wire rope installation guide factory

2023-05-21 21:22:12

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.

wire rope installation guide factory

Rope diameter is specified by the user and is generally given in the equipment manufacturer’s instruction manual accompanying the machine on which the rope is to be used.

Rope diameters are determined by measuring the circle that just touches the extreme outer limits of the strands— that is, the greatest dimension that can be measured with a pair of parallel-jawed calipers or machinist’s caliper square. A mistake could be made by measuring the smaller dimension.

The right way to unreel.To unreel wire rope from a heavy reel, place a shaft through the center and jack up the reel far enough to clear the floor and revolve easily. One person holds the end of the rope and walks a straight line away from the reel, taking the wire rope off the top of the reel. A second person regulates the speed of the turning reel by holding a wood block against the flange as a brake, taking care to keep slack from developing on the reel, as this can easily cause a kink in the rope. Lightweight reels can be properly unreeled using a vertical shaft; the same care should be taken to keep the rope taut.

The wrong way to unreel.If a reel of wire rope is laid on its flange with its axis vertical to the floor and the rope unreeled by throwing off the turns, spirals will occur and kinks are likely to form in the rope. Wire rope always should be handled in a way that neither twists nor unlays it. If handled in a careless manner, reverse bends and kinks can easily occur.

The right way to uncoil.There is only one correct way to uncoil wire rope. One person must hold the end of the rope while a second person rolls the coil along the floor, backing away. The rope is allowed to uncoil naturally with the lay, without spiraling or twisting. Always uncoil wire rope as shown.

The wrong way to uncoil.If a coil of wire rope is laid flat on the floor and uncoiled by pulling it straight off, spirals will occur and kinking is likely. Torsions are put into the rope by every loop that is pulled off, and the rope becomes twisted and unmanageable. Also, wire rope cannot be uncoiled like hemp rope. Pulling one end through the middle of the coil will only result in kinking.

Great stress has been placed on the care that should be taken to avoid kinks in wire rope. Kinks are places where the rope has been unintentionally bent to a permanent set. This happens where loops are pulled through by tension on the rope until the diameter of the loop is only a few inches. They also are caused by bending a rope around a sheave having too severe a radius. Wires in the strands at the kink are permanently damagedand will not give normal service, even after apparent “re-straightening.”

When wire rope is wound onto a sheave or drum, it should bend in the manner in which it was originally wound. This will avoid causing a reverse bend in the rope. Always wind wire rope from the top of the one reel onto the top of the other.Also acceptable, but less so, is re-reeling from the bottom of one reel to the bottom of another. Re-reeling also may be done with reels having their shafts vertical, but extreme care must be taken to ensure that the rope always remains taut. It should never be allowed to drop below the lower flange of the reel. A reel resting on the floor with its axis horizontal may also be rolled along the floor to unreel the rope.

Wire rope should be attached at the correct location on a flat or smooth-faced drum, so that the rope will spool evenly, with the turns lying snugly against each other in even layers. If wire rope is wound on a smooth-face drum in the wrong direction, the turns in the first layer of rope will tend to spread apart on the drum. This results in the second layer of rope wedging between the open coils, crushing and flattening the rope as successive layers are spooled.

A simple method of determining how a wire rope should be started on a drum. The observer stands behind the drum, with the rope coming towards him. Using the right hand for right-lay wire rope, and the left hand for left lay wire rope, the clenched fist denotes the drum, the extended index finger the oncoming rope.

Clips are usually spaced about six wire rope diameters apart to give adequate holding power. They should be tightened before the rope is placed under tension. After the load is placed on the rope, tighten the clips again to take care of any lessening in rope diameter caused by tension of the load. A wire rope thimble should be used in the eye of the loop to prevent kinking.

U-bolt Clips.There is only one correct method for attaching U-bolt clips to wire rope ends, as shown in TheRightWayimage below. The base of the clip bears on the live end of the rope; the “U” of the bolt bears on the dead end.

