single layer wire rope manufacturer

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.

TEUFELBERGER high performance steel wire ropes are being used for various tasks on cranes around the world. In order to keep their quality at the highest level, a team of experts has been working continuously on upgrading existing and developing new products. In these endeavors, we work together closely with our renowned customers so as to find the perfect solution for their high demands.

Our range of services encompasses rope assembly, splicing, exchanging ropes, and even providing customized training. For these purposes, our service teams are deployed to many countries of the globe.

soLITE® by TEUFELBERGER, the first-ever fiber rope featuring a steel wire rope construction, impresses its users by providing 10% more in loading capacity and 80% less in weight than its steel counterparts. Developed together with the crane specialists at LIEBHERR, it has already taken the place of steel wire ropes in challenging lifting applications.

A wire rope is a type of cable that includes several wire strands laced together to form a single wire. Generally, both the terms “wire” and “rope” are used interchangeably with “wire rope”; however, according to the technical definition, to be labeled a wire rope, the cable must have a thickness of at least 9.52 mm. As a versatile, high load capacity alternative to natural fiber ropes such as hemp and manila, wire rope provides motion transmission through nearly all angles, tie down, counterbalance, guidance, control, or lift.

Modern wire rope was invented by Wilhelm Albert, a German mining engineer, between 1831 and 1834. He developed them in order for work in the mines in the Harz Mountains. This rope replaced weaker natural fiber ropes, like hemp rope and manila rope, and weaker metal ropes, like chain rope.

Albert’s rope was constructed of four three-stranded wires. In 1840, a Scot named Robert Stirling Newall improved upon this model. A year later in the United States, American manufacturer John A. Roebling started producing wire rope, aimed at his vision of suspension bridges. From there, other interested Americans, such as Erskine Hazard and Josiah White, used wire rope in railroad and coal mining applications. They also applied their wire rope techniques to provide lift ropes for something called the Ashley Planes project, which allowed for better transportation and increased tourism in the area.

Approximately twenty-five years later, back in Germany in 1874, the engineering firm Adolf Bleichert & Co. was founded. They used wire rope to build bicable aerial tramways for mining the Ruhr Valley. Years later they built tramways for both the Wehrmacht and the German Imperial Army. Their wire rope systems spread all across Europe, and then migrated to the USA, concentrating at Trenton Iron Works in New Jersey.

Over the years, engineers and manufacturers have created materials of all kinds to make wire rope stronger. Such materials include stainless steel, plow steel, bright wire, galvanized steel, wire rope steel, electric wire, and more. Today, wire rope is a staple in most heavy industrial processes. Wherever heavy duty lifting is required, wire rope is there to facilitate.

Wire rope is strong, durable, and versatile. Even the heaviest industrial loads may be lifted with a well-made wire rope because the weight is distributed evenly among constituent strands.

There are three basic elements of which wire ropes are composed: wire filaments, strands, and cores. Manufacturers make wire rope by taking the filaments, twisting or braiding them together into strands, and then helically winding them around a core. Because of this multiple strand configuration, wire rope is also often referred to as stranded wire.

The first component, the filaments, are cold drawn rods of metal materials of varying, but relatively small diameter. The second component, the strands, can individually consist of as few as two or as many as several dozen filaments. The last component, the core, is the central element around which strands are wrapped; wire rope cores maintain a considerable amount of flexibility, while increasing strength by at least 7.5% over the strength of fiber core wire ropes.

The helical winding of the strands around the core is known as the lay. Ropes may be right hand lay, twisting strands clockwise, or they may be left hand lay, twisting strands counter-clockwise. In an ordinary lay, the individual strands are twisted in the opposite direction of the lay of the entire rope of strands to increase tension and to prevent the rope from coming unwound. Though this is most common Lang"s lay has both the strands and the rope twisted in the same direction while alternate lays, as the name suggests alternate between ordinary and Lang style lays. While alternative rope designs are available, the helical core design is often favored, as it allows a wire cable to hold a lot of weight while remaining ductile.

There are many design aspects that wire rope manufacturers consider when they are creating custom wire rope assemblies. These include: strand gauge (varies based on application strength, flexibility, and wear resistance requirements), wire rope fittings (for connecting other cables), lay, splices, and special coatings. Specially treated steel cable and plastic coated cables, for instance, are common to many application specific variations of wire rope such as push pull cable assemblies used in transferring motion between two points.

Suppliers typically identify wire cable by listing both the number of strands and the amount of wires per strand respectively, though stranded cable may alternatively be measured by their lay and length or pitch. For example, a door-retaining lanyard wire rope is identified by its 7 x 7 construction, and wire rope used for guying purposes is identified by its 1 x 19 construction. The most common types are 6 x 19, 6 x 25, 19 x 7, 7 x 7, 7 x 19, 6 x 26, and 6 x 36.

