wire rope installation guide price

Buying new crane ropes is a detailed and thorough process. While it may be time-consuming, wire rope replacement prioritizes safety for your workers, minimizes downtime on a jobsite, maximizes the lifespan of the crane and avoids the costly and time-consuming process of getting correct rope onsite and respooling your crane.

Sometimes, it can seem like the wire rope buying process is overly complicated. This is done on purpose to avoid as many issues as possible when the new rope is installed. The reason for that is so buyers avoid putting the wrong types of ropes on cranes and unnecessarily increasing the risk of injuries to workers or damage to loads being lifted. The processes are to make sure to prevent that added risk and put the correct rope on the correct machine, per Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications.

Wire rope specialists ask these questions to understand your circumstances and what your needs are. With this information, they are better prepared to get the absolute correct rope.

Most of the time, the customer should have access to their crane’s operations manual that will show what rope diameter and length is specified. The customer may have to measure or come up with his own calculations on length. The crane manufacturer is going to make a specific drum for that specific type of wire rope.

The rope has to be specific to the lagging of the drum for that machine, which is why there are multiple variations for each size of wire rope because each kind is specific to the type of crane, and it shouldn’t be substituted. Mazzella will only install the rope that is the correct brand and tolerance on a particular crane.

Ordering the correct crane rope will prevent crane rope damage. The wrong rope could cause damage to the equipment, and at worst, boom failure. On the less severe side, you will have bad performance or it might not work at all. You could have twist and/or spooling issues. That could lead to the crane failing altogether, which creates downtime as you wait for the correct wire rope to be ordered/delivered and installed.

Many crane owners are working for somebody else when they’re doing jobs, so if the rope doesn’t work, they’re paying for work that is not getting done and falling behind schedule.

On the more severe side, you could total your crane and/or irreparably damage the load being lifted if you use the wrong wire rope. In the worst-case scenario, using the incorrect rope could result in severe injury and/or the loss of life.

Sometimes, customers assume that there’s a one-size-fits-all replacement, that if it’s a non-rotating rope, it should work on every application. There’s a lot of misinformation on what will work and what won’t work. With our experience and access to all brands of wire rope, Mazzella guarantees we can get you the right rope for your cranes. If Mazzella isn’t comfortable with the project, we won’t supply the wire rope.

If the wrong wire rope is ordered and delivered, it could be hours or days before the correct rope is on location. Especially with a lot of the larger cranes, manufacturers are shipping model-specific ropes all over the country, and depending on location and money, that could cause delays on your jobsite.

With our large inventory of rope, Mazzella can have a new spool of wire on a truck and out for delivery in a matter of hours. Avoid the pitfalls of ordering the wrong crane rope and you’ll have a new spool of wire rope on its way. Once the order process is done, what can your company do to prepare for delivery and installation?

As much as Mazzella can be prepared on our end, the customer needs to be ready for installation so the process can go as smoothly and safely as possible.

It is a good idea to give management the proper notice of when the installer will be on-site, have the necessary technicians on-site to help the installer with the rope replacement and make sure the installer/technicians have a clear working space.

Also, Mazzella recommends you measure your sheaves with a sheave gauge. A sheave gauge will help you measure the wear of the root, the amount of wear on the groove wall and the diameter of the wire rope.

After ordering the correct rope and having the requisite space and approval for installation, how long will it take to remove and replace the old rope when the technician, assistants and supplies arrive onsite? For some small cranes, the timeframe could be as little as 45 minutes, but for larger cranes, removing the old rope and installing the new one could be a several-hour process.

There’s a lot of factors that go into a successful crane rope installation. The most important thing is the quicker your supplier responds to your order and gets a rope on location, the quicker that rope gets installed properly, saving time and money. Downtime is the key, and it could cost companies tens of thousands of dollars per day if their crane(s) are inoperable.

Once a new crane rope is installed, a break-in period or tension period is recommended to make sure everything is performing correctly, and help you avoid shock-loading the newly installed wire rope. The break-in period is recommended because installation and spooling equipment are not going to put adequate tension on the rope. A break-in period consists of putting a low percentage of the working load limit weight on the rope for several lift cycles, and running the blocks up to the boom length (working height) and back down. For the most specific guidelines on the breaking-in process for your new wire rope, refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If a brand-new wire rope on a crane is not broken in properly before lifting a large load, it potentially could damage the rope and render useless the equipment that was just installed on your machine.

