sheave size for wire rope brands

Wire ropes are manufactured in a great variety of constructions to meet the varying demands of wire rope usage. Where abrasion is an important factor, the rope must be made of a coarse construction containing relatively large outer wires. In other cases, the great amount of bending to which the rope is subjected is more important. Here, a more flexible construction, containing many relatively small wires, is required. In either case, however, if the rope operates over inadequate size sheaves, the severe bending stresses imposed will cause the wires to break from fatigue, even though actual wear is slight. The smaller the diameter of the sheave, the sooner these fatigue breaks will occur and the shorter rope life becomes.

Another undesirable effect of small sheaves is accelerated wear of both rope and sheave groove. The pressure per unit area of rope on sheave groove for a given load is inversely proportional to the size of the sheave. In other words, the smaller the sheave the greater the rope pressure per unit area on the groove. Both sheaves and rope life can be prolonged by using the proper diameter sheave for the size and construction of rope. Sheave diameter also can influence rope strength. When a wire rope is bent around a sheave, there is a loss of effective strength due to the inability of the individual strands and wires to adjust themselves entirely to their changed position. Tests show that rope strength efficiency decreases to a marked degree as the sheave diameter is reduced with respect to the diameter of the rope.

A definite relationship exists between rope service and sheave size. As a guide to users, wire rope manufacturers have established standards for sheave sizes to be used with various rope constructions.

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Sheaves, drums and rollers must be of a correct design if optimum service is to be obtained from both the equipment and the wire rope. Because there are many different types of equipment and many different operating conditions, it is difficult to identify the one specific size of sheave or drum most appropriate for every application.

The guideline to follow is this: the most practical design is the one that most closely accommodates the limiting factors imposed by the equipment, the operating conditions and the wire rope.

All wire ropes operating over sheaves and drums are subjected to cyclic bending stresses, thus the rope wires will eventually fatigue. The magnitude of these stresses depends—all other factors being constant—upon the ratio of the diameter of the sheave or drum to the diameter of the rope.

Frequently, fatigue from cyclic, high-magnitude bending stress is a principal reason for shortened rope service. In order for a rope to bend around a sheave, the rope’s strands and wires must move relative to one another. This movement compensates for the difference in diameter between the underside and the top side of the rope, the distance being greater along the top side than it is on the underside next to the groove.

Proper rope movement (and service) is adversely affected if the wires cannot adjust to compensate for this length differential. Also, there can be additional limitations to wire movement because of excessive pressure caused by a sheave groove diameter which is too small, or by lack of rope lubrication. Avoid changing the bending direction from one sheave to another as this reverse bending further accelerates wire fatigue.

The relationship between sheave diameter and rope diameter is a critical factor that is used to estimate the rope’s fatigue resistance or relative service life. It is expressed in the D/d ratio mentioned earlier in which D is the pitch diameter of the sheave and d is the diameter of the rope. Table 1 lists suggested minimum D/d values for various rope constructions. Smaller values can affect rope life. Table 2 (on next page) shows the effect of rope construction and D/d on service life.

These D/d ratios are based on sheave and drum diameters being approximately 400 times the outer wire diameter of the rope. For rope constructions not listed, consult your Lifting Specialist.

A new wire rope requires careful installation and following all the appropriate guidelines previously noted. After the rope is installed and the ends secured in the correct manner, the equipment should be started carefully and then permitted to run through a cycle of operation at very slow speed.

During this trial operation, closely watch all working parts—sheaves, drums, rollers—to make certain that the rope runs freely, and without any possible obstructions as it makes its way through the system. If no problems appear in running the rope, the next step should include several repetitions of the normal operational cycle under increasing loads and speeds.

This procedure allows the component parts of the new rope to make a gradual adjustment to the actual operating conditions. Taking the time and effort to perform these breaking-in procedures should result in obtaining the optimum service life from the wire rope.

This service life curve only takes into account bending and tensile stresses. This curve can be utilized to predict comparative service life of a specific wire rope with varying D/d ratios.

That resultant comparison is illustrated by the following example: A rope working with a D/d ratio of 26 has a relative service life of 17. If the same rope works over a sheave that increases its D/d ratio to 35, the relative service life increases to 32.

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ESheaves.com offers a range of customizable wire rope sheave options, including QSheaves™,Strongman Sheaves, andHardHat Sheavesto provide faster, stronger, or higher value options versus traditional sources. But we also understand that sometimes only the original will do, and you’re willing to wait for what you need. Let usquote your Original Equipment Manufacturer wire rope sheaveproducts for your existing equipment. We offer many popular brands including Gunnebo Johnson pulleys, Crosby McKissick sheaves, and more. We’ve listed the most common options below.

Wire rope and cabling is very widely used throughout industry in a variety of applications. Failures of such ropes however continue to take place, often due to misuse or lack of understanding of the constraints under which wire ropes operate. Users are referred to the appropriate suppliers who can advise them of the optimum operating conditions, but what is often abused is the size of the sheave wheel selected for a particular wire rope diameter. Many suppliers specify that the ratio of sheave diameter to rope diameter should be in the range 20 to 30 (i.e. D/d = 20 to 30). However at small rope diameters (6 to 10mm), this stringency can be relaxed to ratios closer to 10. Research studies conducted, have shown that for a 13mm diameter wire rope, simply changing a pulley diameter from the recommended 300mm to 150mm diameter led to a six fold decrease in fatigue life of the rope – a significant loss. Manufacturers’ tables should be consulted for all applications and their advice headed (they are seldom overly conservative).

