History

1966 - Founding of SpanSet Sweden 

The pioneer in belt development and fellow partner in the company Klippan, Erik Ehnimb, founded SpanSet Sweden in 1966.

1966 - Founding of further SpanSet companies

Founding of independent companies in Germany, France, Italy and England. 

1967 - Founding of SpanSet AG in Hombrechtikon, Zurich

Initially lifting belts and lashing belts are imported from the SpanSet parent company in Malmö. The first lashing belts and lifting belts were sewn in Hombrechtikon in 1968. At that time, at the end of the 1960's, lifting belts and lashing belts were completely new territory for users. For that reason the products that were offered were ridiculed initially. But there was no stopping the triumphant march onwards and upwards of safety belts, lifting belts and lashing belts. 

A worldwide production and sales network was then built up from the new head office of SpanSet Inter AG in Switzerland, with companies being established in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and South America.

1970 - Development of the pipeline lifting belt mat

The early 1970's were a time of major international projects. For example, the famous gas pipeline business with the former Soviet Union. Working together with Mannesmann Anlagenbau, SpanSet developed lifting belt mats with lifting capacities of up to 60 tons for the laying of large pipes. Or the transport of VW parts for assembly to Lagos, Nigeria: Working together with VW, SpanSet developed lifting belt designs for the transport of large crates (also by helicopter).

1970 - Development of the clover leaf sling

In 1973 SpanSet resolved the problem of the rational handling of goods in sacks and cartons on pallets with the development of the clover leaf sling. Hundreds of thousands of orders made the product a worldwide success.

1976 - The leather belt should be reserved for trousers…

A number of highlights that deserved to be emphasised. A GS seal for lashing belts was awarded to SpanSet in 1976 for the first time by the German Berufsgenossenschaft für Fahrzeughaltung [Professional Association for Vehicle Handling]. Together with the Ford plants. SpanSet developed in 1978 a lashing belt system to secure the loads of trucks and car transporters. The system offers more security and means the final disappearance of the old leather belts.

1979 - Development of a coating for lifting belts and round slings

A further step, in 1979, was the development of the secutex coating for lifting belts and protective tubes in the company that was later establiched as secutex-Hebetechnik GmbH. This meant that lifting belts and round slings could now be used for the first time both for the lifting and the turning of loads with sharp edges.

1981 - Development of slings for flour transport

New products and patents, industrial quality assurance, record sales - year for year there were record sales every year in the 1980's. In 1981 the first special slings for flour transport were supplied to countries of the present-day CIS. In the course of the following ten years SpanSet produced more than a million of this slings for the east.

1982 - Founding of the companySpanSet-secutex

This was followed in the autumn of 1982 by the founding of SpanSet-secutex GmbH with Heinz Franke as managing partner.

1983 - SpanSet participates in the drawing up of directives

Likewise in the 1980's, SpanSet was involved in the drawing up of directives and guidelines by the German VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) [Association of German Engineers] concerning the securing of loads on road vehicles. The result of this collaboration was directive VDI 2700, which is still valid today and has been supplemented in the meantime by many other VDI directives, also with the participation of SpanSet specialists. Further directives are being worked on at the moment and will follow.

1984 - World first Ergo-Ratsche is introduced

A further world first is the SpanSet Ergo-Ratsche: SpanSet developed the first lifting ratcheting tensioner with a pretensioning measuring display. Today nearly all German army units are equipped with this very modern accessory for load controll. The brown coal giant Rheinbraun also switched over in 1985, being representative of a large number of major industrial companies, to SpanSet round slings in all sectors and operations from hemp ropes. Justification: Higher load-bearing capacities and the ability to meet the strictest requirements for safety at work.

1985 - SpanSet trains customers in lifting and load securing systems

Safety in fall protection, lifting and load securing systems must prove itself in practice day in and day out and also be seen to be in evidence there. For that reason SpanSet offers within its own in-house training centre in Übach-Palenberg practical seminars in fall protection, lifting and load securing systems and thus maintains a constant dialogue with its users. This often leads to the triggering of dramatic innovations. Being oriented towards actual practice and customer usage is therefore a matter of course for SpanSet. 

