wire rope failure modes quotation

Unfortunately, many phone calls into ITI Field Services begins this way, “We have had an incident with a wire rope and we believe the rope failed. How do we determine the cause of failure?”

Fortunately, the calls come in because wire rope users want to determine cause of failure in an effort to improve their crane, rigging and lifting activities.

A wire rope distributor received a hoist rope and sockets from a rubber-tired gantry. The rope and sockets were returned by the customer who believed the rope and sockets failed. The distributor hired ITI Field Services to conduct an analysis on the rope and sockets to determine the cause of the failure and to produce written documentation.

Based on the findings of the examination, fatigue-type breaks in the wires indicated that the wire rope lost significant strength due to vibration. There was no indication that the rope was overloaded. The poured sockets showed no evidence of abnormalities in the pouring method, wire zinc bonding length or the materials used in the speltering process. The conclusion of the inspection is that rope failed due to fatigue.

Wire rope examination is just one of the many services that is offered by ITI Field Services. ITI has some of the most highly-regarded subject-matter experts in the crane and rigging industry with experience in performance evaluations, litigation, accident investigations, manual development and critical lift planning reviews.

Mechanical properties of wire ropes, their chemical composition, and the failure analysis process for them are described. The wires are manufactured from high-carbon, plain carbon steel, with high-strength ropes most often manufactured from AISI Grade 1074. During visual failure examination, the rope, strand, and wire diameters should all be measured. Examination should also address the presence or absence of lubricant, corrosion evidence, and gross mechanical damage. Failed wires can exhibit classic cup-and-cone ductile features, flat fatigue features, and various appearances in-between. However, wires are often mechanically damaged after failure. Most nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are not applicable to wire...

Safety should be the top concern of anyone employed in rigging. When working a job where so many lives could be cut short due to carelessness, there is no excuse for laziness or distraction. Rigs should be inspected thoroughly for any potential areas of breakage. It is important for employees to gain a fluency in the causes of wire rope damage and failures so they can spot areas of weakness and fix them before they grow into a dangerous problem.

Corrosion issues in wire ropes are one of the most difficult causes of wire rope damage and failures to identify, which is why it is one of the most dangerous. Wire rope failures due to corrosion are typically the result of poor lubrication. You can measure some amount of the lubrication by looking at the pitted surface of every individual rope, but this tells us little of the damage done to the core. Since it is difficult to identify the full spectrum of corrosion, this break stands apart as mysterious and deadly.

Abrasion-caused failure occurs when the wire rope has been damaged by irregular contact with hoist sheaves and drums or when it awkwardly rubs against an object such as shelving or a crane girder. It is also often caused by poorly grooved drums and sheaves. You know the wire ropes have experienced abrasions when the wire ends are worn thin.

When hoist ropes go through repetitive bending over sheaves, cracks will eventually develop in the individual wires. Sections of the wire that move over the sheaves develop the worst fatigue. The damage can often be seen by the naked eye. Whenever one broken wire appears due to fatigue, more will follow. Since these issues are essentially the result of wear and tear on the rope wire, they are considered a normal part of operating a crane.

Being fluent in safety measures is just as valuable to an employer as competency with cable rigging hardware. People who know how to spot areas for potential failures can keep themselves and their coworkers secure, which saves time, money, and even lives.

As the key bearing components in engineering projects, wire ropes often suffer from high-speed impact loads in service. In the majority of applications, wire ropes are subjected to the loads with the following characteristics: alternating impact loads, short-time overload, and small movements among adjacent spiral strands. Typical failure modes of wire ropes include fracture, wear, corrosion, geometric failure and thermal failure. In this work, the corresponding failure mechanisms were analyzed. For a certain type of wire ropes, the fracture morphology, surface quality, microstructure and internal defects of steel wires were analyzed, and failure causes were discussed. Accordingly, the precautions in relation to the safe use of wire ropes were proposed.

Wire rope is constructed of multiple strands of wire that are twisted and braided together to form a spiral design or helix. Once the separate wires are shaped into a solid form, they become a single wire with greater strength because the individual wires equalize pressure and have greater flexibility than the individual strands.

To further enhance the strength of wire ropes, they are grouped and wound together to produce cables, which adds to their usefulness as a means of support, ability to lift, and give structural stability.

A key factor in wire rope is the lay of the strands, which can be regular or lang. With regular lay, or right and ordinary lay, the strands are wound from left to right with the wires laid in the opposite direction of the lay of the strands. With lang lay, the wires are wound in the same direction.