In addition, wear or incorrect machining of the grooves of the sheave is also a common problem, and worn sheaves contribute to significant wear of wire ropes and should be re-machined as soon as any wear (as measured using a suitable groove gauge) becomes apparent.  Similarly inappropriate fleet angles (angle of wire running from the drum to a guide pulley/sheave) can also cause significant wear and shorten fatigue life.  Fleet angles are specified at typically less than 1-2 degrees and should be adhered to for optimum fatigue life.

In the rigging industry, projects are often delayed while waiting on replacement sheaves. Sheaves are either broken or not performing well because the wrong one for the task is being used. Thankfully, there are three factors to look out for that help ensure your sheaves last a long time and perform to the highest levelin the rigging industry.Thethree factors to consider when choosing awire rope sheaveare: size, material, and time.

Depending on the application, various sheave sizesare used in the rigging industry. The most important thing is finding a balance between a sheave that isn"t so big it interferes with equipment, but is strong enough to handle any lifting, dragging, or pulling required.

With size, the outside diameter is not the only factor to consider. Inside diameter (bore diameter), and Groove size compatibility are equally important. Inside diameter determines the amount the belt moves with one rotation of the sheave. Use a string to measure the inside diameter of your existing sheave to see what size you need. The groove cradles the wire rope around your sheave. So, you should pick a groove size that fits the rope without being too loose for the rope to slip out, or too tight for it to get friction damage.

Picking the right material for a wire rope sheave is crucial. If you are in need of an extremely strong sheave, we recommend solid steel ideally machined from solid 1045 steel round bar. However, if your rigging task is constantly putting pressure in the groove areas of the sheave where the cable sits, we recommend a sheave made from Cast Nylon.Cast Nylon Sheaves are the ultimate heavy-duty wire rope solution that provides a cushioning effect in the groove areas. Choosing Nylon will extend wire rope life by 2-3 times or more.

Because sheaves are such an integral part of rigging and crane systems, you don"t want to spend long waiting for a replacement. The longer the wait, the more difficult your job, maintenance, and keeping profit becomes. When buying a sheave, various OEM manufacturers have excellent sheaves for rigging, yet the wait time for shipping can be weeks and sometimes months. It is important to choose a company that providesnext-day shipmentto your facility, jobsite, ship, or mine when purchasing stock wire rope sheaves. Luckily, esheaves.com has all the products you need.

When selecting a wire rope sheave, we"ve shown the importance of size, material and time. Not only will lifting, dragging or pulling for your rigging project become much easier when using the right sheaves, you will drastically improve the life of your wire rope sheaves.

AteSheaves, we customize and stock a variety of wire rope sheaves. If you want to learn more about wire rope sheaves for rigging, please visithttps://www.esheaves.com/industries/cranes-and-rigging/. Alternatively, if you have any questions, we can help! Reach out to us by email throughsales@esheaves.com, or by phone at 800-321-5667.

eSheaves is a proud distributor of Strongman Sheaves and Hardhat Sheaves. Strongman Sheaves are steel wire rope sheaves that can be fully customized to fit your applicational needs. Hardhat Sheaves are cast nylon sheaves made for wire rope load applications. Each of these brands offer wire rope sheaves that fit various applications. Strongman sheaves are used as replacement sheaves, made to fit your existing equipment. With Strongman sheaves, there’s no reason to modify your equipment or compromise your equipment design to fit a custom sheave. If your equipment or application doesn’t fit one of our stock sheaves, we can easily customize a Strongman sheave to fit your application specifications. Hardhat sheaves are used in a variety of heavy-duty applications. Cast nylon sheaves, like Hardhat sheaves, are becoming more and more popular in load bearing wire rope applications. Continue reading to find out more about Strongman sheaves and Hardhat sheaves.

Strongman sheaves are steel wire rope sheaves that can be made in sizes ranging from 1” to 60” in diameter. They fit wire rope in sizes from 1/8” to 3”. Strongman sheaves can be made from a variety of materials, including steel, nylon, polymer, and other synthetic materials. All Strongman sheaves up to 16” in diameter are made from solid 1045 steel round bar. Sheaves from 14” to 60” feature rope grooves hardened to 35-40 RC. If you need a customized Strongman sheave, our engineering team will get back to you with a formal quotation in as little as 24 hours. Strongman sheaves 12” and under are typically shipped within 2 to 3 weeks, while larger sheaves are shipped in 4 to 5 weeks. You can fill out the Strongman quote form on our website!

Hardhat sheaves, or cast nylon sheaves, are the preferred sheaves by the world’s leading crane and hoist manufacturers. Cast nylon sheaves have replaced traditional steel and aluminum wire rope sheaves because they have a longer service life, they offer better corrosion protection, they weigh less than steel and aluminum sheaves, and they are easily customizable. Hardhat sheaves are the best choice for heavy duty wire rope applications because they help to extend the life of your wire rope and reduce the expenses associated with wire rope and sheave replacements.

Strongman sheaves and Hardhat sheaves are both excellent choices when it comes to rigging applications. Strongman sheaves are made from strong, reliable steel and can be customized to fit your exact equipment specifications. Hardhat sheaves are perfect for heavy duty crane applications because they extend and improve the life of your wire rope and offer superior corrosion resistance. Find out more about Strongman sheaves and Hardhat sheaves on our website. Check out our eSheaves shop to view all of our in stock, ready to ship products available. Have any questions? Contact our sales team directly via email; sales@esheaves.com or by phone (800) 321-5667.