steel wire rope suppliers near me free sample

Use our thorough list of wire rope manufacturers and suppliers in California to examine and sort top wire rope manufacturers with previews of ads and detailed descriptions of each product. Any wire rope manufacturers can provide wire rope products to meet your company"s specific qualifications. An easy connection to reach wire rope manufacturers through our fast request for quote form is provided as well. This source is right for you whether it"s for cable railing, marine rigging, or any other wire rope needs.

Manufacturer and distributor of standard and custom industrial display hardware and accessories including wire rope cables. Cable types include galvanized steel cables, stainless steel cables, vinyl coated cables, nylon cables and nylon coated cables. Galvanized steel cables are available in dia. of 1/16 in. and feature maximum load capacities of 380 lbs. Stainless steel cables are available in dia. of 1/32 in. with maximum load capacities of 90 lbs. Vinyl coated cables are available in dia. of 1/16 in. with maximum load capacities of 150 lbs. Nylon and nylon coated cables are available dia. of 1/32 in. and 1/16 in. with load capacities ranging from 60 lbs. to 300 lbs.

Each use for a custom wire rope cable assembly has its own unique purpose.  We can assist you in designing a custom cable assembly to fit your specific needs.

Factors to Consider When Designing A Cable AssemblyWhen it comes to cable assembly design, a number of factors need to be considered such as work load, abrasion, cycle life, and flexibility, environment, cost and safety.

The larger the cable diameter, the greater the work load capacity. For most applications, use a 5 to 1 safety factor when designing an assembly.  For critical safety or shock load applications an 8 or 10 to 1 safety factor is needed.

The larger the diameter of cable, the less flexible it will be.  Example:  1/8” 7 X 19 cable is more flexible than 1/8” 7 X 7 cable, but the 7 X 7 construction is more abrasion resistant.

Tyler Madison, Inc. specializes in cable size from 3/64" - 3/8" in diameter and 270 lbs. - 14,400 lbs. in breaking strength.  We will put our years of experience to work in helping you design and produce exactly what you need.  We have manufactured quality custom wire rope cable assemblies for leading companies in the following industries:Aerospace

Tyler Madison is an industry leading manufacturer of wire rope cable assemblies and custom wire and cable. Our knowledge and experience give us the capability to manufacture standard and custom wire rope assemblies and products for a variety of industrial clients. With in-house engineering and design services, you can get the exact kinds of wire rope assemblies and steel wire cable products that you are looking for from one place at an affordable price. Call us today to find out what types of cable assemblies we can do for you!

Wire rope forms an important part of many machines and structures. It is comprised of continuous wire strands wound around a central core. There are many kinds of wire rope designed for different applications. Most of them are steel wires made into strands wound with each other. The core can be made of steel, rope or even plastics.

Wire ropes (cables) are identified by several parameters including size, grade of steel used, whether or not it is preformed, by its lay, the number of strands and the number of wires in each strand.

A typical strand and wire designation is 6x19. This denotes a rope made up of six strands with 19 wires in each strand. Different strand sizes and arrangements allow for varying degrees of rope flexibility and resistance to crushing and abrasion. Small wires are better suited to being bent sharply over small sheaves (pulleys). Large outer wires are preferred when the cable will be rubbed or dragged through abrasives.

There are three types of cores. An independent wire rope core (IWRC) is normally a 6x7 wire rope with a 1x7 wire strand core resulting in a 7x7 wire rope. IWRCs have a higher tensile and bending breaking strength than a fiber core rope and a high resistance to crushing and deformation.

A wire strand core (WSC) rope has a single wire strand as its core instead of a multistrand wire rope core. WSC ropes are high strength and are mostly used as static or standing ropes.

Wire ropes also have fiber cores. Fiber core ropes were traditionally made with sisal rope, but may also use plastic materials. The fiber core ropes have less strength than steel core ropes. Fiber core ropes are quite flexible and are used in many overhead crane applications.

The lay of a wire rope is the direction that the wire strands and the strands in the cable twist. There are four common lays: right lay, left lay, regular lay and lang lay. In a right lay rope the strands twist to the right as it winds away from the observer. A left lay twists to the left. A regular lay rope has the wires in the strands twisted in the opposite direction from the strands of the cable. In a lang lay rope, the twist of the strands and the wires in the strands are both twisted the same way. Lang lay ropes are said to have better fatigue resistance due to the flatter exposure of the wires.

Wire ropes are made mostly from high carbon steel for strength, versatility, resilience and availability and for cost consideration. Wire ropes can be uncoated or galvanized. Several grades of steel are used and are described in Table 1.

Steel cable wire is stiff and springy. In nonpreformed rope construction, broken or cut wires will straighten and stick out of the rope as a burr, posing a safety hazard. A preformed cable is made of wires that are shaped so that they lie naturally in their position in the strand, preventing the wires from protruding and potentially causing injury. Preformed wire ropes also have better fatigue resistance than nonpreformed ropes and are ideal for working over small sheaves and around sharp angles.

Lubricating wire ropes is a difficult proposition, regardless of the construction and composition. Ropes with fiber cores are somewhat easier to lubricate than those made exclusively from steel materials. For this reason, it is important to carefully consider the issue of field relubrication when selecting rope for an application.

There are two types of wire rope lubricants, penetrating and coating. Penetrating lubricants contain a petroleum solvent that carries the lubricant into the core of the wire rope then evaporates, leaving behind a heavy lubricating film to protect and lubricate each strand (Figure 2). Coating lubricants penetrate slightly, sealing the outside of the cable from moisture and reducing wear and fretting corrosion from contact with external bodies.

Both types of wire rope lubricants are used. But because most wire ropes fail from the inside, it is important to make sure that the center core receives sufficient lubricant. A combination approach in which a penetrating lubricant is used to saturate the core, followed with a coating to seal and protect the outer surface, is recommended. Wire rope lubricants can be petrolatum, asphaltic, grease, petroleum oils or vegetable oil-based (Figure 3).

