steel wire rope strength in stock

The standard Wire Rope for the Steel fabricating industry is 6 x 19 EIP/IWRC. In short this means the wire rope is made up of 6 independent wires. Each of these 6 wires has 19 individual strands.

The illustration below shows the configuration of standard Wire Rope in Classification 6 x 19 IWRC / EIP. IWRC refers to the inner core strand, which is independent of the 6 outer strands.

Hold everything together with the Jumbl 316 Grade Stainless-Steel Wire Rope, 1,000 Ft. Use this heavy-duty rope when working with hefty materials. This stainless-steel wire rope is great for fencing and hanging things you want to stay perfectly in place. With a breaking strength of 1,510 lbs., this is the type of reliable rope you do not have to worry about snapping.

Viable anywhere needed, use this stainless-steel cable indoors or outdoors. Stick with Jumbl to get strong, sturdy wire rope you can depend on for all your renovating and construction needs.

Braided to last longer – This durable wire rope is made up of 7 x 7 stainless-steel strands. These strands are braided together to create rope built to last.

For construction needs – Great for making renovations inside or outside the home. Hang up your heavy tools or thread the railing of your stairs with this rope.

Plenty to go around– Use this 1,000-foot-long rope for multiple application. Cut the rope and use some for fencing and the rest for hanging materials.

Wire rope is also known by many other names, such as: wire, multi-strand wire, flexible wire, cable, cord, steelcord, etc. but it is essentially a collection of small filaments wound around each other in a manner that largely retains its shape when bent, crushed and/or tensioned.

It is a system for significantly increasing the strength and flexibility of steel wire and is used in almost every important application we see around us. For example: suspension bridges, tyres, brake and accelerator cables (in cars), high-pressure flexible pipes, lifting and rigging cables, electrical conductors, etc. and it comes in many different forms. Fig 2 shows just a very small sample of available designs.

With minor variations, the generally accepted method for designating a wire rope construction in the industry is by describing it numerically. For example:

"0.43+6x0.37+6x(0.37+6x0.33) HT" refers to a seven strand construction: a single central strand (one central filament diameter 0.43mm and 6 planetary filaments of diameter 0.37mm) and 6 planetary strands (one central filament of diameter 0.37mm and 6 planetary filaments of diameter 0.33mm) all manufactured from high-tensile steel"

Whilst "IWRC" wire ropes offer a slightly greater tensile capacity (≈7%) than those with fabric or polymer fillers, the additional strength does not come from the tensile capacity of the core filaments but from improved dimensional stability under load. And whilst they are also much more resistant to crushing, they are stiffer than fibre core ropes and therefore not recommended for applications where tension occurs under bending.

Warrington (Fig 1) is a parallel lay construction with an outer layer comprising wires of alternating large and small diameters, each outer layer having twice the number of wires as the layer immediately beneath. The benefit of this design is to increase packing and therefore strength density, however, unless the different diameter filaments are of the same strength (unlikely), this construction is limited by the strength of the weakest filaments.

Seale (Figs 1 & 2 6x36) is also a parallel lay construction but with the same number of wires in each wire layer. All the wires in any layer are the same diameter. This is an alternative to the Warrington construction, with similar benefits and disadvantages.

Regular lay constructions are used much more widely (than Lang lay) because they have excellent structural stability and less tendency to unwrap under tension (see Rotating vs Non-Rotating below). However, because it has a knobbly (undulating) surface it will wear both itself and any surface over which it is run much more quickly than Lang lay wire rope.

Lang lay constructions have a flatter surface than regular lay constructions giving them better resistance to wear and bending fatigue, especially when made from flattened (elliptical) filaments. They are, however, much less structurally stable and subject to birdcaging if the wire rope is over-bent or twisted against its wrapped direction.

"Regular Lay", multi-strand constructions are normally subject to slightly less rotation under tension (than Lang lay) due to the opposite helical direction of the filaments (within the strands) and the strands (within the rope), however, you can improve their rotation characteristics still further by;

Fillers (Fig 2) may be fabric, polymer or even smaller diameter filaments (e.g. 6x36). Whilst they contribute little to the tensile strength of wire rope, they can significantly; improve performance under bending (fabric and polymer cores only), reduce axial growth, reduce rotation in rotation-resistant constructions, improve structural stability and increase fatigue life.

This filler material should not be included in strength (tensile capacity) calculations, but must be included in those for axial stiffness (extension). If it is ignored, your calculations will reveal excessive extension as the wire rope collapses.

Suspension bridges tend to be constructed from densely packed, single strand plain "Wire Rope" constructions using large diameter galvanised filaments. Little heed is paid to rotational resistance as strength is paramount and once tensioned, they should remain in that loading condition for their design life.

