ISO 19472:2006

Overview

ISO 19472:2006 - Machinery for forestry - Winches - Dimensions, performance and safety specifies terms, dimensional requirements, performance calculations and safety criteria for winches used in forestry. It applies to fixed and detachable winches and components mounted on mobile and self-propelled forestry machines (for example, skidders and forwarders as defined in ISO 6814) and on agricultural tractors used for skidding. It excludes winches used for hoisting on cranes, draglines, high‑lead logging, cable‑logging systems and yarding.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Dimensions and drum geometry: Defines drum parameters (barrel and flange diameters, distance between flanges, flange depth, throat clearance) and requires the rope clearance distance S to be equal to two rope diameters (S = 2d).
• Storage capacity, line pull and line speed: Provides formulas to calculate rope storage on the drum, line pull (F) and line speed (v) for bare and full drum conditions; calculations account for gear reduction, torque, rope diameter and drum dimensions.
• Rope and drum design:
  • Minimum barrel‑to‑rope diameter ratio of 8:1.
  • Winch design must prevent rope overrun of flanges; housings extending 2d beyond flange or use of kickers/crossbars are acceptable solutions.
• Rope breaking load and fastening:
  • Minimum static breaking load: 1.4× rated line pull when operator is protected in cab; 2× rated line pull for other applications.
  • Drum must have a rope attachment designed to avoid damage; a breakaway anchor is recommended with defined disengagement limits (e.g., disengage at <0.3× max rated bare drum pull when drum is empty; must withstand 1.25× max pull with three turns of rope).
• Brakes and controls:
  • Brake must apply automatically within 1 s of power loss and hold ≥1.25× maximum winch pull without slipping.
  • Controls must minimize accidental actuation; power controls return to brake/neutral when released.
• Mechanical safety & guarding:
  • Guarding, operator protection (OPS) and safety distances referenced to ISO 13852, ISO 8084 and ISO 3457.
  • Detachable winches require safe attachment/removal, stable storage position and PTO shaft support.

Applications and users

ISO 19472 is essential for:

• Winch and forestry‑equipment manufacturers (design, testing and certification)
• Machine OEMs integrating winches on skidders, forwarders or tractors
• Safety engineers, compliance officers and procurement teams specifying winch performance and guarding
• Test laboratories and inspection bodies verifying line pull, braking and rope strength
• Maintenance teams and operators who need clear operational and marking requirements

Related standards

Key normative references include ISO 6814 (forest machinery classification), ISO 8084 (operator protective structures), ISO 13852 (safety distances), ISO 3457 (guards) and ISO 3108 (wire rope breaking strengths).

For full compliance and implementation details, obtain the complete ISO 19472:2006 text from ISO.