Petrolatum compounds, with the proper additives, provide excellent corrosion and water resistance. In addition, petrolatum compounds are translucent, allowing the technician to perform visible inspection. Petrolatum lubricants can drip off at higher temperatures but maintain their consistency well under cold temperature conditions.

Asphaltic compounds generally dry to a very dark hardened surface, which makes inspection difficult. They adhere well for extended long-term storage but will crack and become brittle in cold climates. Asphaltics are the coating type.

Various types of greases are used for wire rope lubrication. These are the coating types that penetrate partially but usually do not saturate the rope core. Common grease thickeners include sodium, lithium, lithium complex and aluminum complex soaps. Greases used for this application generally have a soft semifluid consistency. They coat and achieve partial penetration if applied with pressure lubricators.

Petroleum and vegetable oils penetrate best and are the easiest to apply because proper additive design of these penetrating types gives them excellent wear and corrosion resistance. The fluid property of oil type lubricants helps to wash the rope to remove abrasive external contaminants.

Wire ropes are lubricated during the manufacturing process. If the rope has a fiber core center, the fiber will be lubricated with a mineral oil or petrolatum type lubricant. The core will absorb the lubricant and function as a reservoir for prolonged lubrication while in service.

If the rope has a steel core, the lubricant (both oil and grease type) is pumped in a stream just ahead of the die that twists the wires into a strand. This allows complete coverage of all wires.

After the cable is put into service, relubrication is required due to loss of the original lubricant from loading, bending and stretching of the cable. The fiber core cables dry out over time due to heat from evaporation, and often absorb moisture. Field relubrication is necessary to minimize corrosion, protect and preserve the rope core and wires, and thus extend the service life of the wire rope.

If a cable is dirty or has accumulated layers of hardened lubricant or other contaminants, it must be cleaned with a wire brush and petroleum solvent, compressed air or steam cleaner before relubrication. The wire rope must then be dried and lubricated immediately to prevent rusting. Field lubricants can be applied by spray, brush, dip, drip or pressure boot. Lubricants are best applied at a drum or sheave where the rope strands have a tendency to separate slightly due to bending to facilitate maximum penetration to the core. If a pressure boot application is used, the lubricant is applied to the rope under slight tension in a straight condition. Excessive lubricant application should be avoided to prevent safety hazards.

Some key performance attributes to look for in a wire rope lubricant are wear resistance and corrosion prevention. Some useful performance benchmarks include high four-ball EP test values, such as a weld point (ASTM D2783) of above 350 kg and a load wear index of above 50. For corrosion protection, look for wire rope lubricants with salt spray (ASTM B117) resistance values above 60 hours and humidity cabinet (ASTM D1748) values of more than 60 days. Most manufacturers provide this type of data on product data sheets.

Cable life cycle and performance are influenced by several factors, including type of operation, care and environment. Cables can be damaged by worn sheaves, improper winding and splicing practices, and improper storage. High stress loading, shock loading, jerking heavy loads or rapid acceleration or deceleration (speed of the cable stopping and starting) will accelerate the wear rate.

Corrosion can cause shortened rope life due to metal loss, pitting and stress risers from pitting. If a machine is to be shut down for an extended period, the cables should be removed, cleaned, lubricated and properly stored. In service, corrosion and oxidation are caused by fumes, acids, salt brines, sulfur, gases, salt air, humidity and are accelerated by elevated temperatures. Proper and adequate lubricant application in the field can reduce corrosive attack of the cable.

Abrasive wear occurs on the inside and outside of wire ropes. Individual strands inside the rope move and rub against one another during normal operation, creating internal two-body abrasive wear. The outside of the cable accumulates dirt and contaminants from sheaves and drums. This causes three-body abrasive wear, which erodes the outer wires and strands. Abrasive wear usually reduces rope diameter and can result in core failure and internal wire breakage. Penetrating wire rope lubricants reduce abrasive wear inside the rope and also wash off the external surfaces to remove contaminants and dirt.

Many types of machines and structures use wire ropes, including draglines, cranes, elevators, shovels, drilling rigs, suspension bridges and cable-stayed towers. Each application has specific needs for the type and size of wire rope required. All wire ropes, regardless of the application, will perform at a higher level, last longer and provide greater user benefits when properly maintained.

Lubrication Engineers, Inc. has found through years of field experience, that longer wire rope life can be obtained through the use of penetrating lubricants, either alone or when used in conjunction with a coating lubricant. Practical experience at a South African mine suggests that life cycles may be doubled with this approach. At one mine site, the replacement rate for four 44-mm ropes was extended from an average 18.5 months to 43 months. At another mine, life cycles of four 43-mm x 2073 meter ropes were extended from an average 8 months to 12 months.

In another study involving 5-ton and 10-ton overhead cranes in the United States that used 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch diameter ropes, the average life of the ropes was doubled. The authors attribute this increased performance to the ability of the penetrating lubricant to displace water and contaminants while replacing them with oil, which reduces the wear and corrosion occurring throughout the rope. A good spray with penetrating wire rope lubricant effectively acts as an oil change for wire ropes.

In these examples, the savings in wire rope replacement costs (downtime, labor and capital costs) were substantial and dwarfed the cost of the lubricants. Companies who have realized the importance of proper wire rope lubrication have gained a huge advantage over those who purchase the lowest priced lubricant, or no lubricant at all, while replacing ropes on a much more frequent basis.

While some use these two terms interchangeably, technically wire rope refers to a diameter greater than 3/8”. Cable rope - also called aircraft cable - applies to all smaller variations.

Consequently, aircraft cable is only used for lighter-duty purposes, such as winch lines, fences, and railings, while wire rope can be using for lifting, towing, hoisting, etc. Both are ideal for outdoor environments because the strength and length remain constant regardless of whether they are wet or dry.

If you are looking for an option specifically designed for lifting, check out our wire rope slings. They come in a number of configurations - choices include leg count, end hardware, and more.