When Mazzella fulfills a crane ropes order, it is not just about the sale and the bottom line. While we’re in the business of selling crane ropes, we’re also in the business of building relationships and trust. We are committed to making sure you get the correct products for the right applications.

Crane rope issues don’t just happen 9-to-5 during the normal work week. They happen Friday nights, holidays, weekends and early mornings. They’re always on the clock, and it is just about being honest with the customer and letting them know, they type of rope that is required. That honesty and trust is of utmost importance for the safety of your workers and the proper maintenance of your cranes.

Mazzella has one of the largest crane ropes inventories in the United States. The company provides wire rope assemblies and manufactures bridge cables, crane cables, steel mill cables and thousands of OEM assemblies in sizes from ¼ to 3-inch diameter and 9 to 52 millimeter diameter, domestic and non-domestic and in stock and ready for same or next-day shipment.

Wire rope is a preferred lifting device for many reasons. Its unique design consists of multiple steel wires that form individual strands laid in a helical pattern around a core. Wire rope comes in a variety of strand patterns including single layer, filler wire, seale, warrington, and combination. Wire rope strands can be laid around the core in different configurations including regular lay wire rope, lang lay wire rope, and alternate lay wire rope. There also many types of grades of wire rope, including: improved plow steel (IPS), extra improved plow steel (EIPS), and extra extra improved plow steel (EEIPS). Some types of wire rope is preferred over others due to the unique properties, including: rotation resistant wire rope, compacted strand wire rope, swaged wire rope, plastic coated wire rope, plastic impregnated (PI) wire rope.

The majority of wire rope problems occurring during operation actually begin during installation, when the rope is at its greatest risk of being damaged. Proper installation procedures are vital in the protection and performance of wire rope products.

Until the rope is installed it should be stored on a rack, pallet or reel stand in a dry, well-ventilated storage shed or building. Tightly sealed and unheated structures should be avoided as condensation between rope strands may occur and cause corrosion problems. If site conditions demand outside storage, cover the rope with waterproof material and place the reel or coil on a support platform to keep it from coming directly in contact with the ground.

While lubrication is applied during the manufacturing process, the wire rope must still be protected by additional lubrication once it is installed. Lubricants will dry out over a period of time and corrosion from the elements will occur unless measures are taken to prevent this from happening. When the machine becomes idle for a period of time, apply a protective coating of lubricant to the wire rope. Moisture (dew, rain, and snow) trapped between strands and wires will create corrosion if the rope is unprotected. Also apply lubricant to each layer of wire rope on a drum because moisture trapped between layers will increase the likelihood of corrosion.

Always use the nominal diameter as specified by the equipment manufacturer. Using a smaller diameter rope will cause increased stresses on the rope and the probability of a critical failure is increased if the rated breaking strength does not match that of the specified diameter. Using a larger diameter rope leads to shorter service life as the rope is pinched in the sheave and drum grooves which were originally designed for a smaller diameter rope. Just as using a different diameter rope can create performance problems, so can the use of an excessively undersized or oversized rope.

Measure the wire rope using a parallel-jawed caliper as discussed in Measuring Rope Diameter at the top of this page. If the rope is the wrong size or outside the recommended tolerance, return the rope to the wire rope supplier. It is never recommended nor permitted by federal standards to operate cranes with the incorrect rope diameter. Doing so will affect the safety factor or reduce service life and damage the sheaves and drum. Note that in a grooved drum application, the pitch of the groove may be designed for the rope’s nominal diameter and not the actual diameter as permitted by federal standards.

Wire rope can be permanently damaged by improper unreeling or uncoiling practices. The majority of wire rope performance problems start here.Improper unreeling practices lead to premature rope replacement, hoisting problems and rope failure.

Place the payout reel as far away from the boom tip as is practical, moving away from the crane chassis. Never place the payout reel closer to the crane chassis than the boom point sheave. Doing so may introduce a reverse bend into the rope and cause spooling problems. Follow the guidelines highlighted under Unreeling and Uncoiling and Drum Winding. Take care to determine whether the wire rope will wind over or under the drum before proceeding. If the wire rope supplier secured the end of the rope to the reel by driving a nail through the strands, ask that in the future a U-bolt or other nondestructive tie-down method be used; nails used in this manner damage the rope.

