wire rope association quotation

We represent RopeBlock in North America and distribute blocks, overhaul balls & sockets through three channels: industrial distribution, crane dealers and crane manufacturers.

Currently, Tadano, Tadano Mantis, Broderson, Elliott, Terex & Manitowoc/Grove are some of the crane manufacturers that purchase RopeBlock products for use on their equipment.

Our Association was formed in 1975 and incorporated the following year by a group of concerned businessmen who felt there was a need for sling fabricators and special rigging components manufacturers to join together to form a trade association.

There are different ways of creating wire ropes, and each produces a rope that offers unique stress and rotational qualities suited to specific tasks. For most tasks, the two primary types of rope in use are stranded and spiral wire ropes.

Stranded wire ropes—steel strands wound in one or more layers around a core made of synthetic material, a wire strand, or a wire rope—secure loads as wire rope slings or running ropes because, in addition to being stressed by tensile forces, they take stress by being bent over the items that they are securing.

The three types of spiral wire rope, steel strands wound in opposing helical layers to make them nearly non-rotating, offer their own positives and negatives. Open spiral wire rope, made only from round wires, is suited to lighter applications. The half- and full-locked variants have a round wire core surrounded by profile strands that protect the rope and keep it lubricated. Given these qualities, spiral ropes are generally used as stationary ropes and stay ropes as they are good with both static and fluctuating tensile stresses. Full-locked ropes also serve as track ropes for cable cars, ski-lifts, cranes, and similar machines as they experience an increase in their free-bending radius when the tensile force increases, decreasing the bending stresses on the rope. As the roller force increases, however, that tensile force, along with the free-bending radius of the rope, decreases.

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.

American Wire Rope and Sling (AWRS) is part of ECP American Steel, LLC and its family of companies, including American Steel & Crane. Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, AWRS has a long history of service to Indiana’s professional contractors and manufacturers that dates back to 1933.

Through quality service, American Wire Rope and Sling continues this tradition of providing name-brand products for the rigging industry. Proudly, AWRS has grown from its original home in Fort Wayne to one of the largest rigging houses in Indiana with branches in Indianapolis and Mishawaka.

Over the years, we have been the first in Indiana to: manufacture Single-Path & Twin-Path® round slings; manufacture and private-label our own line of nylon and polyester web slings; manufacture SLINGMAX® High Performance Fiber (HPF) slings and other products; patent a load-leveling device and HPF bridle slings; implement electronic sling inspections; operate six wire rope swaggers; operate five test beds including the largest in Indiana; operate 12 sewing machines; and operate two round sling machines.

AWRS is the only Indiana rigging house to hold membership in the leading industrial associations: Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) and the Web Sling and Tie-Down Association (WSTDA). Individuals on our executive staff have served on the board and chaired various committees of these industry-leading associations.

AWRF is a leading organization for sling fabricators and special rigging components manufacturers. The association works to promote safety standards for manufacturing, fabrication, and the distribution of lifting, rigging, and load securement devices.

“AWRF has an outstanding history of promoting the common interests of all stakeholders in the rigging industry. The association’s commitment to improving product identification procedures, technical expertise, and rigging safety has resulted in safer working conditions and saved lives. We are very proud to be a part of this exceptional organization,” said Kris Koberg, CEO of DICA. “With the addition of LiftGuard Magnetic Sling Protectors (formerly Linton Rigging Gear Supplies), helping contribute to safe rigging practices is an essential part of our mission to make your setup safe.”

For ease of use and additional safety, LiftGuard Edge Protectors attach magnetically to metallic surfaces and can be used with synthetic, wire rope or chain slings. LiftGuard Sling Protectors reduce liability issues by eliminating the need to use make-shift load or sling protection.

To some, it’s just rope, cable or wire. To us, it’s the critical element to anchor, pull, lift, suspend, transmit or move your world. We have the innovative products, technical solutions and customized services to help you – wherever you are, whatever you need. The only limit is your imagination.

PersonalWe are on hand to personally guide you through the entire process, we translate the jargon, we recommend what’s best, and we are always here in person. No nonsense, just straight talking people who always exceed expectations through our extensive wire rope knowledge and superior service.

For more than 29 years, Pacific Gulf Wire Rope, Inc. has been a leader in the wire rope and rigging industry. Our success is clearly based on long term relationships with our customers; commitment to provide high quality products, along with offering the maximum in safety, service, & cost-efficiency to every customer. Our dedication to service and competitive pricing are the direct result of these long term relationships. Our longevity is a testament of our commitment to our customers.