The structure and design of wire rope produces a final product that has superior strength, excellent strength flexibility, and the ability to handle constant bending stress as well as being weather resistant.

Wire rope is one of those products that has found a place in a wide variety of industries since it can be adapted and shaped to fit several applications. It can be found as a tow cable for boats and airplanes or in the movie industry as a harness for stunt artists. The varied uses of wire rope have made it an essential part of operations that require a rope with strength, endurance, and flexibility.

In the aerospace industry, wire ropes, or Bowden cables, connect pedals and levers in the airplane cockpit to send power to aircraft systems to control the airplane. The things that are controlled by wire ropes are propeller pitch, cowl flaps, and throttle. Wire ropes on aircraft are insulated to avoid vibrations.

Wire rope is extensively used in the auto industry for a wide variety of applications due to its versatility and strength. It is used for raising windows and opening and closing sunroofs. Other uses include steering wheels, cables, exhausts, springs, sunroofs, doors, and seat components. In the manufacturing process, wire rope is used to hoist vehicles, move large body parts, and on hoists and cranes.

The construction industry has a greatest reliance on wire rope because of the need to lift and lower heavy loads. Wire rope used in construction must have extremely high strength and exceptional performance for safety reasons and efficiency. Larger versions of wire rope are used for suspension bridges and supporting concrete columns.

The main use of wire rope in food processing is for lifting, moving loads, and other heavy tasks. Finished products or raw materials require being moved in storage units and processing centers. The strength and endurance of wire rope makes it possible to move these materials. Wire rope for food processing must be able to withstand regular chemical cleaning.

As with other industries, the oil and gas industry needs strong and reliable equipment for moving heavy equipment. In ocean drilling, machinery is dropped into the ocean using wire rope to securely hold devices to be dropped to extreme depths. Wire ropes are designed to withstand the extreme pressure and stress required. A further use of wire ropes for drilling operations is to maintain stability in the drilling lines. One of the unique features of oil rig wire rope is its length, which can exceed 10,000 feet.

A very common use for wire rope is mooring and towing of sea and freshwater boats and vessels. In the shipbuilding industry, wire rope is used to secure lifeboats as well as lower them into the water. On sailboats, wire rope is used to lift and lower sails. The benefit of using wire rope is its resistance to corrosion and rust caused by salt water and ocean mist.

The skiing industry, much like heavy equipment industries, uses wire rope to hold cars, lifts, or chairs to transport skiers up the mountain. This type of wire rope comes in several varieties depending on the size of the mountain. The benefits of wire rope for skiing is its dependability, guaranteed safety, and reliability. The main challenge of wire rope for use in sports is the weather conditions it must endure.

Since the beginnings of amusement parks, wire rope has been an essential part of attraction construction. It is used to bring roller coaster cars to the top of the ride, hold swings, and pull various vehicles through attractions. One of the main concerns of public amusement parks is safety since rides are filled with powerful machinery designed to operate continuously.

Making the dangerous and exciting shots in movies requires well planned safety precautions. One of the aspects of that planning is wire rope that is designed to protect performers when they are engaged in dangerous and life threatening shots. Dependable wire ropes are ideal since they have the flexibility, strength, endurance, and versatility to be adapted to any conditions.

In architecture and design, wire rope has been used for guard rails, balustrades, and roof construction. In innovative green buildings where plants grow along the surface of the building, the plants grow along specially designed vertical wire ropes that are capable of withstanding weather conditions.

A common use of wire rope is in railings, which are safe, durable, and provide a pleasing aesthetic appeal. The use of wire rope for railings provides protection without obstructing the view from a building. This aspect of wire rope is one of the reasons that it is used for large architectural projects since it blends into the structure without interiors with the architectural design.

The types of wire rope are determined by the number of wires in each strand and how many are in the rope, which is defined by a two number system with the first number being the number of wires and the second being the number of wires in each strand. For example, a 6x19 wire rope has 6 wires in 19 strands.

There are a wide variety of products that are produced using wire rope. The demand for wire rope products is due to its strength, durability, and reliability. Since the basic purpose of wire rope is to lift and move heavy materials and items, the most common type of wire rope product is the wire rope sling.

Though the construction of wire rope slings is very similar for all types, there are certain variations applied to slings to adjust them to fit different applications. Slings are configured in various ways to fit different types of loads. These changes are referred to as hitches.

Bridle Hitch: The multiple leg or bridle hitch style has more than one wire rope sling attached to equalize the load and control balance. They reduce load damage by using fixed points on the load and offer easier rigging when hooked into fixed lifting points. .

