wire rope clamp strength free sample

Wire ropes are one of the most critical pieces of rigging and lifting hardware. You can use wire ropes for lifting, rigging, and tying loads of virtually any size, shape, and type. To make the most out of wire ropes, however, you need a few additional rigging equipment, one of which includes wire rope clamps.

Also known as wire rope clips, riggers often use this nifty little piece of hardware at the end of the length of a wire rope. You can use a wire rope clamp to:

In short, a cable clamp is what makes a wire rope one of the most versatile pieces of rigging hardware. As these clamps come in different shapes, sizes, and materials, you will need to choose one that perfectly fits your lifting and rigging application. But before we get down to that, first, you need to understand what is wire rope clamp, its types, and a few other things.

It is a simple mechanical device. A typical wire rope clip consists of a saddle, U-bolt, and two hex nuts. This simple device is suitable for less permanent rigging and lifting applications. You must never use wire rope clips to make industrial slings.

The ASME B30.9 Slings standard clearly states that riggers should not use mechanical wire rope terminations that require periodic adjustments to create slings. In other words, you need to be careful when using rope clamps. You can use a wire rope clip to create an end loop for a winching or crane cable. You can also use it to build perimeter cables or increase the length of a wire rope going through a D-shackle or eye bolt.

Based on their shape, there are two types of cable clamps, U-bolt and double saddle. They both have unique mechanical properties and hence applications.

These cable clamps consist of a U-bolt, two nuts, and a metal base called a saddle. The U-bold passes through the saddle, which you can tighten with the two nuts. They come in various sizes and types of materials, including stainless steel and galvanized steel. You can choose a U-bolt wire rope clamp depending on your rigging or lifting application.

Usually, there are three types of materials used for making rope clips. You can choose a material based on your application as each one comes with its unique strengths and weaknesses.

In this type of wire rope clip, the base or saddle is made from forged steel. The manufacturing process involves heating and hammering the clips into desired shapes. Riggers often use these cable clamps for critical and heavy-duty applications as they are very strong. You can see them in winch lines, crane cables, hoist lines, towing lines, scaffoldings, guy lines, and even tie-downs.

The base or saddle is made from cast iron. As cast iron lacks the metal properties of stainless steel, it is not that strong. So, the malleable galvanized wire rope clamps are not very strong. They can break under heavy usage. You will see them being used in small or light-duty applications like fencing, parameter cables, or guard rails.

Stainless steel wire rope clips are arguably the best ones. The base or saddle is made from high tensile strength stainless steel. They are durable and easy to use. You can find these cable clamps in temporary guard rails, flag posts, and other outdoor rigging applications.

Wire rope clamps are an essential part of the rigging hardware. You can’t do away with them. But you have to make sure to use the right ones to keep the load and the riggers safe. If a wire rope snaps because you used the wrong type of clip, it can lead to disastrous consequences.

The first step in choosing cable clamps is to buy them from a trusted and reputed rigging hardware manufacturer. The last thing you want is to use a defective or poor-quality clip. This will compromise the safety of your load and your crew.

As you can see, each wire rope clamp comes with unique properties. You need the instruction manual to understand when, where, and how to use the cable clamps. Make sure the clamps are accompanied by respective user manuals when making a purchase.

By now, you know that some cable clamps are more suited for outdoor environments, while others aren’t. As a result, carefully think about where you want to use the wire rope clips. For example, if it’s a heavy outdoor application, stainless steel wire rope clamps would be a great fit.

Taking into account how large and heavy the load is also equally important. Heavier loads will require strong cable clamps that won’t break under stress. Also, you shouldn’t use clips for any permanent rigging or lifting applications. They are suited only for temporary load applications.

Lastly, it’s always better to get an expert on board when shopping for wire rope clips. Maybe you can hire an engineer or expert with considerable field experience to help you choose the right types of clamps. An expert will help you take every detail into account before making the purchase. Remember, if you choose the right cable clamps right off the bat, you’ll save considerable time and money down the line.

Wire rope clamps are one of the essential rigging hardware. They land wire ropes more flexibility, allowing you to handle a wide range of applications with ease and safety. These are some tips that will help you choose the appropriate clamp for your need.

HHI sells different types of clamps and other rigging hardware, both online and offline. If you are looking for reasonably priced and high-quality cable clamps or other hardware, check out our online store or reach out to our experts.

Wire rope is an extremely versatile mechanical device that can be used to help support and move an object or load. Whether for use on cranes or for other lifting applications, it’s important to have a solid understanding of the rigging components that are being used to attach to and lift a load.