Take extra precaution when installing lang lay, rotation-resistant, flattened strand or compacted ropes. Loss of twist must be avoided to prevent the strands from becoming loosened, causing looped wire problems.

The end of the rope must be securely and evenly attached to the drum anchorage point by the method recommended by the equipment manufacturer. Depending on the crane’s regulatory requirements, at least two to three wraps must remain on the drum as dead wraps when the rope is unwound during normal operations. Locate the dead end rope anchorage point on the drum in relation to the direction of the lay of the rope. Do not use an anchorage point that does not correspond with the rope lay. Mismatching rope lay and anchorage point will cause the wraps to spread apart from each other and allow the rope to cross over on the drum. Very gappy winding will occur resulting in crushing damage in multilayer applications.

Back tension must be continually applied to the payout reel and the crewman installing the rope must proceed at a slow and steady pace whether the drum is smooth or grooved.Regardless of the benefits of a grooved drum, tension must be applied to ensure proper spooling. An improperly installed rope on a grooved drum will wear just as quickly as an improperly installed rope on a smooth drum. If a wire rope is poorly wound and as a result jumps the grooves, it will be crushed and cut under operating load conditions where it crosses the grooves.

Every wrap on the first or foundation layer must be installed very tightly and be without gaps. Careless winding results in poor spooling and will eventually lead to short service life. The following layers of rope must lay in the grooves formed between adjacent turns of the preceding layer of rope. If any type of overwind or cross-winding occurs at this stage of installation and is not corrected immediately, poor spooling and crushing damage will occur.

On a multilayer spooling drum be sure that the last layer remains at least two rope diameters below the drum flange top. Do not use a longer length than is required because the excess wire rope will cause unnecessary crushing and may jump the flange. Loose wraps that occur at any time must be corrected immediately to prevent catastrophic rope failure.

The use of a mallet is acceptable to ensure tight wraps, however a steel-faced mallet should be covered with plastic or rubber to prevent damage to the rope wires and strands.

Rotation-resistant ropes of all constructions require extra care in handling to prevent rope damage during installation. The lay length of a rotation-resistant rope must not be disturbed during the various stages of installation. By introducing twist or torque into the rope, core slippage may occur—the outer strands become shorter in length, the core slips and protrudes from the rope. In this condition the outer strands become over- loaded because the core is no longer taking its designed share of the load. Conversely, when torque is removed from a rotation-resistant rope core slippage can also occur. The outer strands become longer and the inner layers or core become overloaded, reducing service life and causing rope failure.

The plain end of a wire rope must be properly secured. If the entire cross section of the rope is not firmly secured, core slippage may occur, causing the core to pull inside the rope’s end and allowing it to protrude elsewhere, either through the outer strands (popped core) or out the other end of the line. The outer layer of the outside strands may also become overloaded as there is no complete core-to-strand support.

Secure the ends of the rope with either seizing or welding methods as recommended under Seizing Wire Rope. It is imperative that the ends be held together tightly and uniformly throughout the entire installation procedure, including attaching the end through the wedge socket and the drum dead end wedge

When installing a new line, connect the old line to the new line by using a swivel-equipped cable snake or Chinese finger securely attached to the rope ends. The connection between the ropes during change-out must be very strong and prevent torque from the old rope being transferred into the new rope.Welding ropes together or using a cable snake without the benefit of a swivel increases the likelihood of introducing torque into the new rope. A swivel-equipped cable snake is not as easy as welding the ropes, but this procedure can be mastered with a little patience and practice.

The rope guide is lightweight and durable and it installs quickly and easily, with no special tools required. It is exceptionally rigid and able to withstand extreme applications and environments.

The roller wheels provide smooth transition movement, which can extend service life by reducing the wear of the rope drum and the guide itself. The guide can be made to suit a wide range of drum size and any drum pitch direction and its modular design allows for installation of devices for new features, such as drum cleaning, side-pull prevention and rope measuring.

Wire rope and cable are each considered a “machine”. The configuration and method of manufacture combined with the proper selection of material when designed for a specific purpose enables a wire rope or cable to transmit forces, motion and energy in some predetermined manner and to some desired end.