1987 - Patenting of innovations

The new generation of round slings is provided with fabric wire reinforcement in the protective sheath and the load capacity details that are woven in. The result is that the protective sheath is more resistant to tearing and the load capacity details can still be read easily even if the round sling is very dirty. SpanSet is leading the way in the form of the new Power lifting belt belt program. User safety is increased by the visual and measurable load capacity that can be measured with a ruler and through a special weaving structure.

1989 - Setting up of an independent quality assurance section

SpanSet set up a fully independent "Quality assurance" department as far back as 1989. The department is equipped with the very latest technology and quality assurance is inseparably associated with the corporate philosophy.

1994 - SpanSet certified for the first time to DIN ISO 9002

SpanSet was certified back in 1994 by TÜV Rheinland for running a quality management system complying with DIN ISO 9002/EN 29002. But that was not enough! The SpanSet quality management system is currently certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 by TÜV Rheinland.

1995 - ABS pressure ratchet

SpanSet once brasts a world first: the ABS pressure ratchet. For the first time it permits a release in stages of the tensioned ratchet. This means, for example, that loads that are in danger of tipping can be dealt with in time.

1997 - Fall protection through personal safety equipment

SpanSet Deutschland starts production and sales of personal safety equipment to protect against falling (PSEAF). 

1998 - Joker hooks revolutionise the possibilities in lifting technology

The joker hook makes it possible for the first time to change the function of a round sling or a lifting belt to that of suspension gear. Combined with a vario-joker suspension head, up to four round slings can have a separate suspension point, which effectively excludes any crushing of the individual strands in a crane hook that is not large enough.

In the same way, in 1998 SpanSet increases the lifting capacity of the Magnum round slings to 100 t with a maximum usable length of 60 m.

They have their baptism of fire on 6th July in Kaiserslautern when they are used to help set down at the Fritz-Walter stadium a grandstand roof that is 110 m long and weighs 300 t.

1999 - ErgoABS tensioning ratchet

Due to its great success, SpanSet since 1999 has also offered the Ergo tensioning ratchet and the heavy load ratchet with the ABS system. NATO has also recognised the advantages of the ABS ratchet in its peacekeeping missions - an increasing number of member states place their trust in SpanSet technology.

2001 - Length adjustment by Vario-Sling and Vario-Web

With the Vario-Sling SpanSet develops the first device to shorten fabric round slings and with the Vario-Web the first device to shorten lifting belts and presents them for the first time to the industry at Arbeitsschutz + Arbeitsmedizin 2001 in Düsseldorf. Both of the forged reduction devices had patents applied for.

2002 - Development of the Tension Force Indicator (TFI)

With the Tension Force Indicator SpanSet is the first to develop within a tensioning ratchet a built-in pretensioning display that shows directly at the ratchet the actual tensioning force that has been reached. The patented new development provides more safety and economy when using lashing systems.

2005 - Anti-slip mat SpanSet-Grip

With the SpanSet-Grip SpanSet offers a newly developed anti-slip mat made entirely of rubber as an aid in securing loads, which sets new standards in many respects. For normal transport weights SpanSet-Grip is offered with a material thickness of 2.0 mm and for heavy transport with a thickness of 9.5 mm.

2006 - Form-fitting load securing through TruXafe

At the IAA Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung [International Car Exhibition] for commercial vehicles in Hanover SpanSet presents in the form of TRUXAFE a new system for the form-fitting securing of loads for curtainsiders. TRUXAFE consists of locking beams, side bars and lashing and can adapted with a remarkable degree of versatility to suit the relevant load securing system. In terms of safety it also meets the legal requirements of § 22 of the German STVO road traffic regulations which had been made stricter at that time.

2008 - EasyLash one-way systems: securing loads effectively with less effort

SpanSet implemented in the development its comprehensive know-how into a convincing one-way concept. Using the comprehensive EasyLash product range goods can be reliably, easily and cheaply secured for all forms of transport by container, rail or ship, and also for international shipping.

2009 - SpanSet today

Today the SpanSet group comprises more than 15 production and sales companies with around 500 employees.