Generally composed of wires, strands, and a core shaped in a spiral pattern, wire rope is incredibly durable. Steel wires are aligned in a precise helix geometric pattern to form a strand in a process known as "stranding." A "closing" comes next, where the strands are laid around the core to form a wire rope.

The greater the diameter, the greater the break strength. Our selection of 1/8" stainless steel cable has a break strength of less than 2,000 lbs., while our 2-1/2" wire rope has a break strength of more than 600,000 lbs.!

Right hand and left hand designations indicate which way the strands wrap around the core of the steel rope, while regular lay and Lang lay designations specify which way the wires that make up the strand are formed in the helix pattern.

Regular lay means the wires are rotated opposite the direction of the strands around the core. Lang lay means the wires are twisted in the same direction as the strands wrapped around the wire rope core.

Our wire rope lay is right hand regular lay, with strands wrapped around the core to the right, and the wires making up the strand turned and rotated to the left.

Fiber cores (FC) are made of vegetable (sisal, etc.) or synthetic (polypropylene, etc.) fibers. This core is more elastic and can be crushed more easily that other variations. It"s also not recommended for high heat environments.

Independent wire rope cores (IWRC) are made from steel, offer more support to the outer strands, and have a higher resistance to crushing. IWRC also offer more resistance to heat and increase the strength of the rope.

This refers to how many strands make up the rope and how many wires make up one strand. For instance, a 6x26 wire rope has 6 strands around a core with 26 wires making up each strand.

All wires consist of layer(s) arranged in a specific pattern around a center. Pattern designation is affected by the size of the wires, the number of layers, and the wires per layer. Wires can utilize either a single pattern style or a combination of them, known as a combined pattern:

Warrington - Two layers of wires. The outer layer has two diameters of wire (alternating between large and small), while the inner layer has one diameter.

Although wire rope is extremely strong, it can become damaged with improper use, making it unsafe to use. It"s important to have regular inspections for breaks, corrosion, overuse wear, and kinks.

Our rigging supplies category includes hardware and accessories for cranes, dredging, excavating, hoists & winches, logging, and marine uses. If you"re unsure what you need or have questions, call for help from our product specialists with expertise in wire rope/cable rigging supplies.

7) Application: Aircraft Cable; Automobile Clutch Cable, Control Cables; Telecommunication , Elevators, woven wire sieve, handicraft, wire drawing office equipment,electrical home appliances and raw material, clocks and watches, mechanical equipment,hardware components, etc

Southwest Wire Rope"s Engineering Services Department provides engineered lifting devices, lift plans, and engineered load testing services under the leadership of experienced Professional Engineers with extensive experience in heavy lifting.

CLEVELAND, OH – Mazzella Lifting Technologies, a Mazzella Company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Denver Wire Rope & Supply. This acquisition will strengthen Mazzella’s footprint west of the Mississippi River and reinforce Mazzella’s commitment to be a one-stop resource for lifting and rigging services and solutions.

Denver Wire Rope & Supply has been in business since 1983 and services a variety of industries out of their location in Denver, CO. Denver Wire Rope & Supply is a leading supplier of rigging products, crane and hoist service, below-the-hook lifting devices, and certified rigging inspection and training. Effective immediately, Denver Wire Rope & Supply will operate as Mazzella / Denver Wire Rope. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

“Denver Wire Rope & Supply will complement the wide range of products and services that Mazzella Companies offers. We are dedicated to being a single-source provider for rigging products, overhead cranes, rigging inspections, and rigging training. Both companies commit to a customer-first mentality, providing the highest-quality products, and leading by example when it comes to safety and sharing our expertise with customers and the market,” says Tony Mazzella, CEO of Mazzella Companies.

“Our team and family are excited to be part of the Mazzella Companies. This acquisition strengthens our place in the market and allows our team to continue to provide excellent service and products to our valued customer base and expand our offering,” says Ken Gubanich, President of Denver Wire Rope & Supply.

“Over the years, we have had numerous companies show interest in purchasing Denver Wire Rope & Supply, none seemed to be the right fit. We are looking forward to becoming a part of an aggressive, passionate, and progressive organization. As a family business for over 36 years, it is important to us that our customers/friends, suppliers, and team members continue to be treated with first-class service, products, and employment opportunities. Again, we are very enthusiastic about our future and look forward to being a quality supplier for your crane, safety training, rigging, and hoisting needs for years to come,” says Gubanich.

“We wish Ed and Carol Gubanich all the best in their retirement. We welcome Ken and the other second and third-generation Gubanich family members, as well as the entire Denver Wire Rope Team, into the Mazzella organization,” says Mazzella.

We’ve changed our name from Denver Wire Rope to Mazzella. Aside from the new name and logo, our member experience is virtually unchanged. Here are some common questions and answers related to this change.

In 2019, Denver Wire Rope & Supply was acquired by Mazzella Companies to expand lifting and rigging products and services to the western half of the United States.

In 1954, James Mazzella founded Mazzella Wire Rope & Sling Co. in Cleveland, OH. For over 65 years, the company has grown organically by nurturing historic relationships, expanding its product offerings, and entering new markets through acquisition.

Today, Mazzella Companies is one of the largest privately held companies in the lifting and rigging industries. Since our humble beginnings, we’ve grown to over 800 employees with over 30 locations across North America. Our product offerings have expanded from basic rigging products, to include:Overhead crane fabrication

One thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to a no-excuses, customer-first mentality that extends from the shop floor to the front office. Some of the major markets Mazzella serves are: Mining, Steel, Oil & Gas, Construction, Energy, Shipbuilding, Vehicle and Durable Goods. Mazzella’s diverse portfolio includes Sheffield Metals a manufacturer and distributor of coated bare metal products for engineered metal roof and wall systems. New Tech Machinery is a manufacturer of portable roof panel and gutter machines—recognized as the world’s finest portable rollformers.

Just the name. We want to be clear that our people, locations, products, and services have not changed. We will be moving to the Mazzella name for all rigging brands under the Mazzella Companies umbrella in order to create a better experience for our customers and employees.