Lifting & winching normally require wire ropes of good flexibility and fatigue resistance. Therefore they tend to be similar to 6x36 but with fibre core instead of the IWRC in Fig 2

Hosecord is suitable for HPHT flexible pipes as lateral flexibility is generally considered less important than minimal longitudinal growth or maximum tensile strength (per unit cross-sectional area).

Remote operating cables such as hand-brakes and accelerators on cars normally only work in tension so they need to be strong but not necessarily stiff (as they are fully contained in reinforced outer sheaths). These tend to be manufactured from large diameter "TyreCord" or small diameter single-strand "Wire Rope".

Wire rope does not obey Hooke"s law. Therefore, you cannot accurately predict how much it will stretch for any specified force. This unpredictability applies to any section removed from the same manufactured length of cord and even between cords produced to the same specification but by different manufacturers.

CalQlata has decided that the accuracy of axial stiffness (EA) of wire rope falls outside its own levels of acceptability and therefore does not include it in the wire rope calculator. The extension calculated in the Wire Rope calculator (δLᵀ) is based upon the effect of axial tension on packing density. It is therefore important that core material is not ignored when using the calculator to evaluate this characteristic.

Wire rope does not obey Hooke"s law. Therefore, you cannot accurately predict how much it will twist for any specified torque. This unpredictability applies to any section removed from the same manufactured length of cord and even between cords produced to the same specification but by different manufacturers.

CalQlata has decided that the accuracy of torsional stiffness (GJ) of wire rope falls outside its own levels of acceptability and therefore does not include it in the wire rope calculator.

1) No wire rope calculator, whether dedicated or generic, will accurately predict the properties of any single construction under a wide range of loading conditions

2) No wire rope calculator, whether dedicated or generic, will accurately predict any single property for a range of constructions under a wide range of loading conditions

The only wire rope that can be reliably analysed is that which is used for suspension bridges, because; it comprises a single strand, is very densely packed, has negligible twist, contains filaments of only one diameter, is never subjected to minimum bending and every filament is individually tensioned.

There is a very good reason why manufacturers do not present calculated performance data for construction or design proposals, because even they cannot accurately predict such properties and quite rightly rely on, and publish, test data.

During his time working in the industry, the wire rope calculator"s creator has seen, created and abandoned numerous mathematical models both simple and complex. He has gradually developed his own simplified calculation principle based upon his own experience that still provides him with consistently reliable results of reasonable accuracy.

The purpose of CalQlata"s wire rope calculator is to provide its user with the ability to obtain a reasonable approximation for a generic construction, after which, accurate test data should be sought from the manufacturer for the user"s preferred construction.

The calculation principle in the wire rope calculator is based upon changes in the properties of the wire rope that occur with variations in packing density under tension

Bearing in mind the above limitations CalQlata can provide the following assistance when generating (manipulating) the wire rope calculator"s input data and interpreting its output

Alternatively, for wire rope with multiple filament diameters, you need to find an equivalent diameter with the following proviso; you must enter the minimum filament yield stress (SMYS)

It is expected that apart from fillers, all the material in the wire rope will be identical and therefore have the same density, i.e. using different materials will result in less than "best" performance. However, if such a construction is proposed, you can calculate an equivalent density as follows:

It is expected that apart from fillers, all the material in the wire rope will be identical and therefore have the same tensile modulus, i.e. using different materials will result in less than "best" performance. However, if such a construction is proposed, you should enter the highest tensile modulus.

The wire rope calculator simply adds together the total area of all the filaments and multiplies them by the SMYS entered, which represents a theoretical maximum breaking load that would exist if this load is equally shared across all of the filaments and the lay angles have been arranged to eliminate localised (point) loads between adjacent filaments.

If the wire rope has been properly constructed it is likely that its actual break load will be greater than 80% of this theoretical value. However, given the vagaries of wire rope construction, the actual break load can vary considerably dependent upon a number of factors. CalQlata suggest that the following factors may be used to define the anticipated break load of any given construction:

The axial stiffness and strain under load will be affected by this value, hence the reason why the most reliable (predictable) constructions tend to be minimum [number of] strands and single filament diameter. The Warrington and Seale constructions and combinations thereof tend to provide the highest packing density (but lowest flexibility) and there is little to be gained from using these constructions in more than single stranded wire rope as the benefit of high-packing density will be lost with no gain in flexibility.

The anticipated second moment of area of the wire rope at tension "T" due to deformation but insignificant flattening as it is assumed the wire rope will be bent over a formed (shaped) sheave or roller.

