wire rope capacity table brands

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.

- Recovery Ropes, Tow Lines, Tow Bridles, Tow Ropes, Winch Ropes, & Winch Lines- - Recovery Ropes, Tow Lines, Tow Bridles, Tow Ropes, Winch Ropes, & Winch Lines – Main Page

Wire rope is a complex mechanical device that has many moving parts all working in tandem to help support and move an object or load. Wire ropes are attached to a crane or hoist and are fitted with swivels, shackles or hooks. These are suitable for lifting or lowering elevators and are also used for supporting suspension bridges or towers.

In this article, we"ll cover details on the top U.S. providers of wire ropes, along with our featured list of top wire rope suppliers on Thomasnet.com.

Below is a list of featured suppliers of wire rope from our platform. Included with these companies is their location, year established and the number of employees.

Below we have assembled information on the top suppliers of wire rope in the U.S. based on currently available public sales data. The table also includes the company name, location and the number of employees.

With the help of the provided details on the wire rope suppliers in the United States in the above tables and descriptions, we hope you can use this data to further aid your sourcing decisions.

VERTICAL, or straight, attachment is simply using a sling to connect a lifting hook to a load. Full rated lifting capacity of the sling may be utilized, but must not be exceeded. A tagline should be used to prevent load rotation, which may damage a sling.

CHOKERhitches reduce lifting capability of a sling since this method of rigging affects ability of the wire rope components to adjust during the lift. A choker is used when the load will not be seriously damaged by the sling body — or the sling damaged by the load, and when the lift requires the sling to snug up against the load.

The diameter of the bend where the sling contacts the load should keep the point of choke against the sling BODY — never against a splice or the base of the eye. When a choke is used at an angle of less than 120 degrees (see next page), the sling-rated capacity must be adjusted downward.

Anytime pull is exerted at an angle on a leg—or legs—of a sling, the load per leg can be determined by using the data in the table above. Proceed as follows to calculate this load—and determine the rated capacity required of the sling, or slings, needed for a lift.First, divide the total load to be lifted by the number of legs to be used. This provides the load per leg if the lift were being made with all legs being vertically.

Then MULTIPLY the load per leg (as computed above) by the Load Factor for the leg angle being used (from the table at the bottom) – to compute the ACTUAL LOAD on each leg for this lift and angle. THE ACTUAL LOAD MUST NOT EXCEED THE RATED SLING CAPACITY.

The horizontal angle of bridles with 3 or more legs is measured the same as the horizontal sling angle of 2-legged hitches. In this case, where a bridle designed with different leg lengths results in horizontal angles, the leg with the smallest horizontal angle will carry the greatest load. Therefore, the smallest horizontal angle is used in calculating actual leg load and evaluating the rated capacity of the sling proposed.

On the other hand, the eye should always be used on a hook or pin with at least the nominal diameter of the rope—since applying the D/d Ratio shows an efficiency loss of approximately 50% when the relationship is less than 1/1.

When rigged as a basket, DIAMETER of the bend where a sling contacts the load can be a limiting factor on sling capacity. Standard D/d ratios— where “D” is the diameter of bend, and “d” the diameter of the rope—are applied to determine efficiency of various sling constructions, as indicated below:Mechanically Spliced, Single-Part Slings: 25 times rope diameter

Whether to use a single-part sling (one made of a single wire rope in the sling body) or a multi-part sling (several ropes in the body) is usually the first decision to make after determining the sling length and capacity for a lift.

The starting point for this decision involves the handling characteristics of the sling more than any other factor. Based on capacity alone, multi-part slings will be more flexible…more easily handled…than single-part slings. The larger the capacity of a sling, the more important this becomes…to the point, it becomes unrealistic to build big capacity slings from single, very large wire ropes.

In the design of the sling, rope engineers must seek a balance between strength-handling characteristics and number of parts…since there is a tendency to lose strength as core parts are added to increase flexibility.

If a load is hanging free, the normal choke angle is approximately 135 degrees. When the angle is less than 135 degrees, an adjustment in the sling-rated capacity must be made. Choker hitches at angles greater than 135 degrees are not recommended since they are unstable.

This is the length of wire rope between splices, sleeves or fittings. Generally, the minimum body length is equal to ten (10) times the sling body diameter. This allows approximately one and one half (1-1/2) rope lays between splices. For Multi-part slings, the minimum body length between splices is equal to forty (40) times the component rope diameter.

6x36 is a flexible general engineering wire rope readily available in galvanised, ungalvanised and marine grade stainless steel. The wire rope has an equal lay construction (warrington seale) and achieves a superior breaking load to the 6x19 construction range. The construction has been designed to give a flexible rope with a good fatigue life. A 6x36 wire rope is available with either FC (fibre core) or IWRC (independent wire rope core) and is used for a wide range of applications, examples of which are shown below:

The end point in a wire rope sling’s useful service life is prior to the failure of the sling. It must be removed from service when normal wear or accidental damage weakens the sling to the degree that an adequate factor of safety no longer exists.

The term “Breaking Strength” is never used with reference to slings. Slings have a “Rated Capacity” that is determined by the manufacturer. A sling should never be used to lift a load that is greater than the published “Rated Capacity” for the particular sling and for the type of hitch being used. The design factor used in the calculation of a sling’s Rated Capacity compensates for normal dynamic loading and builds useful life into the sling.

Selection of a sling to lift a load is based on selecting a sling with a Rated Capacity at least equal to the weight of the load. The sling must also be proper to allow the user to select a hitch that will conform to the shape of the load and keep it under control during the lift, The use of multiple leg slings is not recommended when the angle between any leg and the vertical is greater than 450• In any case when lifting headroom is restricted and a larger leg angle is necessary, care must be exercised in selecting a sling with a proper Rated Capacity at the leg angle which will be used. A visual inspection of the sling must be conducted before each lift to make sure the sling is in new or near new condition. A manufacturer’s Rated Capacity applies only to an undamaged sling.

• Tensile Strengths are determined in accordance with Cordage Institute 1500.2. Test Methods for Fiber Rope. Minimum Tensile Strength (MTS) published assumes spliced eye tenninations at each end of the rope. Weights actually calculated at linear density under state preloaded (200d’J plus 4%. Diameter and circumference size published is nominal and reflects rope size after loading (10 cycles) to 50% ofMTS. See reverse side for application and safety information .

Plasma® 12 strand is the highest strength synthetic rope available. Plasma® 12 strand is manufactured from High Modulus Polyethylene (HMPE) that has been enhanced by Cortland’s patented recrystallization process. This process is especially effective in medium to large diameter ropes where strengths are over 50% higher and creep is significantly less than that of standard Spectra® 12 strand.

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