Fasteners Inc., the Spokane Valley-based industrial and construction rigging supplier, has installed a new heavy-duty piece of equipment called a wire rope pull-test bed.

Bill Jones, CEO and general manager for Fasteners, says a pull tester is used to test and certify synthetic slings and wire rope up to two inches in diameter. He says rigging assemblies, such as those used by cranes, wear out with use and need to be tested to ensure safety in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Hazard Association and other safety-compliance requirements.

Developed by Pennsylvania-based Chant Engineering Inc., the pull tester can handle wire rope up to two inches in diameter with a pull-test length of 40 feet and can apply up to 225,000 pounds of pulling pressure.

Jones contends that prior to Fasteners purchasing the pull tester, anyone who would need to use a calibrated test bed would have to travel to Western Washington.

Jones declines to disclose the cost of the piece of equipment, but says it was into six figures.

"It was a large investment for us," Jones says. "It kind of puts us over the top in having a full range of services that a real credible rigging business needs to have."