An ungalvanized steel wire rope variety. This uncoated wire rope can also be designed to resist spinning or rotating while holding a load; this is known as rotation resistant bright wire rope.

Also called a coiled wire rope, a coiled cable is a rope made from bundles of small metal wires, which are then twisted into a coil. Wire rope and cable can come in a huge variety of forms, but coiled cables specifically provide the benefits of easy storage and tidiness. Unlike other wire ropes, coiled cables do not require a spool for storage. Because it has been coiled, the cable will automatically retract into its spring-like shape when it is not in use, making it incredibly easy to handle.

A type of high strength rope, made of several individual filaments. These filaments are twisted into strands and helically wrapped around a core. One of the most common types of wire rope cable is steel cable.

Wire rope made not as one solid piece, but as a piece made up of a series of metal links. Wire rope chain is flexible and strong, but it is more prone to mechanical failure than wire rope.

Push pull cables and controls are a particular type of control cable designed for the positive and precise transmission of mechanical motion within a given system. Unlike their counterpart pull-pull cables, these wire rope assemblies offer multidirectional control. Additionally, their flexibility allows for easy routing, making them popular in a number of industrial and commercial applications.

Iron and steel are the two most common materials used in producing wire ropes. A steel wire is normally made from non-alloy carbon steel that offers a very high strength and can support extreme stretchable forces. For even more strength and durability, manufacturers can make stainless steel wire rope or galvanized steel wire rope. The latter two are good for applications like rigging and hoisting.

Technically, spiral ropes are curved or round strands with an assemblage of wires. This gathering of wires has at least one cord situated in the opposite direction of the wire in the outer layer of the rope. The most important trait of this rope is that all the wires included are round. The biggest benefit of this category of rope is that it does not allow the entrance of pollutants, water, or moisture.

Contain an assemblage of strands placed spirally around a core. Stranded rope steel wire patterns have different layers that cross each other to form an even stronger cable or rope. Stranded ropes contain one of three types of core: a fiber core, a wire strand core, or a wire rope core.

Provide an added level of security to a manufacturing production application. Wire rope slings are made from improved plow steel wire ropes that, apart from offering added security, also provide superior return loop slings. Plow steel wire ropes improve the life of a mechanism by shielding the rope at its connection points. The key objective of wire rope slings is to enhance the safety of an application while increasing its capacity and performance. Rope slings are also available in various sling termination options, such as hook type, chokers, and thimbles.

The eye in this rope sling is made using the Flemish Splice method. Just like a typical sling, a Permaloc rope sling improves safety and provides reverse strength meaning that the uprightness of the eye does not depend on the sleeves of the metal or alloy. Additionally, permaloc rope slings offer an abrasion resistance feature that makes them long lasting.

These slings have all the features that most other slings offer. However, compared to their counterparts, Permaloc bridle slings provide better load control, wire rope resistant crushing, robust hooks and links that work for a longer duration, and help save on maintenance requirements.

Manufacturers produce wire rope for many different reasons; from cranes to playground swings, wire ropes have something for everyone. Among the many applications of wire rope are hoisting, hauling, tie down, cargo control, baling, rigging, anchoring, mooring, and towing. They can also serve as fencing, guardrails, and cable railing, among other products.

Some of the industries that make use of wire rope include industrial manufacturing, construction, marine, gas and oil, mining, healthcare, consumer goods, and transportation. Others include the fitness industry, which uses plastic coated cable products in weight machines, the theater industry, which uses black powder coated cables for stage rigging, the recreation industry, which uses plastic coated cables for outdoor playground equipment, and the electronics industry, which uses miniature wire rope for many types of electronic equipment and communications devices.

Wire ropes are typically made from cold drawn steel wire, stainless steel wire, or galvanized wire. They may also be made from a wide variety of less popular metals, including aluminum, nickel alloy, bronze, copper, and titanium. However, nearly all wire ropes, including control cables, are made from strands of cold drawn carbon steel wires. Stainless steel rope and cables are subbed in for highly corrosive environments. Galvanized cables and galvanized wire rope are popular for their increased strength and durability; these qualities are important to specialized ropes like galvanized aircraft cable.

A core may be composed of metal, fiber or impregnated fiber materials depending on the intended application. Cores may also be another strand of wire called an independent wire rope core (IWRC).

Wire rope, depending on its application, is subject to many standard requirements. Among the most common of these are the standards detailed by OSHA, ASTM International, and ISO. Per your application and industry, you’ll likely have others you need to consider. To get a full list, talk to your service provider.