With all the Mazzella rigging locations working as one team and under one name, your level of service and support will be improved exponentially. Nothing will change in terms of the local team you’re used to working with. The same people will still be here—the only thing that will be changing will be the name of the organization they work for. You now have more resources, inventory, and clearer lines of communication. Our goal is to improve your experience and instill confidence and comfort in every interaction.

Mazzella is experiencing rapid growth. With this growth, we can better serve our customers as one team under the Mazzella name, versus many companies operating independently. The only change you will experience will be better service and improved lines of communication between our people and yours.

Asahi Intecc started in 1976 as a manufacturer of custom stainless-steel cables solutions and monofilament stainless wire, including small wire rope, strands and cables, plastic coated miniature cable, and miniature stainless cable assemblies for both medical device and non-medical applications.

1. IWSC (Independent Wire Strand Core): The core consists of a strand made of the same material as the outside strands of the wirerope. These strands are combined in configurations such as 3x7, 7x7 and 7x19. This structure can be used universally as a mechanical element and features excellent axial rigidity and bending flexibility.

2. IWRC (Independent Wire Rope Core): The core consists of a wire rope, around which the outside strands are twisted. The core wire rope and strands are combined in configurations such as {(7x7)+(1x19)x8} and others. This structure is used for mechanical elements that require high flexibility. As durability in the original form is low due to easy deformation under contact stress, these types are usually coated with a synthetic resin such as nylon.

In order to ensure the highest quality, we draw our own wire material in-house. Besides regular SS304 and SS316, Asahi also has its proprietary WHT (high-tensile strength) stainless-steel. We also work with tungsten and nitinol.

Asahi wire rope has been specifically designed for high flexibility and high strength. Different structure options give the possibility to meet your need as closely as possible. Example applications are angulation wires in endoscopic scopes, medical robotics forceps, etc.

Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant typically need an additional 11% chromium. Because of its high tensile strength and low cost, steel is used in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, trains, cars, machines, electrical appliances, weapons, and rockets. Iron is the base metal of steel. Depending on the temperature, it can take two crystalline forms (allotropic forms): body-centred cubic and face-centred cubic. The interaction of the allotropes of iron with the alloying elements, primarily carbon, gives steel and cast iron their range of unique properties.

In pure iron, the crystal structure has relatively little resistance to the iron atoms slipping past one another, and so pure iron is quite ductile, or soft and easily formed. In steel, small amounts of carbon, other elements, and inclusions within the iron act as hardening agents that prevent the movement of dislocations. The carbon in typical steel alloys may contribute up to 2.14% of its weight. Varying the amount of carbon and many other alloying elements, as well as controlling their chemical and physical makeup in the final steel (either as solute elements, or as precipitated phases), impedes the movement of the dislocations that make pure iron ductile, and thus controls and enhances its qualities. These qualities include the hardness, quenching behaviour, need for annealing, tempering behaviour, yield strength, and tensile strength of the resulting steel. The increase in steel"s strength compared to pure iron is possible only by reducing iron"s ductility.

Steel was produced in bloomery furnaces for thousands of years, but its large-scale, industrial use began only after more efficient production methods were devised in the 17th century, with the introduction of the blast furnace and production of crucible steel. This was followed by the open-hearth furnace and then the Bessemer process in England in the mid-19th century. With the invention of the Bessemer process, a new era of mass-produced steel began. Mild steel replaced wrought iron. The German states saw major steel prowess over Europe in the 19th century.

Further refinements in the process, such as basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS), largely replaced earlier methods by further lowering the cost of production and increasing the quality of the final product. Today, steel is one of the most commonly manufactured materials in the world, with more than 1.6 billion tons produced annually. Modern steel is generally identified by various grades defined by assorted standards organisations. The modern steel industry is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the world, but is one of the most energy and greenhouse gas emission intense industries, contributing 8% of global emissions.recycling rate of over 60% globally.

The noun steel originates from the Proto-Germanic adjective stahliją or stakhlijan "made of steel", which is related to stahlaz or stahliją "standing firm".

The carbon content of steel is between 0.002% and 2.14% by weight for plain carbon steel (iron-carbon alloys). Too little carbon content leaves (pure) iron quite soft, ductile, and weak. Carbon contents higher than those of steel make a brittle alloy commonly called pig iron. Alloy steel is steel to which other alloying elements have been intentionally added to modify the characteristics of steel. Common alloying elements include: manganese, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, boron, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, and niobium.phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, and traces of oxygen, nitrogen, and copper.

Plain carbon-iron alloys with a higher than 2.1% carbon content are known as cast iron. With modern steelmaking techniques such as powder metal forming, it is possible to make very high-carbon (and other alloy material) steels, but such are not common. Cast iron is not malleable even when hot, but it can be formed by casting as it has a lower melting point than steel and good castability properties.malleable iron or ductile iron objects. Steel is distinguishable from wrought iron (now largely obsolete), which may contain a small amount of carbon but large amounts of slag.

Iron is commonly found in the Earth"s crust in the form of an ore, usually an iron oxide, such as magnetite or hematite. Iron is extracted from iron ore by removing the oxygen through its combination with a preferred chemical partner such as carbon which is then lost to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This process, known as smelting, was first applied to metals with lower melting points, such as tin, which melts at about 250 °C (482 °F), and copper, which melts at about 1,100 °C (2,010 °F), and the combination, bronze, which has a melting point lower than 1,083 °C (1,981 °F). In comparison, cast iron melts at about 1,375 °C (2,507 °F).charcoal fire and then welding the clumps together with a hammer and in the process squeezing out the impurities. With care, the carbon content could be controlled by moving it around in the fire. Unlike copper and tin, liquid or solid iron dissolves carbon quite readily.

All of these temperatures could be reached with ancient methods used since the Bronze Age. Since the oxidation rate of iron increases rapidly beyond 800 °C (1,470 °F), it is important that smelting take place in a low-oxygen environment. Smelting, using carbon to reduce iron oxides, results in an alloy (pig iron) that retains too much carbon to be called steel.