Single Part Wire Rope Sling: The eye for a single part wire rope sling is formed by looping the wire rope back on to the rope. The end of the rope is attached by a clamp or being woven by hand or mechanically into the rope body. Single part wire rope slings use a single wire rope to produce the sling.

Braided Wire Rope Sling: A braided wire rope sling is made by braiding wire ropes to form a sling. The increased number of strands enhances the strength of the sling and its load capacity. Braiding can be done with three to nine wire ropes.

Cable Laid Wire Rope Sling: Cable laid wire rope slings are made from combining several smaller wire ropes to form a flexible, easy to handle, and kink resistant sling.

Woven Eye Wire Rope Sling: For the woven eye version of a wire rope sling, the eye is formed by weaving the wire rope into itself after forming the loop. It is designed to reduce the chance of the sling catching or being hung up when lifting.

Thimble Wire Rope Sling: To add to the strength of wire rope slings and lessen the stress on a small area of the eye, a thimble, a U shaped piece into which the wire rope fits, is placed in the eye, which helps the sling to retain its natural shape. The thimble is positioned to prevent the hook or load from coming in contact with the wire rope.

Endless Wire Rope Sling:Endless wire rope slings are adaptable slings without a set wear point. They can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes and are used in applications where headroom may be a problem. Endless wire rope slings are made by splicing the ends of a piece of wire rope together or by tucking strand ends into the body to form a core with a tucked position the opposite of the core position. They are also referred to as grommet wire rope slings.

Coiled wire rope is made from bundles of small metal wires that are twisted into a coil. It comes in many varieties and is easy to store since it does not require a spool. Coiled wire rope is produced in coils. When it is not in use, it springs back into a coil, which makes it easy to handle.

Cable wire rope is a type of high strength rope, made of several individual filaments. These filaments are twisted into strands and helically wrapped around a core. One of the most common types of wire rope cable is steel cable.

Push pull wire rope assemblies are used to send force and are used in the aircraft, exercise, medical, automotive, and office equipment industries. Unlike using a single heavy wire, push pull assemblies made with wire rope are stiffer and have a larger bend radii for smoother motion of the wire.

Wire rope assemblies include wire rope and various parts and components that have been added to the wire rope to enhance its function. The connectors for a wire rope assembly are designed to connect the assembly to hooks, equipment, or machines as well as other wire rope assemblies. The central part of a wire rope assembly is the wire rope, which determines the type and kind of work the assembly can perform.

Wire rope lanyards are a standard wire rope product that have a multitude of uses. They are produced using the same process that is used to produce wire rope with the same numbering categorizing system. Lanyards are used to hold fasteners, hardware, or components to prevent loss of an item or prevent injury.

In many ways, wire rope is a form of machine with multiple moving parts. Normally, when we think of a machine, we imagine a device with a motor, drives, and gears. Wire rope does not have any of those components but does fit the definition of being a complex mechanism. It has moving parts that work together to move heavy materials and loads.

The main function of wire rope is to do heavy lifting, which is very dependent on wire rope slings. The type of sling is determined by the quality of the wire rope used to form them and whether several ropes have been braided or wound together.

Wire is the smallest part of wire rope but makes up the various strands. The composition of the wire can be steel, iron, stainless steel, copper, or other types of metal wires and are produced in different grades. The individual wires can be coated or bright, meaning uncoated.

Strands are sets of wires that are twisted together and are placed in a helical pattern around the core. The size of the wire determines its abrasive qualities with larger wires being more abrasive and less flexible than smaller ones.

The core is the center of the wire rope and serves as a support for the strands and helps the wire rope keep its position when it is under stress or bearing a load.

Lubrication is applied during the manufacturing process to reduce friction between the wires and strands as well as protection from corrosion and rust. The tight winding of the wires enhances the ability of the wire rope to retain the lubrication which is essential to its longevity.

The purpose of applying lubricant is to limit the friction between the cables to increase the useful life of the wire rope. In certain applications, such as space travel, lubricants can be hazardous and cause equipment to malfunction. In those instances, non-lubricated wire rope is used, which is referred to as dry wire rope or cable.

Of all of the products that are made from wire rope, slings are the most common and widely used. These looped wire ropes come in different varieties and grades depending on the type of wire used. Also, to enhance wire sling performance, several wire ropes may be wound together to form a sturdier and more reliable sling.

