Unirope begins Twin-Path sling manufacturing in Alberta

Unirope Limited has started manufacturing Twin-Path slings with a new Slingmax Rigging Solutions roundsling machine at its facility in Edmonton, Alberta.

The Ontario, Canada-headquartered business is a specialist in the manufacture, distribution, testing, certification, and inspection of high-performance wire rope and rigging products. It has another facility in Quebec; the three sites combine to deliver a service nationwide and to select customers in the US and Europe.

Unirope has a long and established partnership with Slingmax; it already manufactured Twin-Path slings at its other locations. New manufacturing capability creates an ability to provide fabrication, testing, and repairs across Canada.

The launch of the Edmonton production line immediately followed installation of the machine  –  the most modern model in the company’s fleet. It features a heavy-duty steel frame, hydraulic tension control, and an intuitive digital touch-screen user interface (UI) that guides operators through setup, material selection, and quality checks. A streamlined setup wizard is among features not available on earlier models.

Justin Brown, president at Unirope, said: “Starting the manufacture of Twin-Path slings at our Edmonton facility [in July 2025] will better serve our Western Canadian partners and significantly reduce lead times.

“Our ongoing investments underscore Unirope’s dedication to continual improvement, innovation, and deep partnership with Slingmax  –  ensuring we always deliver the safest, most advanced lifting solutions. Our three manufacturing sites operate under a unified, nationwide service model – each configured to meet local demand but all adhering to our exacting quality standards and rapid delivery promise.”

The new roundsling machine continues a period of sustained investment in the Alberta operation, following upgrades to testing equipment to meet stringent standards and unique fabrication requirements of Twin-Path slings; and comprehensive operator training to ensure consistent, top-quality output.

Recent developments align with a long-term strategy to equip the Alberta facility to provide high-performance wire rope and premium rigging solutions tailored to the region’s heavy-industry needs. While many suppliers in Alberta focus on commodity products, Unirope is committed to provision of engineered, best-in-class offerings  –  making Twin-Path a suitable fit for the area.

Justin said, “These combined investments reinforce our commitment to quality and speed for customers in Western Canada. We first partnered with Slingmax to introduce Twin-Path slings in 1988. Over nearly four decades of collaboration, we’ve worked closely [with Slingmax] to refine the line and cement its reputation as the industry leader in heavy-lift slings.”

As was widely reported, Unirope recently added Helix and Onyx synthetic roundslings from Slingmax to its product range. Notably, the new roundsling machine is already fully capable of producing Helix and Onyx slings. Helix is one of Slingmax’s premier products, using the same proven blended K-Spec core yarn that is used in Twin-Path sling products. The Helix jacket is a braided high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) that offers protection, while keeping a very low profile to fit into small openings where a normal roundsling could not. The Onyx sling is a more economical product that has a 100% HMPE core fibre with a dual protective cover.

Unirope also stocks Slingmax’s Spider Sleeve and Covermax products. Spider Sleeve is a light-duty HMPE product that protects against abrasion, while Covermax is the proprietary general Twin-Path sling cover that is a bulked nylon material.