Two or more wires concentrically laid around a center wire is called a strand. It may consist of one or more layers. Typically, the number of wires in a strand is 7, 19 or 37. A group of strands laid around a core would be called a cable or wire rope. In terms of product designation, 7 strands with 19 wires in each strand would be a 7×19 cable: 7 strands with 7 wires in each strand would be a 7×7 cable.

Materials Different applications for wire rope present varying demands for strength, abrasion and corrosion resistance. In order to meet these requirements, wire rope is produced in a number of different materials.

Stainless Steel This is used where corrosion is a prime factor and the cost increase warrants its use. The 18% chromium, 8% nickel alloy known as type 302 is the most common grade accepted due to both corrosion resistance and high strength. Other types frequently used in wire rope are 304, 305, 316 and 321, each having its specific advantage over the other. Type 305 is used where non-magnetic properties are required, however, there is a slight loss of strength.

Galvanized Carbon Steel This is used where strength is a prime factor and corrosion resistance is not great enough to require the use of stainless steel. The lower cost is usually a consideration in the selection of galvanized carbon steel. Wires used in these wire ropes are individually coated with a layer of zinc which offers a good measure of protection from corrosive elements.

Cable Construction The greater the number of wires in a strand or cable of a given diameter, the more flexibility it has. A 1×7 or a 1×19 strand, having 7 and 19 wires respectively, is used principally as a fixed member, as a straight linkage, or where flexing is minimal.

Selecting Wire Rope When selecting a wire rope to give the best service, there are four requirements which should be given consideration. A proper choice is made by correctly estimating the relative importance of these requirements and selecting a rope which has the qualities best suited to withstand the effects of continued use. The rope should possess:Strength sufficient to take care of the maximum load that may be applied, with a proper safety factor.

Strength Wire rope in service is subjected to several kinds of stresses. The stresses most frequently encountered are direct tension, stress due to acceleration, stress due to sudden or shock loads, stress due to bending, and stress resulting from several forces acting at one time. For the most part, these stresses can be converted into terms of simple tension, and a rope of approximately the correct strength can be chosen. As the strength of a wire rope is determined by its, size, grade and construction, these three factors should be considered.

Safety Factors The safety factor is the ratio of the strength of the rope to the working load. A wire rope with a strength of 10,000 pounds and a total working load of 2,000 pounds would be operating with a safety factor of five.

It is not possible to set safety factors for the various types of wire rope using equipment, as this factor can vary with conditions on individual units of equipment.

The proper safety factor depends not only on the loads applied, but also on the speed of operation, shock load applied, the type of fittings used for securing the rope ends, the acceleration and deceleration, the length of rope, the number, size and location of sheaves and drums, the factors causing abrasion and corrosion and the facilities for inspection.

Fatigue Fatigue failure of the wires in a wire rope is the result of the propagation of small cracks under repeated applications of bending loads. It occurs when ropes operate over comparatively small sheaves or drums. The repeated bending of the individual wires, as the rope bends when passing over the sheaves or drums, and the straightening of the individual wires, as the rope leaves the sheaves or drums, causing fatigue. The effect of fatigue on wires is illustrated by bending a wire repeatedly back and forth until it breaks.

The best means of preventing early fatigue of wire ropes is to use sheaves and drums of adequate size. To increase the resistance to fatigue, a rope of more flexible construction should be used, as increased flexibility is secured through the use of smaller wires.

Abrasive Wear The ability of a wire rope to withstand abrasion is determined by the size, the carbon and manganese content, the heat treatment of the outer wires and the construction of the rope. The larger outer wires of the less flexible constructions are better able to withstand abrasion than the finer outer wires of the more flexible ropes. The higher carbon and manganese content and the heat treatment used in producing wire for the stronger ropes, make the higher grade ropes better able to withstand abrasive wear than the lower grade ropes.

Effects of Bending All wire ropes, except stationary ropes used as guys or supports, are subjected to bending around sheaves or drums. The service obtained from wire ropes is, to a large extent, dependent upon the proper choice and location of the sheaves and drums about which it operates.

A wire rope may be considered a machine in which the individual elements (wires and strands) slide upon each other when the rope is bent. Therefore, as a prerequisite to the satisfactory operation of wire rope over sheaves and drums, the rope must be properly lubricated.