As a rigger or end-user of wire rope, it’s necessary to understand the types of wire rope end termination, or treatments that can be used at the ends of a length of wire rope—one of the most common being wire rope clips.

Wire rope clips can be used to form a load bearing eye at the end of a cable or wire rope, or to connect two cables together with a lap splice. Wire rope clips are popular because they can be installed in the field and provide 80-90% efficiency of the rope breaking strength, depending on the diameter of the wire rope.

As a general guideline, they are NOT to be used for making slings, as ASME B30.9 Slingsstandard states: “Mechanical wire rope terminations requiring periodic adjustment to maintain efficiency shall not be used to fabricate slings.”

There are two main types of wire rope clips—U-Bolt and double saddle clips. U-Bolt wire rope clips are the most common and may be made of forged or malleable metal.

This type of wire rope clip is essentially a U-bolt, two nuts, and a metal base (saddle) that can be made from forged steel or cast iron. Careful consideration and attention must be given to the way U-bolt type wire rope clips are installed.

The base of the wire rope clip is made from forged steel. Forged clips are heated and hammered into the desired shape—resulting in a consistent grain structure in the steel. Forged wire rope clips are used for critical, heavy-duty, overhead loads such as winch lines, crane hoist lines, support lines, guy lines, towing lines, tie downs, scaffolds, etc.

Malleable wire rope clips are used for making eye termination assemblies only with right regular lay wire rope and only for light duty uses with small applied loads, such as hand rails, fencing, guard rails, etc. The base of the wire rope clips is made from malleable cast iron, which may fracture under heavy use and does not have the desirable metal properties of steel, or the beneficial grain structure that a forged base has.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see a wire rope clip applied incorrectly. Some of the most common mistakes include:Not torquing to the manufacturer’s expectations

Wire rope clips require the use of a torque wrench in order to function properly. Torquing the nuts on the clips too much or too little can cause the clip to fail. If the clip is over-torqued, it could damage the threads of the wire rope. If the clip is under-torqued, the holding power of the clip is diminished and the wire rope could slip through.

There are a minimum number of clips required for use related to the wire rope diameter. Using less than the number of specified clips could result in decreased efficiency and possible failure.

Depending on the number and size of the wire rope clips, there is a proportional amount of space required between the placement on each clip on the rope.

There are two sides of a U-Bolt style wire rope clip: the saddle and the U-Bolt. When securing a wire rope eye, it is important to place the clip on the correct end of the rope.

A saying commonly used in rigging to help remember this is: “Never saddle a dead horse!” In other words, never put the saddle on the dead end of the rope.

The turnback is the portion of the wire rope eye that runs from the end of the bearing eye to the live end. Having less than the suggested amount of turnback will decrease the efficiency of the wire rope eye and could lead to failure.

It is important to be sure you are using the correct wire rope clip—forged or malleable wire rope clips—for the application. Malleable clips can only be used for non-critical uses, such as tension rope to form a perimeter around a parking lot.

If the use is critical—an application where, if there is a failure, you have potential injury or loss of life or damage to property—a forged clip must be used.

The clip size used—whether it be 1/8”, 3”, or otherwise—must match the diameter size of the wire rope. If it doesn’t, the wire rope could slip out of the clip.

After installing clips, it is necessary to regularly cycle the rope and retighten the clips. Monitoring the torque on the nuts is important, as they will loosen over repeated use.

Basic steps for installing a wire rope clip include:First, wrap the wire rope around the thimble or to form the eye, and turn back the correct amount of rope—as specified by the manufacturer.

Apply the first wire rope clip at the end of the dead end, with one base width of space. Use a torque wrench to tighten the nuts on the wire rope clip.

When applying the second clip (if required), place it as close to the eye loop or thimble as possible. Again, be sure to properly tighten the nuts of the clip with a torque wrench.

Wire rope clips are a common and necessary piece of rigging hardware when it comes to using wire rope and forming end terminations. They are used to form a wire rope eye or to connect two cables together. It’s important to understand how to correctly install a wire rope clip, as incorrect installation leads to decreased efficiency in the wire rope assembly.

You also need to know the number of clips required, the amount of rope to turn back from the thimble, and the torque needed to tighten the nuts. There are tables that detail all of this information.

All three clips must be installed with the saddle part on the live end of the rope. This allows the live end to rest in the saddle, and to not be crushed by the U-shaped part of the clip.