wire rope lubricants suppliers factory

Proper lubrication of your wire rope, chain and cable can safely extend its operational life regardless of application. Cranes, elevators, shovels, drilling rigs, suspension bridges and draglines are some of the many applications that use wire rope, chain or cable to perform work such as pulling, dragging or hoisting. These applications often are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, including extreme weather. Lubrication Engineers can help your wire rope, chain and cable last longer and operate safely by implementing a lubricant reliability program and recommending the right lubricants for the job.

Most wire ropes are lubricated during the manufacturing process, but this lubricant will not last the entire life of the rope. When looking for a lubricant to relubricate your wire rope, choose one that contains no acids or alkalis, possesses the adhesive strength to stay on the rope, can penetrate between wires and strands, has high fluid film strength, resists oxidation and remains pliable. It is important to remember that most wire ropes fail from the inside out. Corroded rope can be a safety hazard, as there is no way to determine its remaining strength and life. Proper lubrication will help prevent deterioration of wire rope due to rust and corrosion.

Because most wire ropes fail from the inside, it is critical to ensure the center core receives sufficient lubricant. LE recommends a combined regimen in which a penetrating lubricant is used to saturate the core, followed by a coating lubricant to seal and protect the outer surface. LE offers several penetrating and coating type wire rope lubricants to suit your specific needs.

Penetrating lubricants contain an evaporative solvent that facilitates migration of the lubricant into the core of the wire rope, then evaporates, leaving behind a heavy lubricating film that protects and lubricates each strand.

Wirelife Almasol Coating Grease (451-453) is a soft, semifluid calcium-based grease designed to coat wire rope as well as moving chain and cable parts to ensure long life and smooth, quiet operation. Its tacky, water-resistant characteristics enable it to adhere strongly to rapidly moving parts, seal out damaging moisture, protect against premature wear and shield metal against corrosive attack.

Typical Applications: Wire rope, chain links, pins, bushings, cable sheave bushings, cables, open and closed silent and roller chains, and small, slow-turning gearboxes that require a semifluid lubricant

Wirelife Almasol Coating Lubricant (2002) is a fluid wire rope lubricant that provides a tough outer coating to seal and protect against fretting corrosion, wear and rust – even under extreme load and moisture. It seals and protects better than any product available. When used in conjunction with Wirelife Monolec Penetrating Lubricant, maximum protection and wear reduction is achieved.

Wirelife Almasol Syn Coating Lubricant (2022) is an extremely tacky, nonasphaltic synthetic lubricant with exceptionally high film strength. Perfect for extreme environments and conditions, it is the ultimate outer surface protector for wire rope and cable and comes from the same advanced technology that LE developed to protect large open gears in the mining and quarry industries. It derives its high load-carrying capacity from its synergistic blend of an extreme pressure additive and Almasol, LE’s exclusive wear-reducing additive.

Wirelife Monolec Penetrating Lubricant (2001) has excellent corrosion resistance and high load-carrying (EP) properties. It penetrates to the core of wire ropes, whether they are running or stationary. It is also excellent as a penetrating lubricant for chains of all sizes and works well in a variety of other industrial applications. When used in conjunction with Wirelife Almasol Coating Lubricant, maximum protection and wear reduction is achieved.

It contains a petroleum solvent to enhance its ability to penetrate. The solvent evaporates, leaving behind a film of heavy-bodied lubricant that protects and lubricates each strand and resists leakage from the wire rope core. Available in bulk sizes or in an aerosol version.

Typical Applications: All stationary or moving wire ropes or cables under heavy loads; chains of all sizes; mining and construction applications such as standing and running lines, draglines, cranes and derricks; marine applications such as cranes, hoists and drilling rigs; any other application that requires excellent rust protection for steel parts.

Designed for marine environments and other applications where environmental concerns require the use of a very low toxicity wire rope and chain lubricant, LE’s Wirelife Low Tox Penetrating Lubricant (2011) has excellent load-carrying capability and provides outstanding protection against rust, while having the lowest possible toxic effect on the environment.

Earthwise EAL Wire Rope Grease (3353) is recommended for use in applications on or near the waterways. It is an EAL and meets the specifications required by the EPA’s Vessel General Permit (VGP). It is readily biodegradable, exhibits minimal aquatic toxicity and will not accumulate in the cells of fish and other aquatic life forms. It is a soft, semifluid formulation designed to coat wire rope as well as moving chain and cable parts to ensure long life and smooth, quiet operation. Its semi-tacky, water-resistant characteristics enable it to adhere to the application and seal out damaging moisture and protect against rust formation.

Typical Applications: Applications near or around waterways including: Wire rope; chain links, pins and bushings; cable sheave bushings, bearings and strands; open and closed silent and roller chains. Ideal for use in automatic lubrication systems.

