the grade marking and traceability code remain legible. Confirm the surface finish has not been ground or damaged, as that destroys the passive layer.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is stainless lower capacity?
Grade 6 stainless carries less than Grade 8 alloy steel at the same nominal size — that is the trade-off for corrosion resistance. Size from the stainless table, not the carbon steel one, and expect a physically larger assembly for the same load.
Q: What is the difference between 316L and duplex?
316L is the standard corrosion-resistant austenitic grade. Duplex 1.4462 is stronger, and is used for the components that need it. Both are used in this range, selected per component.
Q: Is stainless completely corrosion proof?
No. Chlorides attack 316L, which is why marine and pool environments need rinsing after use. What stainless avoids is the painted-coating failure that starts corrosion on a standard fitting.
Q: Can I mix stainless and carbon steel fittings?
No. A carbon steel component in a stainless assembly corrodes, and the contact can cause galvanic attack on the stainless too. Keep the whole assembly stainless.