To determine the safety factor, which is a margin of security against risks, the first step involves knowing the type of load that the rope will be subjected to. The load must consider the shock loads and blowing wind effects. The safety factor is characterized in ratios; typical are 4:1 and 5:1. If a ratio is 5:1, then the tensile strength of a wire rope must be five times of the load it will be subjected to. In some applications, the ratios can go up to 10:1.

By weighing all these factors carefully, the wire rope that you will buy will be safe to use and last considerably. For the best advice and guidance, though, don’t go it alone! Find a great wire rope supplier that you can trust. You’ll know you’ve found the right supplier for you when you talk to one that can not only fulfill your requirements, but shows that they are excited to go the extra mile for you. For a company like this, browse the list near the top of the page.

As the cables play an integral role in the safety of many operations and structures, careful analysis of a wire rope and all of its capabilities and features is vital. Important qualities and physical specifications you must consider include wire rope diameter, breaking strength, resistance to corrosion, difficulty of flattening or crushing, bendability, and average lifespan.

Each of the aforementioned considerations should be compatible with the specific application for which the rope is intended as well as the environment in which such operations are undertaken. Temperature and corrosive environments often require specially coated wire ropes with increased durability.

When you use your industrial wire rope, the first thing to remember is to not exceed your rope’s rated load and breaking strength. If you do not stay within these parameters, you risk causing your rope to weaken or even break.

Rust, kinks, fraying and even carefully performed splicing will all have an impact on the performance of wire ropes. To maintain the integrity of your wire rope assembly, you need to inspect them regularly and clean and lubricate them as needed. In addition, you need to store them out of the wet and cold as much as possible. Also wrap them up properly, so they are not kinked.

A high-carbon steel having a tensile strength of approximately 260,000 psi that is roughly fifteen percent stronger than Plow Steel. Most commercial wires are made from IPS.

A low carbon steel wire of approximately 10,000 psi, which is pliable and capable of repeated stresses from bending around small sheaves. This grade is effective for tillers, guys and sash ropes.

The manner in which the wires are helically wound to form rope. Lay refers specifically to the direction of the helical path of the strands in a wire rope; for example, if the helix of the strands are like the threads of a right-hand screw, the lay is known as a right lay, or right-hand, but if the strands go to the left, it is a left lay, or left-hand.

A classification of wire rope according to its breaking strength. The rank of grades according to increasing breaking strengths is as follows: Iron, Traction, Mild Plow Steel, Plow Steel, Improved Steel, Extra Improved Steel.

The act of fastening a termination to a wire rope through physical deformation of the termination about the rope via a hydraulic press or hammering. The strength is one hundred percent of the wire rope rating.

A grade of rope material that has a tensile strength range of 180,000 to 190,000 psi. Traction steel has great resistance to bending fatigue with a minimum of abrasive force on sheaves and drums, which contributes to its long use in elevators, from which the steel gets its name.

It is composed of wire strands that are braided together. Wire braid is similar to stranded wire. The difference between the two is the fact that stranded wire features strands that are bundled together, rather than braided.

Essential parts of cable assemblies, wire rope assemblies and wire rope slings that assist spliced or swaged rope ends in connecting to other cables and keeping cables and rope from unraveling.

A wire rope cable assembly is a metallic rope consisting of bundles of twisted, spiraled, or bonded wires. While the terms wire rope and cable are often used interchangeably, cables are typically designated as smaller diameter wire ropes, specifically wire ropes with a diameter less than 3/8 inch. Therefore, wire rope cable assemblies are typically utilized for lighter duty applications.

Or cable assemblies, are cables which are composed of many spiraled bundles of wire. These cables are used to support hanging objects, connect objects, pull or lift objects, secure items, and much more.

Wire rope wholesalers can sell an extensive range of wire rope and wire rope accessories at a very affordable rate as well as in bulk. Many of the additional wire rope equipment that wire rope wholesalers provide include: swivel eye pulleys, eye nuts, eye bolts, slip hooks, spring hooks, heavy duty clips, clevis hooks, turnbuckle hooks, anchor shackle pins, s hooks, rigging blocks, and much more. Wire rope fittings will generally improve the versatility of the wire and also prevent fraying.

As specialist for manufacturing quality steel wire ropes over 20 years, our company can supply strong, durable and reliable ropes that capable to minimize your downtime and maximize cost effectiveness. Decades of experience we owned make us know clearly the work you do and capable to provide professional guidance.

We select the best steel or stainless steel as raw material for wire rope manufacturing. Our products are manufactured under strict quality managements and test before they leave the factory.

Our engineers can provide professional advice about picking up optimal steel wire ropes for their application, installation guidance to ensure maximum return in their wire rope system.