Other materials are often added to the iron/carbon mixture to produce steel with the desired properties. Nickel and manganese in steel add to its tensile strength and make the austenite form of the iron-carbon solution more stable, chromium increases hardness and melting temperature, and vanadium also increases hardness while making it less prone to metal fatigue.

To inhibit corrosion, at least 11% chromium can be added to steel so that a hard oxide forms on the metal surface; this is known as stainless steel. Tungsten slows the formation of cementite, keeping carbon in the iron matrix and allowing martensite to preferentially form at slower quench rates, resulting in high-speed steel. The addition of lead and sulfur decrease grain size, thereby making the steel easier to turn, but also more brittle and prone to corrosion. Such alloys are nevertheless frequently used for components such as nuts, bolts, and washers in applications where toughness and corrosion resistance are not paramount. For the most part, however, p-block elements such as sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and lead are considered contaminants that make steel more brittle and are therefore removed from the steel melt during processing.

The density of steel varies based on the alloying constituents but usually ranges between 7,750 and 8,050 kg/m3 (484 and 503 lb/cu ft), or 7.75 and 8.05 g/cm3 (4.48 and 4.65 oz/cu in).

Even in a narrow range of concentrations of mixtures of carbon and iron that make steel, several different metallurgical structures, with very different properties can form. Understanding such properties is essential to making quality steel. At room temperature, the most stable form of pure iron is the body-centred cubic (BCC) structure called alpha iron or α-iron. It is a fairly soft metal that can dissolve only a small concentration of carbon, no more than 0.005% at 0 °C (32 °F) and 0.021 wt% at 723 °C (1,333 °F). The inclusion of carbon in alpha iron is called ferrite. At 910 °C, pure iron transforms into a face-centred cubic (FCC) structure, called gamma iron or γ-iron. The inclusion of carbon in gamma iron is called austenite. The more open FCC structure of austenite can dissolve considerably more carbon, as much as 2.1%,3C).

When steels with exactly 0.8% carbon (known as a eutectoid steel), are cooled, the austenitic phase (FCC) of the mixture attempts to revert to the ferrite phase (BCC). The carbon no longer fits within the FCC austenite structure, resulting in an excess of carbon. One way for carbon to leave the austenite is for it to precipitate out of solution as cementite, leaving behind a surrounding phase of BCC iron called ferrite with a small percentage of carbon in solution. The two, ferrite and cementite, precipitate simultaneously producing a layered structure called pearlite, named for its resemblance to mother of pearl. In a hypereutectoid composition (greater than 0.8% carbon), the carbon will first precipitate out as large inclusions of cementite at the austenite grain boundaries until the percentage of carbon in the grains has decreased to the eutectoid composition (0.8% carbon), at which point the pearlite structure forms. For steels that have less than 0.8% carbon (hypoeutectoid), ferrite will first form within the grains until the remaining composition rises to 0.8% of carbon, at which point the pearlite structure will form. No large inclusions of cementite will form at the boundaries in hypoeuctoid steel.

As the rate of cooling is increased the carbon will have less time to migrate to form carbide at the grain boundaries but will have increasingly large amounts of pearlite of a finer and finer structure within the grains; hence the carbide is more widely dispersed and acts to prevent slip of defects within those grains, resulting in hardening of the steel. At the very high cooling rates produced by quenching, the carbon has no time to migrate but is locked within the face-centred austenite and forms martensite. Martensite is a highly strained and stressed, supersaturated form of carbon and iron and is exceedingly hard but brittle. Depending on the carbon content, the martensitic phase takes different forms. Below 0.2% carbon, it takes on a ferrite BCC crystal form, but at higher carbon content it takes a body-centred tetragonal (BCT) structure. There is no thermal activation energy for the transformation from austenite to martensite.

Martensite has a lower density (it expands during the cooling) than does austenite, so that the transformation between them results in a change of volume. In this case, expansion occurs. Internal stresses from this expansion generally take the form of compression on the crystals of martensite and tension on the remaining ferrite, with a fair amount of shear on both constituents. If quenching is done improperly, the internal stresses can cause a part to shatter as it cools. At the very least, they cause internal work hardening and other microscopic imperfections. It is common for quench cracks to form when steel is water quenched, although they may not always be visible.

Annealing is the process of heating the steel to a sufficiently high temperature to relieve local internal stresses. It does not create a general softening of the product but only locally relieves strains and stresses locked up within the material. Annealing goes through three phases: recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth. The temperature required to anneal a particular steel depends on the type of annealing to be achieved and the alloying constituents.

Quenching involves heating the steel to create the austenite phase then quenching it in water or oil. This rapid cooling results in a hard but brittle martensitic structure.spheroidite and hence it reduces the internal stresses and defects. The result is a more ductile and fracture-resistant steel.

When iron is smelted from its ore, it contains more carbon than is desirable. To become steel, it must be reprocessed to reduce the carbon to the correct amount, at which point other elements can be added. In the past, steel facilities would cast the raw steel product into ingots which would be stored until use in further refinement processes that resulted in the finished product. In modern facilities, the initial product is close to the final composition and is continuously cast into long slabs, cut and shaped into bars and extrusions and heat treated to produce a final product. Today, approximately 96% of steel is continuously cast, while only 4% is produced as ingots.

The ingots are then heated in a soaking pit and hot rolled into slabs, billets, or blooms. Slabs are hot or cold rolled into sheet metal or plates. Billets are hot or cold rolled into bars, rods, and wire. Blooms are hot or cold rolled into structural steel, such as I-beams and rails. In modern steel mills these processes often occur in one assembly line, with ore coming in and finished steel products coming out.

The earliest known production of steel is seen in pieces of ironware excavated from an archaeological site in Anatolia (Kaman-Kalehöyük) and are nearly 4,000 years old, dating from 1800 BC.Horace identifies steel weapons such as the Iberian Peninsula, while Noric steel was used by the Roman military.