The anticipated tensile modulus of the wire rope at tension "T" due to deformation but insignificant flattening as it is assumed the wire rope will be bent over a formed (shaped) sheave or roller.

It is not advisable to induce this bend radius in operation due to uncertainties associated with wire rope construction, especially for dynamic applications. CalQlata suggests that a similar approach to that used for the break load (Fb) above also be applied here, i.e.:

A change in diameter will occur in all wire rope, irrespective of construction, until packing density has reached a limiting value. The value provided in the wire rope calculator is that which would be expected if the construction remains intact at the applied tension "T"

Unreliability of this value increases with complexity in wire rope due to its longitudinal variability and the increased likelihood of premature failure.

The accuracy of this data will range from about ±1% for wire rope with a single strand and a single filament diameter, up to about ±15% for constructions of similar complexity to OTR cord

A change in length of any wire rope will occur due to the fact that the packing density increases with tension. This is not, however, a linear relationship.

This can be an unreliable value as illustrated by tests carried out (by the author) on two pieces of wire rope supplied by the same well-known manufacturer both of which were cut from the same length, varied in tensile capacity by only 1.5%, but the tensile modulus (and strain at break) varied by 34%. Whilst this was an extreme case, significant variations have been seen in wire rope manufactured by a number of manufacturers.

Whilst the wire rope calculator does not calculate axial stiffness (see Calculation Limitations 9) above), CalQlata can suggest the following rule-of-thumb that will provide reasonable results for most constructions at the applied tension "T":

Whilst the wire rope calculator does not calculate bending stiffness (see Calculation Limitations 8) above), CalQlata can suggest the following rule-of-thumb that will provide reasonable results for most constructions at the applied tension "T":

Low complexity means single strand and single wire diameter. Medium complexity means multi-strand and single wire diameter. High complexity means multi-strand and multiple wire diameters.

At Carl Stahl Sava Industries, our steel mechanical cable choices include 304 and 316 stainless steel and galvanized steel cable. Sava is both a wire rope supplier and a wire rope manufacturer that is able to work withexotic steel alternatives upon request, both stainless steel and galvanized steel mechanical cable offer distinct benefits, depending upon the application. Read on to learn the differences between galvanized vs. stainless steel wire ropeand determine which custom wire rope will better serve your application requirements.

One of the greatest benefits of stainless steel wire rope is that it is suitable for nearly any application. While it may have a slightly higher cost than galvanized steel cable, stainless steel cable provides customers with greater ROI and maintains its high-strength qualities over its lifespan under most conditions. While not as strong as tungsten or tolerant of excessive temperatures, stainless steel mechanical wire rope is an incredibly effective cable construction material.

Stainless steel has high corrosion resistance due to it being treated with chromium. This additional element makes stainless steel suitable for use in moist environments, even when harmful salty conditions are present. Specifically in marine environments, for instance, stainless steel wire rope can be used for years without corroding. And in the medical devices field, stainless steel is commonly the metal of choice for many medical device instruments like endoscopes because of its high sanitization level and durability over many cycles makes it ideal.

Galvanized steel is steel that has been dipped in a zinc coating, which gives it good corrosion-resistant qualities. But even with the addition of zinc, galvanized wire rope’s strength is weaker than stainless steel because of the presence of chromium, making the cable stronger and more tolerant of corrosive elements like saltwater. Galvanized cable will rust and corrode if salty wet conditions are present. And like stainless steel, galvanized steel cable ends will also weld together if they make contact with one another.

Galvanized steel cable is often found in industrial applications, since items may brush up against the wire rope in the field, which again, are environmental conditions that galvanized steel tolerates quite well over time. For this and other reasons, Galvanized steel wire rope works exceptionally well in aerospace applications.

Stainless steel wire rope is a cost-effective solution that works across a range of applications, is impervious to salty wetness and is stronger than galvanized steel cable. But galvanized steel wire rope is corrosion-resistant, except when salt is present and tolerates contact with itself far better than stainless steel cable.

It"s important to remember that since each application has unique needs, these comparisons are general guidelines. Contact Sava today to discuss your project, so we can help you determine whether a stainless steel wire rope or galvanized steel wire rope is best for your cable manufacturing needs.

Depending on the application, wire rope strength is determined on a case-by-case basis. 304 Stainless steel cable, for example, may not suit applications where excessive heat is present. Conversely, tungsten, the strong metal known on earth, will perform exceptionally well under extreme heat. Accordingly, the question isn’t necessarily, “what is the strongest wire rope?”, but rather, “what do you need to accomplish with mechanical cable?”