If you are going to pick up steel wire ropes that suit your project perfectly, you must have an ideal about the construction about them. Our company can supply bright wire rope, galvanized wire rope, stainless steel wire rope, compacted wire rope, rotation resistant wire ropes, mining wire rope, elevator wire rope, crane wire rope and gas & oilfield wire ropes. Here are some details to solve the problem that may puzzle you whether you are browsing the web or picking up steel wire ropes.

Bright steel wire ropes mean no surface treatment is applied to the rope. Therefore, they have the lower price among these three wire ropes. Generally, they are fully lubricated to protect the rope from rust and corrosion.

Galvanized steel wire ropes feature compressed zinc coating for providing excellent corrosion resistance. With higher break strength yet lower price than stainless steel, galvanized steel wire ropes are widely used in general engineering applications such as winches and security ropes.

Stainless steel wire ropes, made of quality 304, 305, 316 steels, are the most corrosive type for marine environments and other places subjected to salt water spray. Meanwhile, bright and shiny appearance can be maintained for years rather than dull as galvanized steel wire ropes.

Steel wire ropes are composed of multiple strands of individual wires that surrounding a wire or fiber center to form a combination with excellent fatigue and abrasion resistance. These wires and strands are wound in different directions to from different lay types as follows:

Beside above lay types, alternative lay ropes which combine regular lay and lang lay together and ideal for boom hoist and winch lines, can also be supplied as your request.

Two main methods about seizing steel wire ropes in conjunction with soft or annealing wire or strands to protect cut ends of the ropes form loosening.

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.

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.

Stainless Steel Wire Ropes are an important part of our core product range. We keep stock of AISI 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel Wire Rope from 0.5mm up to 26mm in various constructions including: 1X19, 7X7, 7X19 and 6X36 wire core.

Providing high quality materials is an extremely important part of our ethos which is why our stainless steel wire ropes are produced in accordance with BSMA29 standards by one of the leading stainless steel wire rope manufacturers in the world.

Our ropes are used in demanding conditions and it is therefore vital that the tolerance and chemical composition of the material is as per the required AISI 316 requirements. Applications and markets include:structural and architectural, balustrade, yacht rigging and Stay Wire applications.

Steel Wire Rope Ltd have specialised in supplying multi stranded galvanised steel wire rope since 1989. We stock from 0.5mm up to 64mm in various constructions including 1X19, 7X7,6X19, 7X19, 6X36, 8X19, 8X36, 19X7 and 35X7 with both Fibre Core and Steel Cores. In addition to these conventional steel wire ropes we can offer special wire ropes from high quality manufacturers.

Most wire ropes operate in demanding conditions and must resist crushing, bending fatigue and abrasion. We recognise that it is vital that all of our wire ropes need to perform to the highest levels to maximise service life therefore increasing productivity for the end user. With our technical experience we have worked hard with our partners to ensure that all material is manufactured to the very best standards in the steel wire rope industry.

Each steel wire rope can be supplied fully assembled complete with end terminals such as a thimble eyes, swaged ends and wedge sockets as well as many other solutions. These cable assemblies are manufactured in house by our team of engineers complete to your specifications.

The use of wire rope, sometimes called steel cable, steel sling rope, or steel rigging wire, is extremely popular in the material handling industry. Wire ropes come in a huge variety of designs and constructions, all suited for different lifting applications. Each type of wire rope has benefits and drawbacks. What all wire ropes have in common however, is that they are made up of steel wires which form individual stands. These strands are laid in a helical pattern around a fiber or steel core to form the rope. Different wire configurations and strand structures offer specific benefits to fit virtually any rigging application. These benefits include:

Selecting the correct wire rope for your rigging application often requires the rigger to make a compromise between different steel cable properties. For example, a wire rope with a small number of large outer wires will be more resistant to crushing, but less resistant to bending fatigue. Conversely, a wire rope with a larger number of small outer wires will be more bending fatigue resistant but less crushing resistant. These differences not only change the way the wire rope is used but they also change the way the wire rope is to be properly cared for.

Here at Tri-State Rigging Equipment we pride ourselves on providing our customers with only the highest quality steel wire ropes, from only the most reputable manufacturers. We can provide you with any rigging product on the market so if you cannot find what you are looking for, or if you don’t know exactly what you need, call or email our sales team to speak with a rigging product specialist.

The wires of a cable rope are the smallest component and are twisted together to form individual strands. Wires can be constructed in a variety of materials and grades, all affecting the properties offered by the cable rope. These materials include:

These different materials and grades affect the cable rope’s strength, bending fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and curve of the wire rope.

The strands of the steel cable consist of two or more wires and are laid in a helical pattern around the core. The way strands of steel cable are laid affect the properties offered by the steel cable.

The job of the core inside a steel cable rope is to support the strands and keep them in place relative to each other when bending and when under load. Wire rope cores can be made of a variety of materials including natural fiber, synthetic fiber and steel.

