Safely pull yourself out of trouble: winches and SAE J706 certification Winches are often added as self-fitted aftermarket equipment on 4x4 passenger cars and small trucks, especially for off-road lovers. For those not exactly sure what a winch is, here is an explanation from Wikipedia: "A winch is a mechanical device that is used to pull in (wind up) or let out (wind out) or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope or wire (also called cable or wire cable). In its simplest form it consists of a spool and attached hand crank. In larger forms, winches stand at the heart of machines as diverse as tow trucks, steam shovels and elevators. The spool can also be called the winch drum. More elaborated designs have gear assemblies and can be powered by electric, hydraulic, pneumatic or internal combustion drives. Some may include a solenoid brake and/or mechanical brake or ratchet and pawl device that prevents it from unwinding unless the pawl is retracted."
 From the definition above it seems to be a good idea to use winches carefully when pulling oneself out from a muddy place should your vehicle become stuck. If there is a tree, large rock or other strong and rigid anchor point available, consider yourself lucky to have found such an easy way to get your winch hooked up. Off-road lovers often prefer to enjoy their hobby with friends, sharing the sense of excitement and adventure, and under such circumstances the availability of a winch on an accompanying vehicle is high.
Of all the different properties of a winch, the pull rating is an essential criteria. The pulling rate is the maximum static load the winch can exert on the cable. This will be achieved on the first wrap of the cable on the drum. Start your vehicle engine and activate the winch slowly to put the cable under tension; a final check on all anchor points is essential to ensure safe operation. Use proper gloves when connecting the wire to the anchor points, and never step over a tensed cable -- a broken cable can whiplash with such force that it cut through a car roof and windshield, or cut through small trees. Never stand directly beside a winch -- should an unexpected event occur, the more distant you are the safer you are.
TÜV Rheinland inspects winches following the SAE J706 standard and verifies whether the general specifications, including the safety-brake system, drum-release clutch and other published specifications data, are correct and that the manufacturer's test procedure for max. rated line pull and duty cycle rating follow the SAE J706 standard. In addition, we verify that the manufacturer has provided the required mounting instructions for the end-consumer.
The first certificate stating compliance with the SAE J706 standard was recently issued to Comeup Industries Inc., ensuring that the product in question and the manufacturer have complied with state-of-the-art safety requirements for winches used on vehicles. Should you have any inquires about product certification for automobile components, please contact our Homologation Dept. |
