WHAT IS A SNATCH BLOCK
A snatch block is a pulley that’s covered by a clever metal case and it is used with winches to pull rope. Snatch blocks are used as a pulley point in vehicle-based winch recoveries to redirect the course of a winch line or to lessen the load placed on the winch during the recovery. Snatch blocks are designed and manufactured with high working load limits to ensure they can effectively handle the extreme loads that winch recoveries can place on your recovery gear.
Our Snatch blocks are frequently used in offshore applications and often utilised to increase the capacity or divert the direction of a wire rope. Snatch Blocks are essentially a pulley block fitted with a hook, shackle or other specialist top fittings. Some of Snatch Blocks have an extremely robust design constructed of drop forged swivel hooks or shackles which are used to suspend a single or double bronze bushing or roller bearing encased in a heavy-duty steel construction secured with a bolt and split pin.
If your vehicle get stuck you can definitely use a snatch block when a straight-line pull won't be adequate to liberate the vehicle or go around an obstruction. The following examples are the ones that happen most frequently:
- when your anchor point is so far to the side that you need to redirect the winch line in order to reach it. By using a snatch block, we may still utilise the incredible force of winches in straight lines.
- Sometimes it's possible that your winch's power won't be sufficient to free the stuck vehicle. A classic illustration of this is when a vehicle becomes stuck in deep mud and must be pulled out against strong terrain suction. In this case, we should think about using a more sophisticated recovery technique, like a double-line pull or triple-line pull, to improve our chances of a safe and successful recovery.
Snatch blocks are used in double-line pulls and triple-line pulls to acquire a mechanical advantage that significantly lessens the load your winch experiences during these recoveries. A double line pull, for instance, comprises running the winch line out to a snatch block attached to your anchor and then returning it to a rated recovery point on your car. By doing this, we effectively reduce the load your winch is under while you are actively winching by dividing it between your winch and the recovery point you have connected to. Snatch Blocks can be extremely harmful and perhaps lethal if they are used improperly. As a result, it's critical that you check that you understand how to use it properly and you are following all safety instructions.
At All Lifting we offer a great range of snatch blocks and we make sure they all comply to the Australian standards. If you are looking into buying a snatch block and you need specialist advice, contact us today and one of our lifting and rigging specialists will help you further.