The lubrication of a steel cable rope is extremely important and often overlooked. Wire rope lubricant is added during the manufacturing process and penetrates the wire rope throughout, core included. The purpose of wire rope lubrication is twofold. First, it reduces friction between wires and strands. Second, it provides corrosion resistance to wires, strands and the core. A lack of proper lubrication is very serious and is cause to remove any and all affected wire rope from service.

In a preformed steel wire rope, the wires and strands are manufactured into the helical shape they will take when the wire rope is constructed. Preformed wire rope offers more flexibility and fatigue resistance than non-preformed wire rope. This allows the rigging wire to be uniformly spooled on a drum.

When riggers talk about the lay of a rope, they are talking about two things. One, the way the wires are laid to form a strand (right or left), and two, the way the strands are laid around the wire rope core (regular, lang, or alternate).

Regular Lay: The wires are parallel with the core of the rope. The direction of the wires is opposite to the direction of the strands. Compared to lang laid wire rope, regular lay offers more crushing and rotation resistance, allowing it to spool better on a drum.

Lang Lay: The wires are laid at an angle to the wire rope core. The direction of the wires is the same as the direction of the strands. Compared to other wire rope lays, lang lay offers more bending fatigue and abrasion resistance.

Wire ropes can be constructed using one of the five main strand patterns or a combination of two or more of the basic strand patterns. The wire rope strand pattern refers to the number of wires per layer, the number of layers, and the size of the wires. The strand pattern of a wire rope is a very important determining factor when it comes to choosing the correct wire rope for your specific rigging application. The five basic strand patterns are:

Filler Wire: This strand pattern is constructed by laying two layers of same sized wires around a center. The outer layer will have 2x the amount of wires than the inner layer. In the valleys of the inner wires are small filler wires to fill in the gaps between the inner and outer layers.

Seale: A layer of same sized wires smaller than the center wire is laid around the center. The outer layer consists of the same amount of wires as the inner layer but bigger in size. The outer wires lay in the valleys of the inner wires.

Warrington: This strand pattern consists of two wire layers. A layer of wires is laid around a same sized center wire to form the inner layer. The outer layer is formed by laying wires of alternating sizes, big and small, around the inner layer. The larger outer wires lay in the valleys of the inner wires and the smaller outer wires lay on the crowns of the inner wires.

Combination: A combination wire rope strand pattern is constructed by combining two or more of the strand patterns above to form a single unique strand pattern.

Fiber cores offer riggers more flexibility due to their natural or synthetic polypropylene fibers. This also means, however, that fiber core wire ropes are more susceptible to crushing and are not suitable for high heat environments.

In environments that exceed 180° F, a steel wire rope core should be used. Steel wire rope cores can be either an independent wire rope or an individual wire rope strand. Steel wire rope cores offer greater support for the strands and wires of the steel cable when compared to fiber cores.

The classification of a wire rope is based on the number of strands, as well as the number of wires in each strand. Below is a table of the most common wire rope configurations arranged in specific classifications.

In addition to the general classifications of steel wire rope, here at Tri-State Rigging Equipment, we also offer a wide range of specialty wire rope constructions. These include:

Rotation Resistant Wire Rope: This special construction of steel cable rope is designed to resist twisting and turning while under load. Rotation resistant wire rope must be specially cared for to prevent introducing twist into the rope.

Compacted Strand Wire Rope: This special type of wire rope is constructed using compacted outer strands. The outer strands are run through rollers or a die before the rope is closed. This increases the density of the outer stands and gives the steel cable rope a smoother outer surface. Compacted strand wire ropes offer greater strength and durability than standard round wire rope.

Swaged Wire Rope: Unlike a compacted wire rope, a swaged wire rope is compacted using a swaging machine after the wire rope had been closed. The outer wires of a swaged wire rope can be either compacted or round. Like compacted strand wire rope, swaged wire rope offers more strength and durability when compared to similar sized round wire ropes, however, it offers less bending fatigue resistance.

Plastic Coated Wire Rope: This type of wire rope is coated in a layer of plastic to protect the rope from abrasion, wear, and environmental factors. A drawback to plastic coated wire rope is that the plastic coating covers the strands and wires making it harder to inspect the wire rope.

Plastic Impregnated (PI) Wire Rope: A plastic impregnated wire rope is filled internally with a matrix of plastic that fills the gaps between wires and strands. This plastic filling reduces internal friction and improves bending fatigue resistance.

Plastic Coated or Plastic Filled IWRC Wire Rope: This type of wire rope features an independent wire rope core that is either filled or coated in plastic. This reduces internal friction in the wire rope and gives the wire rope greater bending fatigue resistance.