Compare this with the incorrect methods. Five of the six clips shown are incorrectly attached—only the center clip in the top view is correct. When the “U” of the clip bears on the live end of the rope, there is a possibility of the rope being cut or kinked, with subsequent failure.

Proper seizing and cutting operations are not difficult to perform, and they ensure that the wire rope will meet the user’s performance expectations. Proper seizings must be applied on both sides of the place where the cut is to be made. In a wire rope, carelessly or inadequately seized ends may become distorted and flattened, and the strands may loosen. Subsequently, when the rope is operated, there may be an uneven distribution of loads to the strands; a condition that will significantly shorten the life of the rope.

Either of the following seizing methods is acceptable. Method No. 1 is usually used on wire ropes over one inch in diameter. Method No. 2 applies to ropes one inch and under.

Method No. 1: Place one end of the seizing wire in the valley between two strands. Then turn its long end at right angles to the rope and closely and tightly wind the wire back over itself and the rope until the proper length of seizing has been applied. Twist the two ends of the wire together, and by alternately pulling and twisting, draw the seizing tight.

The Seizing Wire. The seizing wire should be soft or annealed wire or strand. Seizing wire diameter and the length of the seize will depend on the diameter of the wire rope. The length of the seizing should never be less than the diameter of the rope being seized.

Proper end seizing while cutting and installing, particularly on rotation-resistant ropes, is critical. Failure to adhere to simple precautionary measures may cause core slippage and loose strands, resulting in serious rope damage. Refer to the table below ("Suggested Seizing Wire Diameters") for established guidelines. If core protrusion occurs beyond the outer strands, or core retraction within the outer strands, cut the rope flush to allow for proper seizing of both the core and outer strands.

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.

wire rope installation guide factory

Wire rope thimbles also known as cable thimbles, are used for making reinforce loop(eyelet) with grips, clips or clamps by preventing fraying caused by friction at the bearing anchor point to protect and extend the service life of the wire rope or sling. They are just one of the many types of wire rope fittings (ferrules, wire rope clips, terminals, etc.).

Wire rope thimbles are available in a variety of strengths and materials(carbon steel and stainless steel, see our post on Surface Finish: 4 Common Types You Should Know) but mainly they come in two different duty grades.

If you use it in high moisture or corrosive environments, recommend our stainless steel wire rope thimbles which can offer resistance to corrosion on the surface, particularly in marine applications.

Simply wrap the end of the wire rope around the outer groove of the thimble, lace the dead end of the wire rope past the U-bolt of the wire rope grips or a wire rope ferrule crimp to hold onto the bearing anchor point at the end of the thimble to prevent fraying caused by friction.

Once in place, put another wire rope clip as near the loop you just wrapped over the thimble. Turn nuts firmly but do not yet tighten to the proper torque, we recommend using a crimping/swaging tool to compress the ferrule firmly onto the rope to hold your thimble loop securely.

Alternatively, you can use a wire rope ferrule crimp to secure your thimble in place. this method is quick and easy to install. For further information on installation using a wire rope ferrule please – click here

Wire rope thimbles are used in conjunction with cable and rope to protect the eyes and will allow for smooth rope guiding around natural curves. So that the most important thing is to make sure the thimble eye securely fastened. Here are some tips for correctly using wire rope thimble:

Make sure that the cable thimbles size properly and securely fastened in the eye of the loop, not too loose or too tighten, so they can create an extra layer of support to connect with other properly sized rigging fittings.

While you are using a vinyl coated cable, you should multiply the actual size of the cable, usually use a larger size thimble than normal, for the actual diameter is the thickness of the vinyl coating plus the inside wire rope diameter. For example, if you are using a 5/16″ vinyl coated cable that is coated to 3/8″ diameter, you’d want to use a 3/8″ wire rope thimble.

wire rope installation guide factory

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 installation guide factory

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