As discussed, mechanical engineers consider the material, diameter and the quantity of filaments that comprise the wire rope or miniature cable. So, these characteristics, taken in the aggregate, inform the choice of cable and its strength benefits.

304 stainless steel is among the strongest, and most popular materials used in the manufacturing of mechanical cable. While other grades of stainless steel prevail in wire rope and miniature cable making, 304, in the USA in particular, is extremely common.

Stainless steel cable is used in virtually all markets that use mechanical cable to achieve motion. Whether in endoscopic medical instruments, or an air-defense system, or even an implantable hip joint system, stainless steel is a staple. However, tungsten mechanical cable, common in the growing surgical robotics space, has swiftly supplanted stainless steel as the go-to ultrafine cable material.

Empirically, tungsten is the stronger material as compared with stainless steel alternatives. Pound for pound, tungsten, on the periodic table known as wolfram or simply W, is the strongest metal on earth. Thus, again speaking scientifically, it trumps stainless steel. But, for instance, in applications where tungsten properties aren’t as desirable, stainless steel will outperform the presumably stronger alloy. Say, the application is going to be implanted into a human’s hip joint. In this case, the non-corrosive properties of stainless steel, combined with its strength offering, makes it the ideal cable material for this surgical application. Furthermore, choosing stainless steel in this case promises a more cost-effective cable product because tungsten is dramatically more expensive.

However, if the tensile strength required of the application exceeds that of what stainless steel can yield, in a given diameter, say in the appendages of a surgical robot, tungsten is the stronger candidate. Tungsten will not compromise strength along tight turns, where miniature pulleys are required. But, if stainless steel were used to make tight radii, around extremely small pulleys, the material’s springiness may resist a given radius and perhaps compromise flexibility and subsequently lifecycle.

All mechanical cables comprise stranded wires. The larger the diameter of these wires, contributes greatly to the tensile strength achieved. So, in simplest terms, a tungsten surgical robotics cable, made from 201 wires, but at a diameter of .0005”, would not possess the strength of the same cable made from .0007” wires.

And while the difference between a single 7 and a 5 appears marginal, the difference in strength - going from .0005” to .0007” is dramatic. What’s more, adding larger diameter wires, even in constructions with fewer total wires in the cable strand, may yield more strength that more wires, albeit smaller ones, in comparably sized cable. So a 1x7 cable, which comprises seven total wires, at an outer diameter (OD) of .016” will actually yield more tensile strength that a 3x3, which comprises nine total wires, at an OD of .017”.

When two, or even 10 cables, are made from the same alloy, say tungsten, for instance, the quantity of wires, the design of construction of the mechanical cable, as well as the diameter of completed strand, all coalesce to determine strength.

Counterintuitive as it seems, adding more tungsten wires to a miniature cable, for instance, constructed in extremely small diameters, does not necessarily yield the engineer a stronger cable. Because adding ultrafine tungsten wires also adds flexibility to the completed cable, the engineer may accept some strength limitations in favor of significant improvement in malleability. While this is not always so, adding larger, but fewers filaments, provides the engineer a more rigid cable, but one more flexible around tight radii.

Strength of the mechanical cable, as is likely becoming clearer, is therefore not entirely determined by the size of the wires, nor the wire material, but the total sum of these and other variables.

When determining how much weight your mechanical cable can handle, engineers recommend using approximately 60 percent of the cable’s breaking strength. If the mechanical cable breaking strength is 100 pounds, for example, engineers would only use the cable to support 60 lbs. The higher the rated strength of the cable, the more force engineers can apply to it.

METRIC WIRE ROPES- 6 x 36 wire rope is a more flexible cable wire than 6 x 19 wire rope since it has a higher number of wires per strand. Some of the most common uses are winch lines, choker and boom lines, and works well in marine environments.

* EIPS (Extra Improved Plowed Steel) wire rope has roughly 10% more strength than regular IPS. Independent wire rope core ( IWRC ) provides added strength, reduces the amount of stretch. IWRC wire rope also is resistance to heat and provides extra corrosion resistance over a typical bright wire finish.

We stock all kinds of type 304 Stainless steel aircraft cable and type 316 stainless steel aircraft cable both also known as SSAC. Applications of stainless steel cable vary but SSAC is often used in industries such as architectural for decks and docks, rigging for sail boats, the food industry and water treatment facilities. is utilized in environments where corrosion resistance is required.

At Worldwide Enterprises, we have provided stainless steel aircraft cable for decades to riggers and designers for some of the highest profile and demanding applications including racing vessels, award winning architectural designs and clean environment conditions in the food and water treatment industries.