Tri-State Rigging Equipment is a service provider and distributor for all steel wire rope and steel cable for rigging and lifting, serving clients from coast to coast, Canada, Mexico and especially focused in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma.

Wire rope is a critical component of many pieces of equipment that is used to help contribute to so many building and construction projects. Rope is one of the simplest inventions, yet it is indispensable to some processes.

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company offers the best wire rope, slings, cordage, and fall protection systems for many industries, including construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing, as well as lifting companies. We also offer many services, including self-retracting lifeline repair, proof testing, and safety seminars. Our mission is to not only help you perform your jobs easier, but also to keep you safe. Below, we’ll take a look at the construction of wire rope. Contact us today to learn more!

When shopping for wire rope, it can be difficult to know what to look for. However, by knowing and understanding some basic wire rope characteristics, you will be well on your way to choosing the right wire rope for you needs.

Strand patterns in wire rope are important to understand. When you see strand patterns, the manufacturer of wire rope is referring to the number of layers of wires, the wires per layer, and the size of the wires in the layers. Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company notes that the confusing part is that wire rope can use only one of these strand patterns or more than one, which is why understanding them is crucial before you buy any wire rope. Some of the types of strand patterns you will find include:

Filler Wires. This is a two-layer wire strand where the wire size is the same and the inner layer only has half the number of strands at the outer layer. Thus, smaller filler wires are then used to fill in the gaps made by this construction.

Seale. Seale strand patterns eliminate the need for filler wires because a seal pattern uses two layers of wire strands around your core, but both are complete layers with no spaces to fill.

Warrington. Using two layers of wire strands around a center core, a smaller diameter of wire lines the inner layer and a larger diameter of wire lines the outside. The larger wires fill in the gaps.

As the name implies, preformed wire rope is formed in the manufacturing process that sets the strands in their helical shape. Preformed wire rope is easier to spool and therefore is the type preferred by utility companies and others who need large amounts of wire rope. Non-preformed rope is not shaped during the manufacturing process and is less flexible and lasts a shorter amount of time than preformed rope.

Wire rope can be laid in different patterns that serve different functions. Some layering terms refer to how the wires are laid to form a strand, or some layering terms refer to how the strands are laid around the core.

This is by far the most popular type of layering because it is the kind that resists crushing forces and spools better. Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company notes that you will have a strand lay and a wire lay, and regular lay is the opposite of each.

The wire layering and the core layering go in the same direction in this type of layering. The advantages to lang layering is that they resist fatigue and abrasion better. This type of layering is not as popular as regular layering.

This is similar to the combination strand patterns. Alternate layering uses both lay and lang lay strands together. This is the least popular type of layering and is used only in special instances.

The finish of wire rope refers to the coating that is applied on the surface. There are many types of finishes available for wire rope, from zinc coated (galvanized) to stainless steel or unfinished steel. Finishes serve to protect the wire rope from the elements, lend aesthetic value, and is often a personal preference for colors.

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company notes that we learned in our last blog post that a wire rope core is a critical component of wire ropes. There are three main types of wire rope cores you should know about when trying to choose which type of wire rope will work for you.

Fiber Core (FC). This type of wire rope core is made mainly out of synthetic fibers. This lends a greater flexibility to your wire rope, but you sacrifice strength for this flexibility.

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company understands how critical wire rope can be to your business’ operations, from cranes, deep drilling, mining, construction, and more. You need wire rope that is reliable, strong, and safe. Our wire rope is perfect for all of your lifting needs. We also offer wire rope lubricant to keep your wire rope running smoothly all day long.

Kennedy Wire Rope & Sling Company also puts a heavy emphasis on employee safety, which is why we offer a plethora of fall prevention equipment. From synthetic slings and fall protection harnesses, we’ve got all of your safety systems covered. Contact us today for your wire rope needs and services!

Wire rope is a complex mechanical device that has many moving parts all working in tandem to help support and move an object or load. In the lifting and rigging industries, wire rope is attached to a crane or hoist and fitted with swivels, shackles or hooks to attach to a load and move it in a controlled matter. It can also be used to lift and lower elevators, or as a means of support for suspension bridges or towers.

Wire rope is a preferred lifting device for many reasons. Its unique design consists of multiple steel wires that form individual strands laid in a helical pattern around a core. This structure provides strength, flexibility, and the ability to handle bending stresses. Different configurations of the material, wire, and strand structure will provide different benefits for the specific lifting application, including:Strength

However, selecting the proper wire rope for your lifting application requires some careful thought. Our goal is to help you understand the components of a wire rope, the construction of wire rope, and the different types of wire rope and what they might be used for. This will allow you to select the best performing and longest-lasting wire rope for the job at hand.