Flemish splicing is a method for repairing a wire rope and involves breaking the wire rope in half and tying it back together. In the Flemish method, the wire rope is tied back on itself and swaged down a sleeve over the unbroken wire rope to create the new eye.

Prior to placing the wire rope into the holding device used to shape the eye, a steel compression sleeve is placed on the rope, which will be used to secure and hold the eye.

Once the proper size is achieved, the unwound strands are rewound in the reverse order of their former positioning. If the wire rope has a right hand lay, it is rewound using a left hand lay. The opposite is true if the wire rope has a left hand lay, then it is rewound using a right hand lay. By using this technique, a friction mold is formed for the splicing of the sling.

Anti-rotational wire rope resists the forces of rotation by having opposing layers of helical stands. By winding the wire rope with oppositional strands, the wire rope is guaranteed to not unwind in clockwise or counterclockwise directions. The key to anti-rotational wire rope is to ensure that the outer diameter is static.

In the manufacture of anti-rotational wire rope, counter stranded filaments have vacant spaces between them. To make the wire rope anti-rotational, it is tightly twisted in the counterclockwise direction, which tightens the spaces between the filaments. If the wire rope is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the strands tighten around each other creating a spring force.

The tails and stray wires of the wire rope have to be straightened and properly formed before applying the compression sleeve. Once the sleeve has been placed, it is carefully checked to be sure that it is accurately engaged.

Prior to placing the wire rope sling in the swaging die, the die has to be thoroughly lubricated. Once the die is set, the wire rope‘s compression sleeve and the wire rope are compressed using several hundred thousand pounds of force. The swaging process alters the dimensions of the wire rope and compression sleeve to form a tight connection for the correct diameter for the sling connection. As force is applied, the compression sleeve is turned so that pressure is evenly applied.

There are several types of metal wires that are used to produce wire rope, which include steel, stainless steel, galvanized, aluminum, nickel alloy, bronze, copper, and titanium. Carbon steel is the most common type of wire rope material.

Wire ropes are made using uncoated bright wire, which is high-carbon steel. The type of steel depends on the requirements of the wire and its tensile strength and its fatigue and wear resistance.

Galvanized wire rope is treated with zinc to prevent corrosion and can be used in harsh conditions and environments. It is a cost effective alternative to stainless steel but does not have the same corrosion resistance. Galvanized wire rope is stronger than stainless steel of the same grade and size. Vinyl coated galvanized wire rope is easy to handle and flexible.

Stainless steel wire rope is corrosion and rust resistant. It is available in types 316 and 304 with 316 having greater corrosion resistance. Stainless steel wire rope can be used for marine applications, acidic environments, and other demanding conditions. It is produced with the appropriate tolerances and composition to meet the needs of the application.

Multiple strands of copper are braided into a round hollow shape, which is pressed into the desired width and thickness. Copper wire rope has exceptional flexibility, an exceptional life span and can be used as part of electrical components.

Bronze wire rope inhibits sparking and is corrosion resistant. It is made from preformed wire to ensure that it maintains its shape and does not unravel when cut. Bronze wire rope is abrasion resistant and very flexible with a crush resistant core.

Inconel wire can be used in applications that reach temperatures as high as 2000° F and is oxidation and corrosion resistant. It is non-magnetic and has excellent resistance to chloride based corrosion cracking. Inconel wire rope can be used with nuclear generators and chemical and food processing.

Titanium wire rope comes in several grades with grade two being 99% pure. It is easily formable and weldable. Titanium wire rope is commonly used in chemical processing and marine hardware.

For wire rope to perform properly, it needs to have proper care. Wire rope is an essential tool necessary to perform a wire range of lifting and moving jobs. It is important that it be handled, treated, installed, stored, and treated correctly to prolong its life and perform to the highest standards.

Seizing should be completed on both ends of the wire rope, which will protect it from loosening. If this is done improperly, the wire rope can become distorted. Wire rope that is properly seized evenly distributes the load.

Wire rope is stored on reels or coils and has to be carefully handled when it is being removed. To ensure excellent performance, the wire rope should not be dropped during removal. If the reel or coil is dropped or damaged, it can make handling the wire rope difficult and cumbersome. As the wire rope is removed from the reel, check to see that the reel is rotating as the wire is removed.

Wire rope is depended on for heavy lifting and is trusted to keep a load and people safe. As with all heavy duty equipment, wire rope must have a regular inspection schedule and be visually assessed during use.

Broken Strands – An easy way to check for broken strands is to run a cloth over the length of the wire. Broken strands that are found in critical areas, such as parts that pass through pulleys or sections that are regularly flexed, rubbed, or constantly worked must be replaced and repaired.

