Floater Crane Scale
If you have a wire rope with no dead end for load measurement, then the Floater Crane Scale may be the answer. The Floater rides on the cable via rollers and its roller configuration causes a slight deflection in the cable. As cable tension changes, the force applied to the load cell changes and weight data is displayed on a digital indicator. A properly installed Floater does not affect or interfer with spooling.

The Floater arm is anchored at one end to a fixed, solid point (i.e. the boom). The anchor point locks the Floater so it will not move with the wire rope and cause safety problems. Between the anchor point and the Floater body is an arm equiped with two "U" joints. The "U" joints allow the floater to move freely in all directions and therefore does not affect wire rope spooling. This structure creates the ultimate in wire rope mobility and operator safety.
Although the floater converts cable tension to a weight display, the system should be considered a safety device rather than a scale. Accuracy can be dependant on many site specific factors so field calibration must be performed. Based on these considerations, the floater is often used in applications such as vehicle mounted cranes and stationary equipment "lifts" in mines. Floater models vary based on cable size:
- ½" to ¾" wire rope model
- ¾" to 1¼" wire rope model
- 1¼ to 1½" wire rope model
HIGHLIGHTS
- Used in tension applications where a dead end is not available for load measurement
- This is a line rider that allows wire rope to move through it without interference
- It does not use up crane head space
- Handles load capacities for wire rope sizes specified.
- Multiple options to display tension measurement