A wire rope is, in reality, a very complicated machine. A typical 6 x 25 rope has 150 wires in its outer strands, all of which move independently and together in a very complicated pattern around the core as the rope bends. Clearances between wires and strands are balanced when a rope is designed so that proper bearing clearances will exist to permit internal movement and adjustment of wires and strands when the rope has to bend. These clearances will vary as bending occurs, but are of the same range as the clearances found in automobile engine bearings.

Understanding and accepting the “machine idea” gives a rope user a greater respect for rope, and enables them to obtain better performance and longer useful life from rope applications. Anyone who uses a rope can use it more efficiently and effectively when they fully understand the machine concept.

Wires are the smallest component of wire rope and they make up the individual strands in the rope. Wires can be made from a variety of metal materials including steel, iron, stainless steel, monel, and bronze. The wires can be manufactured in a variety of grades that relate to the strength, resistance to wear, fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and curve of the wire rope.

Strands of wire rope consist of two or more wires arranged and twisted in a specific arrangement. The individual strands are then laid in a helical pattern around the core of the rope.

The core of a wire rope runs through the center of the rope and supports the strands and helps to maintain their relative position under loading and bending stresses. Cores can be made from a number of different materials including natural or synthetic fibers and steel.

Lubrication is applied during the manufacturing process and penetrates all the way to the core. Wire rope lubrication has two primary benefits:Reduces friction as the individual wires and strands move over each other

The number of layers of wires, the number of wires per layer, and the size of the wires per layer all affect the strand pattern type. Wire rope can be constructed using one of the following patterns, or can be constructed using two or more of the patterns below.Single Layer – The most common example is a 7 wire strand with a single-wire center and six wires of the same diameter around it.

Filler Wire – Two layers of uniform-size wire around a center with the inner layer having half the number of wires as the outer layer. Small filler wires, equal to the number in the inner layer, are laid in valleys of the inner wire.

Seale – Two layers of wires around a center with the same number of wires in each layer. All wires in each layer are the same diameter. The large outer wires rest in the valleys between the smaller inner wires.

Warrington – Two layers of wires around a center with one diameter of wire in the inner layer, and two diameters of wire alternating large and small in the outer later. The larger outer-layer wires rest in the valleys, and the smaller ones on the crowns of the inner layer.

On a preformed wire rope, the strands and wires are formed during the manufacturing process to the helical shape that they will take in a finished wire rope.

Preformed rope can be advantageous in certain applications where it needs to spool more uniformly on a drum, needs greater flexibility, or requires more fatigue-resistance when bending.

Direction and type of lay refer to the way the wires are laid to form a strand (either right or left) and how the strands are laid around the core (regular lay, lang lay, or alternate lay).Regular Lay – The wires line up with the axis of the rope. The direction of the wire lay in the strand is opposite to the direction of the strand lay. Regular lay ropes are more resistant to crushing forces, are more naturally rotation-resistant, and also spool better in a drum than lang lay ropes.

Lang Lay– The wires form an angle with the axis of the rope. The wire lay and strand lay around the core in the same direction. Lang Lay ropes have a greater fatigue-resistance and are more resistant to abrasion.

A steel core can be an independent wire rope or an individual strand. Steel cores are best suited for applications where a fiber core may not provide adequate support, or in an operating environment where temperatures could exceed 180° F.

The classifications of wire rope provide the total number of strands, as well as a nominal or exact number of wires in each strand. These are general classifications and may or may not reflect the actual construction of the strands. However, all wire ropes of the same size and wire grade in each classification will have the SAME strength and weight ratings and usually the same pricing.

Besides the general classifications of wire rope, there are other types of wire rope that are special construction and designed for special lifting applications.

Some types of wire rope, especially lang lay wire rope, are more susceptible to rotation when under load. Rotation resistant wire rope is designed to resist twisting, spinning, or rotating and can be used in a single line or multi-part system.

Special care must be taken when handling, unreeling, and installing rotation resistant wire rope. Improper handling or spooling can introduce twist into the rope which can cause uncontrolled rotation.

Compacted strand wire rope is manufactured using strands that have been compacted, reducing the outer diameter of the entire strand, by means of passing through a die or rollers. This process occurs prior to closing of the rope.

This process flattens the surface of the outer wires in the strand, but also increases the density of the strand. This results in a smoother outer surface and increases the strength compared to comparable round wire rope (comparing same diameter and classification), while also helping to extend the surface life due to increased wear resistance.

A swaged wire rope differs from a compacted strand wire rope, in that a swaged wire rope’s diameter is compacted, or reduced, by a rotary swager machine after the wire rope has been closed. A swaged wire rope can be manufactured using round or compacted strands.

The advantages of a swaged wire rope are that they are more resistant to wear, have better crushing resistance, and high strength compared to a round strand wire rope of equal diameter and classification. However, a swaged wire rope may have less bending fatigue resistance.