Internal wear – This can be tested by flexing the wire rope, which indicates if the interior has deteriorated, experienced fatigue, or become distorted.

For wire rope to perform at the highest level, it has to be stored in a well ventilated environment that is dry, covered, and not in contact with the floor. The avoidance of high moisture or damp conditions is an absolute necessity. While the wire rope is in storage, it should be moved regularly to keep the lubricant from wearing off.

Though lubricant is applied during the manufacturing of wire rope, it wears off during use. Lubrication is the key to the performance of wire rope because it helps prevent abrasion as the wires rub against one another. Relubrication should be applied after the original lubricant has worn off.

Wire rope is a tool and must be cleaned regularly as with any form of machinery. This can be accomplished with different types of petroleum solvents and a wire brush. Mechanical methods of cleaning can include compressed air or a steam cleaner. Once the cleaning process is completed, the wire rope should be lubricated for protection.

There are several substances that can harm a wire rope. They include salt water, brine, acid, various gasses, and humidity. To avoid the intrusion of these negative effects, when a job is completed and the wire rope is to be stored, it should be cleaned, lubricated, and placed in proper storage.

When wire rope is being removed from a spool or being spooled, the operation must be performed smoothly with the spool rotating at a constant speed and rhythm. This will help prevent kinking or binding.

When a wire rope shows a reduction in diameter, has broken wires, kinks, nodes, flattened surfaces, out of place outer wires, damage from heat exposure, corrosion damage, or the formation of unexpected loops, it should be removed and replaced or be repaired.

Wire rope is regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of the regulations for cranes and derricks in construction as part of 29 CFR 1926.1413, which went into effect on November 8, 2010.

The inspection of wire ropes is on three levels: shift, monthly, and annually. Shift and monthly inspections can be completed by an approved operator, while annual inspection must be completed by certified personnel.

As with the shift and monthly inspections, the annual inspection follows the guidelines for the shift inspection. This inspection must be completed by certified personnel. The entire surface of the wire rope has to be inspected, with attention to:

Annual inspections can be excused if it is not possible due to the wire ropes setup or configuration or the location of the work site. It must be completed within six months. If any deficiencies are found, the wire rope must be repaired or removed. For some deficiencies, it is possible to keep the wire rope in use but have them regularly monitored.

Wire rope is a form of metal tool that is constructed of multiple strands of wire that are twisted and braided together to form a spiral design or helix.

To further enhance the strength of wire rope, they are grouped and wound together to produce cables, which adds to their usefulness as a means of support, ability to lift, and give structural stability.

The types of wire rope are determined by the number of wires in each strand and how many are in the rope, which is defined by a two number system with the first number being the number of wires and the second being the number of wires in each strand.

Wire rope manufacturers produce their products in order to provide a high load capacity, versatile alternative to weaker ropes like manila rope or hemp rope. Wire rope products are used for a wide variety of motion transmission applications, among them: lifting, baling, tie down, hoisting, hauling, towing, mooring, anchoring, rigging, cargo control, guidance and counterbalance. They can also be used as railing, fencing and guardrailing.

Wire rope is a must-have for many heavy duty industrial applications. From mining to forestry to marine and beyond, there’s wire rope for almost every job. Some of the many industries in which wire rope is popular include: construction, agriculture, marine, industrial manufacturing, fitness, sports and recreation (plastic coated cables for outdoor playground equipment and sports equipment), electronics, theater (black powder coated cables for stage rigging), mining, gas and oil, transportation, security, healthcare and consumer goods.

Wire rope as we know it was invented just under 200 years ago, between 1831 and 1834. At that time, the goal was to create a rope strong enough to support work in the mines of the Harz Mountains. Invented by Wilhelm Albert, a German mining engineer, this wire rope consisted on four three-stranded wires. It was much stronger than older rope varieties, such as manila rope, hemp rope and metal chain rope.

While studying at Freiburg School of Mines, a man named L.D.B. Gordon visited the mines in the Harz Mountains, where he met Albert. After he left, Gordon wrote to his friend Robert Stirling Newall, urging him to create a machine for manufacturing wire ropes. Newall, of Dundee, Scotland, did just that, designing a wire rope machine that made wire ropes with four strands, consisting of four wires each. After Gordon returned to Dundee, he and Newall, along with Charles Liddell, formed R.S. Newall and Company. In 1840, Newall received a patent for “certain improvements in wire rope and the machinery for making such rope.”