The reputation of Seric iron of India (wootz steel) grew considerably in the rest of the world.Sri Lanka employed wind furnaces driven by the monsoon winds, capable of producing high-carbon steel. Large-scale Wootz steel production in India using crucibles occurred by the sixth century BC, the pioneering precursor to modern steel production and metallurgy.

The Chinese of the Warring States period (403–221 BC) had quench-hardened steel,Han dynasty (202 BC—AD 220) created steel by melting together wrought iron with cast iron, thus producing a carbon-intermediate steel by the 1st century AD.

There is evidence that carbon steel was made in Western Tanzania by the ancestors of the Haya people as early as 2,000 years ago by a complex process of "pre-heating" allowing temperatures inside a furnace to reach 1300 to 1400 °C.

Evidence of the earliest production of high carbon steel in India are found in Kodumanal in Tamil Nadu, the Golconda area in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and in the Samanalawewa, Dehigaha Alakanda, areas of Sri Lanka.Wootz steel, produced in South India by about the sixth century BC and exported globally.Sangam Tamil, Arabic, and Latin as the finest steel in the world exported to the Romans, Egyptian, Chinese and Arab worlds at that time – what they called Seric Iron.200 BC Tamil trade guild in Tissamaharama, in the South East of Sri Lanka, brought with them some of the oldest iron and steel artifacts and production processes to the island from the classical period.Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka had also adopted the production methods of creating Wootz steel from the Chera Dynasty Tamils of South India by the 5th century AD.Tamilians from South India,

The manufacture of what came to be called Wootz, or Damascus steel, famous for its durability and ability to hold an edge, may have been taken by the Arabs from Persia, who took it from India. It was originally created from several different materials including various trace elements, apparently ultimately from the writings of Zosimos of Panopolis. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great was rewarded by the defeated King Porus, not with gold or silver but with 30 pounds of steel.carbon nanotubes were included in its structure, which might explain some of its legendary qualities, though, given the technology of that time, such qualities were produced by chance rather than by design.ancient Sinhalese managed to extract a ton of steel for every 2 tons of soil,

Crucible steel, formed by slowly heating and cooling pure iron and carbon (typically in the form of charcoal) in a crucible, was produced in Merv by the 9th to 10th century AD.Song China using two techniques: a "berganesque" method that produced inferior, inhomogeneous steel, and a precursor to the modern Bessemer process that used partial decarbonization via repeated forging under a cold blast.

Since the 17th century, the first step in European steel production has been the smelting of iron ore into pig iron in a blast furnace.coke, which has proven more economical.

The production of steel by the cementation process was described in a treatise published in Prague in 1574 and was in use in Nuremberg from 1601. A similar process for case hardening armor and files was described in a book published in Naples in 1589. The process was introduced to England in about 1614 and used to produce such steel by Sir Basil Brooke at Coalbrookdale during the 1610s.

The raw material for this process were bars of iron. During the 17th century, it was realized that the best steel came from oregrounds iron of a region north of Stockholm, Sweden. This was still the usual raw material source in the 19th century, almost as long as the process was used.

Crucible steel is steel that has been melted in a crucible rather than having been forged, with the result that it is more homogeneous. Most previous furnaces could not reach high enough temperatures to melt the steel. The early modern crucible steel industry resulted from the invention of Benjamin Huntsman in the 1740s. Blister steel (made as above) was melted in a crucible or in a furnace, and cast (usually) into ingots.

The modern era in steelmaking began with the introduction of Henry Bessemer"s process in 1855, the raw material for which was pig iron.mild steel came to be used for most purposes for which wrought iron was formerly used.basic Bessemer process) was an improvement to the Bessemer process, made by lining the converter with a basic material to remove phosphorus.

These methods of steel production were rendered obsolete by the Linz-Donawitz process of basic oxygen steelmaking (BOS), developed in 1952,electric arc furnaces (EAF) are a common method of reprocessing scrap metal to create new steel. They can also be used for converting pig iron to steel, but they use a lot of electrical energy (about 440 kWh per metric ton), and are thus generally only economical when there is a plentiful supply of cheap electricity.

The steel industry is often considered an indicator of economic progress, because of the critical role played by steel in infrastructural and overall economic development.

The economic boom in China and India caused a massive increase in the demand for steel. Between 2000 and 2005, world steel demand increased by 6%. Since 2000, several IndianTata Steel (which bought Corus Group in 2007), Baosteel Group and Shagang Group. As of 2017ArcelorMittal is the world"s largest steel producer.British Geological Survey stated China was the top steel producer with about one-third of the world share; Japan, Russia, and the US followed respectively.

In 2008, steel began trading as a commodity on the London Metal Exchange. At the end of 2008, the steel industry faced a sharp downturn that led to many cut-backs.

As more steel is produced than is scrapped, the amount of recycled raw materials is about 40% of the total of steel produced - in 2016, 1,628,000,000 tonnes (1.602×109 long tons; 1.795×109 short tons) of crude steel was produced globally, with 630,000,000 tonnes (620,000,000 long tons; 690,000,000 short tons) recycled.

Modern steels are made with varying combinations of alloy metals to fulfill many purposes.Carbon steel, composed simply of iron and carbon, accounts for 90% of steel production.Low alloy steel is alloyed with other elements, usually molybdenum, manganese, chromium, or nickel, in amounts of up to 10% by weight to improve the hardenability of thick sections.High strength low alloy steel has small additions (usually < 2% by weight) of other elements, typically 1.5% manganese, to provide additional strength for a modest price increase.

Recent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations have given rise to a new variety of steel known as Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS). This material is both strong and ductile so that vehicle structures can maintain their current safety levels while using less material. There are several commercially available grades of AHSS, such as dual-phase steel, which is heat treated to contain both a ferritic and martensitic microstructure to produce a formable, high strength steel.austenite at room temperature in normally austenite-free low-alloy ferritic steels. By applying strain, the austenite undergoes a phase transition to martensite without the addition of heat.