In addition to the stainless steel aircraft cable specs listed below we also stock a full line of larger diameter stainless steel wire ropes in many different constructions. For more information about our stainless steel aircraft cable and stainless steel hardware and fittings please contact us today.

Our stainless-steel aircraft cable consists of thin steel wires that are stranded together to give the cable a combination of flexibility and strength. Although the largest diameter of aircraft cable available at Tyler Madison maxes out at a ¼”, it is lightweight and strong enough to meet special airline safety standards.

Commercial quality "aircraft grade" cable is made from galvanized steel wire or stainless steel wire. Galvanized aircraft cable provides high tensile strength and adequate corrosion resistance for most commercial applications. Stainless steel cable provides slightly lower tensile strength, but greater resistance to corrosion. We also offer aircraft cable fitting services.

Cable or wire rope is fabricated from individual wires put together in a uniform helical arrangement to form what is called a strand. A strand typically contains 7 wires (1 x 7) or 19 wires (1 x 19), although others are available. Cable or wire rope contains a varying number of these strands such as 7 x 7 and 7 x 19 (number of strands x wire per strand). The more strands and more wires per strand, the more flexible the cable and the higher the cost. The greater the cable diameter, the greater the diameter of each wire and the greater the breaking strength.

Our aircraft cable for sale can be coated with a number of different plastics such as vinyl (PVC) or nylon in various colors. Black, clear and white are typical stock colors, other colors can be ordered. Also, other polymers are available for braided steel cable.

Airplane cable is used for more than just aircraft applications. It’s strength and flexibility make aircraft braided steel cable perfect for numerous commercial and industrial uses. Stainless steel aircraft cable is typically used in areas where the components are exposed to oxidative chemicals such as salt, and the ability to resist corrosion is crucial. Galvanized aircraft cable is a more affordable solution, but it does not resist corrosion as well.

At Tyler Madison Inc., aircraft cable assemblies are just one of the many quality wire rope products that we manufacture for our industrial and commercial customers . We have the ability to create fully customized cable assemblies with standard or custom aircraft cable fittings. With skilled labor and precise advanced equipment, we are able to manufacture quality aircraft wire ropes and high-strength cables at an affordable price. Along the way, we can help you design and engineer aircraft cable fittings for your application. If you have an idea of what kind of aviation cable assembly or wire rope you need, but aren"t sure how to make it a reality, just contact Tyler Madison today and we will be ready to help!

We are committed to providing our customers maximum value when they choose to do business with us, whether it"s custom aircraft cables, metal cables or standard braided steel cable. That’s why we go above and beyond with our customer service and offer value-added services to ensure the quality of our products and the satisfaction of our customers. These services include:Design Assistance

No matter how customized the cable, wire rope or aircraft cable fittings for your application needs to be, we are more than capable of helping you get the job done!

For more information or inquiries about our wire rope or aircraft cable fittings, get in touch with us today. Our team of experts are here to answer any of your questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Wire rope is technically defined as multi-wire strands laid geometrically around a core while also used more generally as a term to classify multiple product families including aircraft cable, coated aircraft cable, general purpose wire rope, strand, rotation resistant wire rope, compacted/swaged wire rope, and cable laid wire rope.

Aircraft cable does not fit the definition of wire rope in the strictest sense as it does not have an independent core, but rather a strand core, in which the center is one of the strands that is laid with the outside strand layers. Aircraft cable is available in diameters 3/8" or less with breaking strengths similar to that of equal diameter independent wire rope core (IWRC) and is available in stainless steel and galvanized steel.

Wire rope can be galvanized via three processes. Listed from least corrosion-resistant to the most corrosion-resistant, they are electro-galvanizing, hot-dip galvanizing, and drawn-galvanizing. In addition to being the most corrosion-resistant types of galvanized wire rope, drawn-galvanized has another added benefit which is a breaking strength that is the same as bright wire rope does. Electro-galvanized and hot-dip galvanized wire rope have breaking strengths that are approximately 10% lower.

Wire rope is specified by the number of strands in the rope, the number of wires in each strand, and a description of the core’s material of construction. For example, the notation “6x7 FC” means that the rope has six strands with seven wires in each strand and a fiber core. Commonly used core designations include FC (fiber core), independent wire rope core (IWRC), wire strand core (WSC), and poly core (PC).

There are two elements to wire rope lubrication, the core, and outer strands. IWRC wire rope always has a lubricated core (unless specially ordered as otherwise). Bright wire rope always has lubricated outer strands.  Galvanized wire rope can be manufactured in either dry finish or lubricated with respect to the outer strands.  Typically stainless steel wire rope is manufactured with a lubricated IWRC and dry finish outer strands.