Of the various human activities, the techniques of lifting and moving loads are undoubtedly among the oldest: as early as 8000 B.C., people were looking for ways to move increasingly heavier stones and boulders up until a few thousand years B.C., then with the Bronze Age came the pyramids, followed by other constructions that are still of enormous fascination today, such as Stonehenge, and then onto palaces, places of worship, and increasingly monumental buildings.
Technology
Lifting systems: a history as long as mankind
Since the dawn of time, man has been looking for ever more efficient ways to move loads, which is why we can say that the history of lifting systems is as long as that of mankind.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
The history of lifting systems begins thousands of years ago
Since the earliest settled communities, human beings have sought ways to facilitate the handling and lifting of increasingly heavy loads
Although not generally an activity linked to primary subsistence - such as hunting or agriculture - lifting has always played a fundamental role in the development of human communities and cultures.
In the beginning, plant ropes and rudimentary levers were of course used to lift the stone blocks needed for the construction of, for example, temples and pyramids, as well as other places significant to the spiritual dimension of the community. These works were so important that, in order to build them, ancient peoples developed techniques that still astonish us for their ingenuity and audacity and that - in some cases - remain a mystery to this day.
The evolution and history of lifting systems
The evolution of lifting systems is doubly linked to technological evolution in general, with results that we can still admire today
It was Archimedes, in the 3rd century BC, who studied the mechanics of pulleys: to him we owe the first pulley systems to reduce the force required to lift and move heavy loads. This technique was later perfected by the Romans, who used pulley cranes and winches for the construction of aqueducts and amphitheatres, and could lift weights of up to 3000 kg with a single man.
The evolution of lifting systems is closely linked to technological evolution more generally: they are two sides of the same coin, closely interconnected. New production and social demands led to advances in handling systems, new handling systems led to new production possibilities.
The construction of the cathedrals and castles that characterised the Middle Ages was made possible by increasingly advanced lifting systems. Manual hoists were made with natural fibre ropes and metal hooks that were operated by men or animals using special wheels.
With regard to ropes and chains, we can cite the famous Leonardo da Vinci as an example: it was he who imagined the chain as a system of rings, in this case square, for better distribution of loads and easier lifting. Just as it was he who designed ever more efficient cranes and hoists, anticipating inventions such as ball bearings and safety brakes.
The first steel wire rope did not arrive until 1834, when the German Wilhelm Albert got the idea of joining steel wires in several strands twisted into a helix: in this way, a smaller diameter allowed a better distribution of forces.
In the history of lifting systems, the materials have made the difference
Today, ever more advanced materials and technologies enable greater performance, more precision and more safety, always opening up new frontiers
From natural fibres such as hemp to steel ropes, up to today's synthetic materials: polyester - widely used in the lifting world - is accompanied by Kevlar or carbon fibre for the most critical applications, guaranteeing performance, safety and ever easier handling.
Computerised systems, also driven by AI, are coming increasingly to the rescue: precision, safety, constant monitoring of component wear and tear and load tension, robot systems for the harshest environments are pushing load handling to new frontiers. And once again the history of lifting systems walks hand in hand with that of mankind.