Chain load tables
2026-10-14
Why different TUs have different columns
The set of columns in a load table is set not by the website but by the technical specification itself. That is why general-purpose chains (our class 3, TU 25.93.17-001-06515248-2020) have two loads in the table, and T8 lifting chains (TU 25.93.17-002-06515248-2026) have three. You cannot compare columns between TUs “head-on”: they have different meanings and different methodologies.
TU-001 (class 3): proof and breaking
- Proof load (WLL) — the control load that the chain withstands without breaking and without residual deformation.
- Breaking load (BL) — the load at which failure occurs.
Example for the size A1-3-6×19×21 (gauge 6 mm, pitch 19 mm):
| Load | Value |
|---|---|
| Proof (WLL), kN | 8.5 |
| Breaking (BL), kN | 17 |
TU-002 (class 8, T8): three columns
- Acceptance proof load — the control load at acceptance; in our data it is 50 % of the breaking load.
- Technological load — taken as in the TU table (whole kN), not recalculated from the breaking load.
- Breaking load (BL) — the limit at which the chain breaks.
Example for the size 8×24-T8 (gauge 8 mm, pitch 24 mm, weight 1.4 kg/m):
| Load | Value |
|---|---|
| Acceptance proof, kN | 40.3 |
| Technological, kN | 48 |
| Breaking (BL), kN | 80.6 |
Why T8 has no standardised WLL
In the class 8 TU the working load is not standardised — the acceptance, technological and breaking loads are. As a guide for selection, the industry-wide approach is used: the working load is taken as BL/4 (safety factor 4) — a reference value outside the TU. For critical load-handling operations, the safety factor and documents are agreed separately.
Safety factor when selecting
The safety factor is the ratio of the breaking load to the working load: for lifting chains it is typically 4–6. When selecting, rely on the working load with a safety factor, not on the breaking load: BL is a limit, not an operating mode.
Common mistakes
- Comparing the WLL of one chain with the BL of another. These are different quantities; this way you can “strengthen” the choice on paper and end up with a weak assembly in operation.
- Taking the breaking load as the working load. BL is always several times higher than the working load.
- Recalculating the T8 technological load from the BL. It is taken from the TU table.
- Carrying conclusions from one TU table directly into another. Comparing loads between different TUs requires reducing them to a single methodology — we will help with the correct wording.
Select by load
- Selection by load — suggests sizes for the entered load.
- Strength class reference and the article Chain strength classes.
- Size comparison — loads and weight side by side.