A plastic coating can be applied to the exterior surface of a wire rope to provide protection against abrasion, wear, and other environmental factors that may cause corrosion. However, because you can’t see the individual strands and wires underneath the plastic coating, they can be difficult to inspect.

Plastic filled wire ropes are impregnated with a matrix of plastic where the internal spaces between the strands and wires are filled. Plastic filling helps to improve bending fatigue by reducing the wear internally and externally. Plastic filled wire ropes are used for demanding lifting applications.

This type of wire rope uses an Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC) that is either filled with plastic or coated in plastic to reduce internal wear and increase bending fatigue life.

Remember, wire rope is a complex piece of mechanical machinery. There are a number of different specifications and properties that can affect the performance and service life of wire rope. Consider the following when specifying the best type of wire rope for your lifting application:Strength

When you select a piece of rope that is resistant to one property, you will most likely have a trade-off that affects another property. For example, a fiber core rope will be more flexible, but may have less crushing resistance. A rope with larger diameter wires will be more abrasion resistant, but will offer less fatigue resistance.

At Mazzella Companies, we offer all different kinds of wire rope from all of the leading manufacturers. We sell the highest-quality domestic and non-domestic rigging products because product quality and operating safety go hand-in-hand. We have one of the largest and most complete inventories of both domestic and non-domestic rigging and lifting products to suit your lifting needs.

If you’re looking for a standard or custom specified wire rope for your lifting project, contact a Lifting Specialist at a Mazzella Companies location near you.

We stock well over 2,000,000 feet of wire rope in our various locations … ready for immediate delivery! We provide wire rope assemblies, and manufacture bridge cables, crane cables, steel mill cables, and thousands of OEM assemblies.

Strands are basic building blocks. A strand consists of a “center” which supports a specified number of wires around it in one or more layers. The strands provide all the tensile strength of a fiber core rope, and 92-1/2% of the strength of an independent wire rope core (IWRC) six strand rope.

Such physical characteristics as fatigue resistance and resistance to abrasion are directly affected by the design of strands. In most strands with two or more layers of wires, inner layers support outer layers in such a manner that all wires may slide and adjust freely when the strand flexes.

As a general rule, a strand made up of a small number of large wires will be more abrasion resistant and less fatigue resistant than a strand of the same size made up of many smaller wires.

Most common wire rope constructions are grouped into four standard classifications, based on the number of strands and wires per strand, as shown in this chart.

All ropes of the same size and wire grade in each classification have the SAME strength and weight ratings, and usually the same pricing. Ropes within each classification may differ in working characteristics such as abrasion and fatigue resistance.

What is sometimes called the “Single Layer Principle” is the basis for this strand construction. Probably the most common example is a single wire center with six wires of the same diameter around it. It is called simply, a 7-wire (1-6) strand.

This construction has two layers of uniform size wire around a center wire, with the inner layer having half the number of wires as the outer layer. Small filler wires, equal in number to the inner layer, are laid in the valleys of the inner layer. Example: 25 Filler Wire (1-6-6f-12) strand

The Seale Principle features two layers of wires around a center wire, with the same number of wires in each layer. All wires in each layer are the same diameter, and the strand is designed so that the large outer wires rest in the valleys between the smaller inner wires. Example: 19 Seale (1-9-9) strand.

The Warrington Principle is a 2-layer construction with uniform-sized wires in the inner layer, and two diameters of wire alternating large and small in the outer layer. The larger outer-layer wires rest in the valleys, and the smaller ones on the crowns, of the inner layer. Example: 19 Warrington [1-6-(6+6)] strand.

When a strand is formed in a single operation using two or more of the above constructions, it is referred to as a “Combined Pattern.” This example is basically a Seale strand in its first two layers. The third layer utilizes the Warrington Principle, and the outer layer is a typical Seale pattern of same-size wires. It is described: 49 Seale Warrington Seale [1-8-8-(8+8)-16] strand.

In contrast to all the above strand types which are formed in a single operation, a Multiple Operation construction strand is one in which one of the above designs is covered with one or more layers of uniform-sized wires in a different work operation. The second operation is necessary because the outer layers must have a different length of lay or direction of lay. This example is a Warrington strand overlayed with 18 same-size wires. It is described: 37 Warrington 2-Operation [1-6-(6+6)/18] strand.

Industrial wire ropeis used for a multitude of applications. Smaller wire ropes are found on exercise equipment and wire fencing, while ticker rope styles are used for aerospace and aircraft construction and suspension bridge reinforcement. Further, wire ropes are utilized by countless industries, including the military, construction, warehousing, automotive, and engineering.

Singe the application and requirements for wire