In 1841, an American manufacturer named John A. Roebling began producing wire rope for suspension bridges. Soon after, another set of Americans, Josiah White and Erskine Hazard, started incorporating wire rope into coal mining and railroad projects, forming Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (LC&N Co.). In 1848, wire rope from their wire rope factory in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania provided the lift cables needed to complete the Ashley Planes Project. This project sought to improve the performance and appearance of the freight railroad that ran through Ashley, Pennsylvania, by adding lift cables. This increased tourism and increased the railroad’s coal capacity. Before, cars took almost four hours to return; after, they took less than 20 minutes.

Wire rope likewise changed the landscape (again) in Germany, in 1874, when an engineering firm called Adolf Bleichert & Co. used wire rope to build Bi-cable aerial tramways. These allowed them to mine the Ruhr Valley. Several years later, they also used wire rope to build tramways for the German Imperial Army and the Wehrmacht. These tramways were wildly successful, opening up roads in Germany and all over Europe and the USA.

Since the 1800s, manufacturers and engineers have found ways to improve wire rope, through stronger materials and material treatments, such as galvanization, and different rope configurations. Today, wire rope makes possible many heavy industrial processes. It has become a necessity of the modern world.

Strands are made by tightly twisting or braiding individual wire together. One strand could have anywhere between two and several dozen wire filaments depending on the necessary strength, flexibility, and weight capacity.

One of the most dynamic elements of wire cables is the inner core. The strands are wrapped around the core, and it can be made of different metals, fibers, or even impregnated fiber materials. For heavy applications, cores are often made of a different strand of wire called an independent wire rope core (IWRC). An IWRC has a considerable amount of flexibility and it is still very strong. In fact, at least 7.5% of the strength increase in a wire rope can be attributed to an IWRC.

While they sometimes use other metals, like aluminum, nickel, copper, titanium, and even bronze for some applications, manufacturers primarily produce wire rope from steel. This is because steel is very strong and stretchable. Among the most common types they use are: galvanized wire, bright wire, stainless steel and cold drawn steel.

Of the wire rope steels, cold drawn carbon steel wire is most popular, although stainless steel wire rope is sometimes employed as well. Stainless steel rope is most popular for its anti-corrosive properties. Bright wire rope, a type of ungalvanized steel wire rope, is also popular. For added strength and durability, galvanized steel wire rope/galvanized steel cables are a very popular choice. Galvanized aircraft cable, for example, is always a must in aerospace.

When choosing or designing a custom wire rope for your application, suppliers consider factors such as: the environment in which the rope will function, required rust resistance, required flexibility, temperature resistance, required breaking strength and wire rope diameter. To accommodate your needs, manufacturers can do special things like: make your rope rotation resistant, color code your rope, or add a corrosion resistant coating. For instance, sometimes they specially treat and coat a cable with plastic or some other compound for added protection. This is particularly important to prevent fraying if the wire rope is often in motion on a pulley.

Manufacturers and distributors identify the differences in wire cable by listing the number of strands and the amount of wires per strand so that anyone that orders understand the strength of the cable. Sometimes they are also categorized by their length or pitch. Common examples of this include: 6 x 19, 6 x 25, 19 x 7, 7 x 19, 7 x 7, 6 x 26 and 6 x 36.

More complex wire rope identification codes connote information like core type, weight limit and more. Any additional hardware like connectors, fasteners, pulleys and fittings are usually listed in the same area to show varying strengths and degrees of fray prevention.

Cable wire rope is a heavy-duty wire rope. To give it its high strength, manufacturers construct it using several individual filaments that are twisted in strands and helically wrapped around the core. A very common example of cable wire rope is steel cable.

Spiral rope is made up an assemblage of wires with round or curved strands. The assemblage features at least one outer layer cord pointed in the opposite direction of the wire. The big advantage of spiral ropes is the fact that they block moisture, water and pollutants from entering the interior of the rope.

Similarly, stranded rope steel wire is made up of an assemblage of spirally wound strands. Unlike spiral rope, though, its wire patterns have crisscrossing layers. These layers create an exceptionally strong rope. Stranded rope may have one of three core material types: wire rope, wire strand or fiber.

Wire rope chain, like all chains, is made up of a series of links. Because it is not solid, wire rope chain is quite flexible. At the same time, it is prone to mechanical failure.

