Open Access

ARTICLE

Structural Design and Control of the Intelligent Hook for Horizontal Rotating Flexible Lifting Straps

Mingliang Yang¹, Yuyu Miao^1,*, Xijun Xu², Heng Yang¹, Dong Qing¹, Keyuan Zhao¹

1 School of Mechanical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan, China
2 Taiyuan Fortucky Logistics Equipment & Technology Co., Ltd., Taiyuan, China

* Corresponding Author: Yuyu Miao. Email:

Structural Durability & Health Monitoring 2026, 20(4), 19 https://doi.org/10.32604/sdhm.2026.078754

Received 07 January 2026; Accepted 09 February 2026; Issue published 30 June 2026

Abstract

The autonomous grasping of flexible slings is a pivotal challenge for unmanned crane systems, primarily stemming from the slings’ geometric indeterminacy, material compliance under load, and stochastic initial pose relative to the hook. To address this challenge, we propose an intelligent hook system featuring a novel compound mechanical architecture. This architecture integrates a horizontal slewing mechanism for in-plane alignment with a self-locking worm-gear drive for secure grasping. A coordinated control strategy, employing a Fuzzy PID algorithm, ensures robust dynamic performance under variable loading conditions. Finite element analysis confirms structural integrity under a rated load of 500 kg, with a maximum stress of 344.34 MPa. Experimental results demonstrate that the hook completes a full pick-and-release cycle in approximately 2 s for parallel slings, with a success rate exceeding 95%. This represents an approximately 60% improvement in operational efficiency over manual operation. This work provides a practical and efficient solution for automating flexible sling handling.

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