Stainless steels contain a minimum of 11% chromium, often combined with nickel, to resist corrosion. Some stainless steels, such as the ferritic stainless steels are magnetic, while others, such as the austenitic, are nonmagnetic.

Alloy steels are plain-carbon steels in which small amounts of alloying elements like chromium and vanadium have been added. Some more modern steels include tool steels, which are alloyed with large amounts of tungsten and cobalt or other elements to maximize solution hardening. This also allows the use of precipitation hardening and improves the alloy"s temperature resistance.weathering steels such as Cor-ten, which weather by acquiring a stable, rusted surface, and so can be used un-painted.Maraging steel is alloyed with nickel and other elements, but unlike most steel contains little carbon (0.01%). This creates a very strong but still malleable steel.

Eglin steel uses a combination of over a dozen different elements in varying amounts to create a relatively low-cost steel for use in bunker buster weapons. Hadfield steel (after Sir Robert Hadfield) or manganese steel contains 12–14% manganese which when abraded strain-hardens to form a very hard skin which resists wearing. Examples include tank tracks, bulldozer blade edges, and cutting blades on the jaws of life.

Most of the more commonly used steel alloys are categorized into various grades by standards organizations. For example, the Society of Automotive Engineers has a series of grades defining many types of steel.American Society for Testing and Materials has a separate set of standards, which define alloys such as A36 steel, the most commonly used structural steel in the United States.JIS also defines a series of steel grades that are being used extensively in Japan as well as in developing countries.

Iron and steel are used widely in the construction of roads, railways, other infrastructure, appliances, and buildings. Most large modern structures, such as stadiums and skyscrapers, bridges, and airports, are supported by a steel skeleton. Even those with a concrete structure employ steel for reinforcing. It sees widespread use in major appliances and cars. Despite the growth in usage of aluminium, steel is still the main material for car bodies. Steel is used in a variety of other construction materials, such as bolts, nails and screws and other household products and cooking utensils.

Before the introduction of the Bessemer process and other modern production techniques, steel was expensive and was only used where no cheaper alternative existed, particularly for the cutting edge of knives, razors, swords, and other items where a hard, sharp edge was needed. It was also used for springs, including those used in clocks and watches.

With the advent of speedier and thriftier production methods, steel has become easier to obtain and much cheaper. It has replaced wrought iron for a multitude of purposes. However, the availability of plastics in the latter part of the 20th century allowed these materials to replace steel in some applications due to their lower fabrication cost and weight.Carbon fiber is replacing steel in some cost insensitive applications such as sports equipment and high-end automobiles.

Steel manufactured after World War II became contaminated with radionuclides by nuclear weapons testing. Low-background steel, steel manufactured prior to 1945, is used for certain radiation-sensitive applications such as Geiger counters and radiation shielding.

Sources differ on this value so it has been rounded to 2.1%, however the exact value is rather academic because plain-carbon steel is very rarely made with this level of carbon. See:

Srinivasan, S.; Ranganathan, S. (1994). "The Sword in Anglo-Saxon England: Its Archaeology and Literature". Bangalore: Department of Metallurgy, Indian Institute of Science. ISBN 0-85115-355-0. Archived from the original on 2018-11-19.

Akanuma, H. (2005). "The significance of the composition of excavated iron fragments taken from Stratum III at the site of Kaman-Kalehöyük, Turkey". Anatolian Archaeological Studies. Tokyo: Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology. 14: 147–158.

"Ironware piece unearthed from Turkey found to be oldest steel". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2009-03-26. Archived from the original on 2009-03-29. Retrieved 2022-08-13.

Schmidt, Peter; Avery, Donald (1978). "Complex Iron Smelting and Prehistoric Culture in Tanzania". Science. 201 (4361): 1085–1089. Bibcode:1978Sci...201.1085S. doi:10.1126/science.201.4361.1085. JSTOR 1746308. PMID 17830304. S2CID 37926350.

Srinivasan, Sharada; Ranganathan, Srinivasa (2004). India"s Legendary Wootz Steel: An Advanced Material of the Ancient World. National Institute of Advanced Studies. OCLC 82439861. Archived from the original on 2019-02-11. Retrieved 2014-12-05.

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Rope Services Direct can cater for all your rope wires and webbing needs. We specialize in galvanized steel and stainless steel wire rope and can custom make any assembly to your requirements, so whether you need some fine wire cables for your garden or a robust crane rope, Rope Services Direct can sort you out in no time thanks to our own workshop and industrial pressing facilities.

Wire Rope can be seen all around us, even if we may not always register it! It is most commonly used to lift or support objects but can sometimes just be used for aesthetic purposes and it can have many advantages.

Probably one of the most common industries to utilise it is the lifting equipment industry where it’s frequently used to lift heavy loads and can be seen on a variety of equipment including cranes, winches, hoists and lifting slings.

Another common area they are used is in lifts to raise and lower the lift compartment. This can be in office buildings as well as cable cars, ski lifts, railways and other types of aerial lift.

Even aviation and marine industries along with water and sewage treatment facilities use it -though often the stainless-steel variety due to its high corrosion resistance.

Steel cable is also often used for architectural purposes as it is known for its strength, versatility and aesthetic properties. A common example is suspension bridges.

Other examples include guard rails, security cables and home maintenance, including washing lines and lock systems. However, these are often plastic coated for extra handling protection and flexibility. It’s also used in the home for suspended staircases and bookshelves to create a modern feel as well as in certain types of fencing, decking and barriers for protective purposes.

One of the reasons for the wide range of uses is the different end fittings that can be attached to the rope to enable them to fit to any anchor point and also to adjust to the required tension.

In our workshop we produce many different types of rope assemblies on a daily basis, some of the most common types we produce are trailer ropes, rigging rope, lifting slings, zip wires and many custom assemblies. We often supply many multiples of these to our regular customers; however we are happy to make individual ropes for special tasks.