Wire rope slings are made from improved plow wire steel, a strong steel wire that offers superior return loop slings and better security. The plow wire steel also shields rope at its connection points, which extends its working life. Wire rope slings, in general, provide their applications with increased safety, capacity and performance. Wire rope sling is a rope category that encompasses a wide range of sub-products, such as permaloc rope sling, permaloc bridle slings and endless slings. These and other wire rope slings may be accompanied by a wide variety of sling terminations, such as thimbles, chokers and hooks.

Wire rope offers its user many advantages. First, design of even distribution of weight among strands makes it ideal for lifting extremely heavy loads. Second, wire rope is extremely durable and, when matched properly to the application, can withstand great stress and elements like corrosion and abrasion. In addition, it is very versatile. Its many iterations and the ways in which the rope can treated means that users can get rope custom fit for virtually any application.

Depending on the type of wire rope with which you are working and your application, you may want to invest in different accessories. Among these accessories are: wire rope clips, steel carabiners, fittings, fasteners and connections.

To ensure that your wire rope quality remains high, you must regularly inspect them for wear and degradation. The right wire rope should be selected for a particular use. Watch out for performance-impacting damage like: rust, fraying and kinks. To make sure that they stay in tip-top shape, you should also clean and lubricate them as needed. Check for this need as a part of your regular inspection.

Rope care is about more than inspection. It’s also about making an effort to use and store them properly every time you use them. For example, never exceed your rope’s rated load and breaking strength. Doing so will not only cause the weakening of your cable, but it may even cause immediate breakage. In addition, always store your wire rope cable in a dry and warm area, away from those elements that could cause premature rusting or other damage. Finally, always carefully wind your wire rope when you’re done with it, so as to avoid kinks. If you follow all these tips and treat your wire rope assemblies well, they will reward you with a long and productive service life.

Always make sure that you purchase wire rope that matches your industry and regional standards. Some of the most widely referenced standards organizations for wire rope include: ISO, ASTM International and OSHA. Talk over your specifications and application with your wire rope supplier to figure out what’s best for you.

If you’re in the market for a wire rope or a wire rope assembly, the best way to know you’re getting something that will both perform well and be safe if by working with a vetted professional. Find one among the list we’ve provided on this page. Check out their profiles to get an idea of the services and products they offer. Pick out three or four to whom you’d like to speak, and reach out. Talk to them about your specifications, standard requirements and budget. Ask about lead times and delivery options. Once you’ve spoken with all of them, compare and contrast their answers. You’ll know you’ve found the one when you talk to a wire rope company that is willing to go above and beyond for your satisfaction.

But on one particular day in early May of 2009, it wasn’t a boom reaching toward the big Texas sky that was causing people to stop and stare; it was one that was lying in a heap just beside the water, lattice sections bent and lacings twisted into mess of mangled steel and frayed wire rope. “I got the call to investigate the cause of loss on a Manitowoc 888 that was being used to drive underwater pilings at a dock in Port Isabel,” says JR Bristow, of Bristow Truck and Equipment Specialists, an organization based in Ridgewood, NJ that provides failure analysis and appraisals, among other things, for heavy equipment. “The operator was hoisting the boom when it just sort of gave out and crashed to the ground. No one was hurt, but the boom was in bad shape. The initial reserve was set at $500,000.”

Though a half million dollars wasn’t a total loss – the crane was valued at $1.5 million – it was a pretty hefty price to pay for something that, as it turned out, could have been avoided. On lattice-type cranes, booms are raised and lowered using boom hoist wire rope, and when that wire rope shows surface wear or corrosion, or worse, has broken wires within the rope strand, it can fail. It’s usually just a matter of time.

The subsequent investigation that followed revealed that the wire rope used to hoist the boom of the Model 888 had been in an out-of-service condition for quite some time, due to lack of proper lubrication.

“An examination of the failed boom hoist wire rope revealed that the wire rope had gone without the proper lubrication, which was the responsibility of the insured per the attached lease agreement,” Bristow remembers. “I also noted significant broken wires within the rope strands at an average of six to 12 per strand lay. Clearly, if the insured had performed a daily inspection of the boom hoist wire rope as required, that incident would not have happened.”

The broken strand condition that Bristow observed was caused by load cycles that occurred during boom up and boom down functions that were part of the daily operation of the crane. Simultaneous compression and expansion of the wire rope usually occurs as it travels over the hoist sheaves, and that causes the gradual deterioration of the strand wires.

Like many other segments of the crane and rigging industry, the nuances of wire rope are complicated and varied. Considerable time, money and resources have been invested in new technology, new inspection suggestions and new manufacturers. And rightly so. As was the case in Bristow’s example earlier, there’s quite a bit at stake in terms of both human capital and equipment cost.