LE is happy to offer industrial lubricant and reliability recommendations for a variety of applications, and to provide product-specific data on all of our items to help you make the right decision. To learn more about our wire rope lubricants, wire rope lubricators as well as our other enhanced lubricants and lubricant reliability products, please

Manufacturer of wire rope & cable lubricants including grease. Specifications of wire rope & cable grease include pour point of minus 25 degrees F, flash point of 120 degrees F, viscosity of 3.28 at 100 degrees F & 12.8 at 40 degrees F, & specific gravity of 0.89. Wire rope & cable grease capacities include ability to penetrate wire rope, evaporate & leave a film of molybdenum disulphide in the core to lubricate each wire strand. Wire rope & cable grease can be applied by spraying, brushing or dipping in a in-line tank with no heating requirements. Grease is available in 25 lb. pail or 55 gal. drums. Compliant with ASTM standards.

Wire Rope Lubricant quickly penetrates to the core. This ensures that the rope is lubricated throughout while providing a nondrying, nontacky film on the outside of the rope which protects outer strands from corrosion as well as lubricating the wire rope drums and sheaves.

Crosby’s Vitalife®products are the preferred wire rope lubricants in the industry because of their ability to penetrate into wire rope and displace water and contaminants, thus reducing wear and corrosion throughout the rope.Available in a variety of container sizes.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant products also coat these strands to prevent friction and wear. This results in longer wire rope life, less downtime for rope changes and more production.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant is easily pumpable at temperatures down to -25°F (-35°C). Its nondrying film remains flexible in the most extreme weather conditions, which eliminates flaking and peeling.Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant can be used to lubricate all sizes of wire rope, as well as chains, leaf springs and other applications where penetrating oil is needed. It may be applied by hand or automatic lube system.

The Kirkpatrick Group, Inc. has been the Original Equipment Manufacturer of Dynagard™ Environmental Lubricants and Wire Rope Lubrication equipment for over 30 years. We developed the first successful Wire Rope Lubrication System

Specialises in:Air Lubrication Systems, Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL), Environmentally Safe Lubricants, Lubrication Equipment and Wire Rope Maintenance Equipment

Full Sail Marine maintains offices around the world to offer quick response services to our clients in the Commercial, Government, Cruise and Offshore industries. With locations throughout North America and Europe, we stand ready

Developed as a service tool, the Lincoln Wire Rope Lubricator is attached periodically to equipment on a monthly, quarterly or other cycle to lubricate wire ropes. Lubrication intervals should be determined according to rope manufacturer specifications. The life cycle of a steel wire rope that has been periodically lubricated is approximately six to eight times longer than a wire rope that has not been lubricated. Specifically for Wire Rope Lubricator applications a biodegradable grease LGTE 2 is available. The grease is environmentally acceptable and certified with Ecolabel.

Also, lubricating a wire rope while in service helps to prevent corrosion of the wires. Corrosion can be internal and external, and it often is caused by acids, alkaline waters, salt air, humidity, fumes, and abrasive and industrial environments in general.

ELM products are offered under various private labels. So, it’s likely that many brands of biobased lubricants and greases offered are manufactured and packaged by ELM. There are some companies and distributors that offer the ELM products under the ELM brand names. The following is a sampling of some of the companies that offer ELM products. ELM offers products only through distributors. Please e-mail or call for more information on where to get ELM’s products.

Diagnosis: Your type of wire-rope failure is all too common and largely attributable to use of the wrong lubricant and/or incorrect application frequency (PM schedule). Choosing the right product and application frequency will depend on the rope’s function. Wire ropes on derricks and cranes on ships, marine docks, oil rigs or in chemical environments typically fail due to corrosion. Those used in mining and subjected to heavy wear typically fail due to abrasion. Wire ropes for suspension lifting and friction windings bend as they work over their pulley sheaves; they typically fail due to a combination of fatigue and corrosion.

Prescription: Rope dressing (or lubricant) can be packaged and applied by aerosol spray cans, manually by oilcan and wipe rag or mechanically by drip oil or spray systems. Consult with your lubricant supplier regarding the correct application method for a recommended product.

Wire-rope lubricants must contain anti-corrosion properties; be able to “creep” through the strands into the center of the rope and displace moisture; and facilitate the adjustment of individual strands as they rub over one another to equalize stress under bending and load conditions. In most cases, petroleum-based products are preferred. They provide up to a 300% increase in fatigue life over non-lubricated applications. The exception is standing ropes used for guy wires or pendant ropes: They’re usually coated with a bituminous base lubricant.

Where abrasion and heavy wear are factors, lubricants may contain anti-wear additives along with agents that allow the lube to “stick.” In such applications, lubricants are usually applied on a weekly basis. Where fatigue and corrosion are issues, lubricants usually contain a solvent that allows the product to penetrate the wire core. (For ropes that work over sheaves, the ideal lubrication point is as the rope passes over the sheave, when the wire strands work through the bend and open slightly, allowing the lubricant to work through the strands more easily.)

When determining application frequency, factors such as lubricant type, application method, hours/duration of operation, environment and consequence of failure must be taken into account for individual ropes. To determine initial frequency, I strongly recommend working with a lubrication application specialist and your lubricant manufacturer. MT