Rope wire comes in many different constructions, for example, right or left hand lay; wire or fibre core, and the amount or fibres and wires included in the completed rope. It can easily become confusing especially if you add in the non-rotating rope option. Talk to the specialists about your needs to ensure you get the right one for your intended purpose. Using the wrong rope can be disastrous.

Stainless steel wire rope is used in different tasks and areas togalvanized rope, this is because of its differing properties. Due to the fact that stainless steel is aesthetically pleasing to the eye it is popular for home interior projects likebalustrade on stairs, hanging shelves or other decorative features. As stainless is very corrosion resistant its outdoor use is endless, perfect for highlighting garden areas or as decking balustrades.

Stainless steel is a steel alloy made from many elements. It is different from standard steel because of the chemical compounds it contains, specifically Chromium and Carbon. The Chromium mass must be a minimum of 10.5% and carbon no more than 1.2% to be stainless steel.

One of the main advantages is its corrosion resistance which increases as the chromium content is raised, or Molybdenum is added. This means it will not succumb to uniform corrosion and rust so can be used for applications where the rope may get wet, such as in marine environments. Indeed, our ropes are graded AISI 316 so they can be used in marine environments. They also comply with EN12385 and EN10264.

It also resists staining so the aesthetics of the wire rope will not change, making it an attractive choice for many interior design projects for things such as barriers and balustrades in public areas such as shopping malls and public attractions.

At Rope Services Direct, our range is second to none and we can supply you with stainless steel wire rope. If you would like to find out more, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01384 78004.

We also supply to the water treatment industries where it is constantly utilised in wet conditions. The marine and aviation sectors also these ropes for many tasks. More commercially these ropes are used in architecture and as safety barriers in public areas.

There are many different diameters available. They are commonly found in diameters ranging from 3mm to 76mm. It’s important to choose the right diameter as a 50mm rope would be no use round a pulley with a groove of 10mm.

One of the most important considerations is how you will use it. This is especially true if it is being used in the lifting industry, where if the rope fails then serious injuries can occur. It is of the upmost important that you examine the rope for signs of wear and if in any doubt, do not use. It is also a good idea to have a regular inspection and testing schedule, carried out by a suitably qualified person so that you know the rope is fit for purpose and safe.

Whatever type of rope wire you choose, it is important to be aware of the properties and construction of it so that you are using the correct rope and also enhances your safety knowledge.

In manufacturing it, hundreds of tiny metal filaments are wrapped, twisted and braided together to make the inner wires. These will then turn into strands by twisting together the smaller inner wires / filaments. Twisting strands in various ways around a central core is what makes the wire rope. It is how they are twisted which gives them their differing properties e.g. non-rotating, low stretch, higher breaking strength. There are also different constructions depending on left and right hand lay.

Note: The numbers used when describing a rope denote the number of wires and strands within it. For example, a 6 x 36 wire rope has 6 strands made of 36 wires. Likewise, a 7 x 19 has 7 strands with 19 wires. Strength and/or flexibility is provided when the strands are twisted around an inner core which can be steel wire or fibre core.

Due to their construction, it’s important to identify any broken wires or strands which could have severe consequences if used without inspection and testing. However, if a few strands break during a specific lift, it is more likely the intact wires and strands will hold the load whilst it is safely lowered – then the rope can be destroyed. It is this property which makes them safer than chains because if a chain link breaks then the load will likely fall.

There are many factors which can affect them, including bad coiling using pulleys and sheaves etc., grooves that are too big or too small, excessive pulling angles or twisting the rope in the opposite way to its ‘lay construction’, dirt ingress and poor lubrication to name but a few.

Handling it can impart numerous hazards. From metal splinters when cutting the rope to acute bruising if the rope abruptly recoils so vital safety strategies must be adapted when handling the product.

Personal Protective Equipment suitable for the job must be worn including mandatory safety gloves, overalls and boots. Eye protectors may also be required when cutting.

The best option is to raise the reel off the floor so it turns without restraint. Some possible ways to do this is to utilize a soft sling through the centre of the reel which can be let down by means of an electric hoist or passing a bar through and resting it over the forks of a forklift truck or jacks could be a possibility, or using a reel turntable. However, if you are using a forklift truck do not place the forks directly onto the reel as misguided forks could damage it.

Before unreeling – make sure the floor space is clear so that the rope can be pulled off the reel in a straight line safely. The rope must always be pulled from the top, not the bottom of the reel and it should be pulled in a straight line which should minimise the danger of bending or kinking the wires, which will permanently damage it and make it unusable.

If it"s in a coil rather than a reel, then the only safe way to remove the rope is to carefully roll the coil in a similar way to pushing a child’s loop, again ensuring the surrounding area is clear of debris.

Equally, it can be damaged when it is being reeled back up again after use. You need to keep it wound tightly and wind it the same way the wire has been wound out which will avoid reverse bending of the rope. You should also ensure the wire is wound over the top of the reel to ensure it’s even and to avoid the bottom layers crushing.

Storing it correctly is just as important as using it correctly as any damage, even tiny damage, can result in a significant impairment in performance.

Storage should be ideally on a rack, stand or pallet and not on the ground. It is also important to store the rope in a clean, cool and dry environment as moisture or condensation can develop amid the wires and begin the decay process rendering the rope unusable – waterproof containers and breathable tarpaulin like bags should ideally be used if the rope is stored outside.

Wire ropes are lubricated during manufacture but further lubrication at frequent intervals should be done, especially if it’s being stored for long periods of time. This will help to shield it from moisture ingress.

You should try to keep the rope elevated, off the floor to allow good air circulation. Reduce the risk of the rope becoming contaminated with dirt, dust and other particles that may affect it.

Storing rope should be done in such a way that it will not be at risk from any accidental damage. Either whilst in storage or whilst removing the rope from the storage area.

Overall, always remember manufacturers guidelines and instructions should be followed at all times to keep safe and prolong the life of the rope. If you are unsure if a rope is fit for purpose, always get it inspected and load tested which ought to be done regularly anyway.