Python High Performance wire rope, a wire rope manufacturer that has produced a number of resources to assist people in understanding and ultimately purchasing wire rope, clarifies the structure of wire rope on its website www.pythonrope.com.

Python’s site explains that a typical wire rope can contain hundreds of individual wires. These wires are fabricated and formed to operate at close bearing tolerances to one another. When a wire rope bends, each of its many wires slides and adjusts in the bend to accommodate the difference in length between the inside and the outside bend. The sharper the bend, the greater the movement, and the greater capacity for stress on the wire rope.

While manufacturers of wire rope are many and varied, each of the wire ropes they produce have three basic components:The wires, which form the strands and collectively provide the rope strength

According to Python’s site, the greatest differences in wire ropes are found in the number of strands, the construction of strands, the size of the core and the lay direction of the strand versus the core. But what does that mean for the layperson? What should he or she look for when purchasing wire rope?

Tony Fastuca, vice president Python America & High Performance Products, says that most people buy rope based on four ideal standards. “Abrasion resistance, fatigue resistance, flexibility and strength. Those four typical standards often weigh into a purchase decision: he says. “A buyer sometimes has to give a little in one area to get a bit more in another, but a lot of buyers are looking for a good balance of those four standards.”

Whereas other products usually come with an expected lifespan, wire ropes don’t really have an average operational life. “There are records that exist of wire ropes getting two to three years of use, sometimes longer,” says Fastuca. ”But it’s about the level of wear on the rope, not the length of time it’s been in service.”

Just as the crane itself needs to undergo frequent and period inspections, the wire rope does, too. Fastuca talks of the so called “A,B,Cs” of wire rope abuse – abrasion, bending, crushing.

The principle goal of a wire rope inspection is to find potential problems before they manifest into incidents or serious accidents. Inspections should be performed slowly and methodically, with a keen eye for corrosion or broken wires or sections of rope that look questionable. Because the reality of wire rope is that it will fail if it becomes worn out, overloaded, damaged, misused or improperly maintained. It can lead to huge headaches for companies that try to take shortcuts or don’t properly maintain it – a risk that just isn’t worth taking.

In this blog, we will cover three common forms of wear and tear that wire can experience out in the field. Though wear does occur naturally, regular inspection, maintenance, and equipment repair can help ensure appropriate cycle life for your cable products while also minimizing risks and failures. Be on the lookout for signs of abrasion, bird caging, and kinking as you inspect and operate your equipment.

Abrasion, peening, and corrosion typically impact the outer surfaces of wire rope. Abrasion is a form of metal loss or erosion, and peening describes metal deformation. Both of these phenomena occur when a wire rope contacts other metallic surfaces, or when it passes over a drum or sheave. Sheaves that are heavily worn or badly corrugated can expedite wear and friction, causing the individual cable wires to break down and press together. Additionally, when sheaves are poorly lubricated, they cause pitting in the cable surface that leaves them vulnerable to corrosion and rust. Even a brand new cable is susceptible to premature wear if they are not maintained correctly, and paired with appropriate pulleys.

Bird caging is a severe form of wire rope distortion that causes the individual outer strands of a cable to unravel and expand, creating a bird cage shape at the damage site. Bird caging is usually caused by sheaves that impart unintentional rotation. When a non-rotation resistant cable experiences torsion caused by excessively tight, or incorrectly positioned sheaves, it triggers the outer cable strands to lift away from their normal position. Bird caging poses a severe hazard. To prevent future issues, the damaged cable should be immediately removed from operation, and the sheaves remedied.

A kink is the permanent deformation of strands in a wire rope caused by unintended bending and twisting. This usually occurs when the rope is twisted into a tight loop and then snapped back to a straight direction, leaving a permanent curve at the bend site. Though kinks often result from improperly handling or installing wire rope, they can also appear during service if a heavy load is released suddenly, or if a wire rope bends around too small of a sheave. While most kinks show obvious signs of catastrophic failure, others may appear insignificant or repairable through re-straightening. However, it is important to note that kinks always result in permanent strand damage, no matter how severe they may seem on the surface. If not addressed in a timely manner, kinks pose a severe safety hazard.

Though cable damage may happen unexpectedly, you can set yourself up for success by employing high quality wire rope from the start. Luckily, Strand Core manufactures high quality domestic aircraft cable and wire rope for military and commercial applications. Start a quote today, or contact us with any questions at https://strandcore.com/contact/.