Loss of strength due to bending is caused by the inability of the individual strands and wires to adjust themselves to their changed position when the rope is bent. Tests made by the National Institute of Standards and Technology show that the rope strength decreases in a marked degree as the sheave diameter grows smaller with respect to the diameter of the rope. The loss of strength due to bending wire ropes over the sheaves found in common use will not exceed 6% and will usually be about 4%.

The bending of a wire rope is accompanied by readjustment in the positions of the strands and wires and results in actual bending of the wires. Repetitive flexing of the wires develops bending loads which, even though well within the elastic limit of the wires, set up points of stress concentration.

The fatigue effect of bending appears in the form of small cracks in the wires at these over-stressed foci. These cracks propagate under repeated stress cycles, until the remaining sound metal is inadequate to withstand the bending load. This results in broken wires showing no apparent contraction of cross section.

Experience has established the fact that from the service view-point, a very definite relationship exists between the size of the individual outer wires of a wire rope and the size of the sheave or drum about which it operates. Sheaves and drums smaller than 200 times the diameter of the outer wires will cause permanent set in a heavily loaded rope. Good practice requires the use of sheaves and drums with diameters 800 times the diameter of the outer wires in the rope for heavily loaded fast-moving ropes.

It is impossible to give a definite minimum size of sheave or drum about which a wire rope will operate with satisfactory results, because of the other factors affecting the useful life of the rope. If the loads are light or the speed slow, smaller sheaves and drums can be used without causing early fatigue of the wires than if the loads are heavy or the speed is fast. Reverse bends, where a rope is bent in one direction and then in the opposite direction, cause excessive fatigue and should be avoided whenever possible. When a reverse bend is necessary larger sheaves are required than would be the case if the rope were bent in one direction only.

Stretch of Wire Rope The stretch of a wire rope under load is the result of two components: the structural stretch and the elastic stretch. Structural stretch of wire rope is caused by the lengthening of the rope lay, compression of the core and adjustment of the wires and strands to the load placed upon the wire rope. The elastic stretch is caused by elongation of the wires.

The structural stretch varies with the size of core, the lengths of lays and the construction of the rope. This stretch also varies with the loads imposed and the amount of bending to which the rope is subjected. For estimating this stretch the value of one-half percent, or .005 times the length of the rope under load, gives an approximate figure. If loads are light, one-quarter percent or .0025 times the rope length may be used. With heavy loads, this stretch may approach one percent, or .01 times the rope length.

The elastic stretch of a wire rope is directly proportional to the load and the length of rope under load, and inversely proportional to the metallic area and modulus of elasticity. This applies only to loads that do not exceed the elastic limit of a wire rope. The elastic limit of stainless steel wire rope is approximately 60% of its breaking strength and for galvanized ropes it is approximately 50%.

Preformed Wire Ropes Preformed ropes differ from the standard, or non-preformed ropes, in that the individual wires in the strands and the strands in the rope are preformed, or pre-shaped to their proper shape before they are assembled in the finished rope.

This, in turn, results in preformed wire ropes having the following characteristics:They can be cut without the seizings necessary to retain the rope structure of non-preformed ropes.

They are substantially free from liveliness and twisting tendencies. This makes installation and handling easier, and lessens the likelihood of damage to the rope from kinking or fouling. Preforming permits the more general use of Lang lay and wire core constructions.

Removal of internal stresses increase resistance to fatigue from bending. This results in increased service where ability to withstand bending is the important requirement. It also permits the use of ropes with larger outer wires, when increased wear resistance is desired.

Outer wires will wear thinner before breaking, and broken wire ends will not protrude from the rope to injure worker’s hands, to nick and distort adjacent wires, or to wear sheaves and drums. Because of the fact that broken wire ends do not porcupine, they are not as noticeable as they are in non-preformed ropes. This necessitates the use of greater care when inspecting worn preformed ropes, to determine their true condition.

Mandatory wire rope and sheave replacement intervals have been extended from 8 to 12 years, provided the total number of machine hours does not exceed 7,000*. For select machines, this means a significant savings for fleet owners, as a typical wire replacement job can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000.

When you do replace wire rope sheaves, use JLG wire rope kits to streamline your service and reduce downtime. Order wire rope kits via Online Express.

Extending wire rope sheaves replacement intervals is another reduction to total cost of ownership for JLG. If you have any questions about this change or how to get the right parts for your job, contact your Regional Sales or Service Manager or