overhead crane wire rope lubricant free sample

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wire ropes can be utilized in a number of applications. The intended application generally will dictate the initial lubrication of the wire rope by manufacturers. For example, some wire ropes are employed for the support of structures such as buildings and bridges. These ropes remain nearly static, so there is little need to relubricate them. They will not have the same internal friction and wear (although still subjected to surface corrosion) as a dynamic rope utilized in heavy equipment applications for lifting or hauling purposes.

Wire ropes used in crane services often employ a fiber core which is saturated in oil with strands of wire wrapped around it. This fiber core acts as a sponge to actively drain or release lubricant when the rope is subjected to bending or loading. Most wire ropes fail from the inside, so this fiber core can be beneficial if binding conditions occur.

Wire ropes without a fiber core are typically coated with a lubricant during the manufacturing process to lessen internal friction and to coat the surface in order to minimize corrosion due to water or the environment.

While there are standards in place for lubricants used during the manufacturing process, most are generic and only help put you on the right track in your lubricant selection. Of course, all wire rope lubricants should have corrosion control properties as well as penetrating capabilities to get as far into the core of the wire rope as possible.

There are numerous methods of applying lubricant to wire ropes. For machinery in which the rope can move, you may choose to use a drip, spray or trough method. These methods apply lubricant at a single point and utilize the movement of the rope to spread the lubricant over the entire length of the system. Some trough systems are pressurized, which can be advantageous, as they push the lubricant into the rope.

If the wire ropes are static, manual brushing or sprays usually are the easiest way to apply lubricant. In most cases, it is best to remove excess lubricant from the surface to help minimize dirt and water from sticking to the lubricant, especially in dirty environments.

Proper lubrication of wire rope, or steel cable, is essential for two reasons. The first one is safety. Wire ropes that are improperly lubricated are far more prone to both interior and exterior wear, and as such are at greater risk for failing. A wire rope that breaks while being used can cause great injury or death, since they are often a critical piece in hoisting, towing, dragging, braking, or similar operations.

The second reason is simple economics. A wire rope that is well maintained and lubricated will last far longer than one that isn"t. Life of a wire rope can be extended several times if properly lubricated.

Wire rope bending around hoist drums and sheaves will wear like any other piece of metal, so you should lubricate wire rope the same as any other piece of working machinery. Wires and strands of a rope must be able to move freely in order for the rope to function correctly. Corrosion from moisture or wear due to friction shortens the service life of wire rope.

Wire rope should always be well cleaned before lubricating. Scraping, steaming, or high-pressure washing may remove most of the dirt and grit that has accumulated on used wire rope. Rust should be removed on a regular basis with a wire brush. The purpose of cleaning is to remove all foreign material and old lubricant from the valleys between the strands, as well as the spaces between the outer wires. Otherwise, new lubricant will not be able to flow into the rope.

Of the two, corrosion is more dangerous than wear because corrosion ruins the interior of a rope. This is very difficult to determine by visual inspection.

Wire rope should be inspected at regular intervals. How often these inspections take place depend on the frequency of rope use and the conditions under which it is used.

Abrasion or reverse and sharp bends cause individual wires to break and bend back. These breaks are known as fishhooks. Wire rope should be examined carefully for fishhooks, kinks, and worn and corroded spots. Breaks in individual wires will usually occur in areas where the wire runs continually over the sheaves or bend onto the drum. This is also a good place to look for problems, because the strands may separate slightly as the rope passes over, thus allowing slightly better examination.

There are two conditions that will usually reduce the diameter of a wire rope: Overloading, and failure to lubricate. Rope that is 75 percent of its original diameter should be removed from service. When pitting and corrosion of the wires are visible on the surface, you should assume that the same problem exists internally, and the rope should be removed from service.

Special care should be taken to examine the valleys and small spaces between the strands for rust and corrosion. Since corrosion is normally caused by insufficient or nonexistent lubrication, if you see external corrosion, assume that the internal wires of the rope are being damaged by extreme friction and wear at the same time. This type of internal and often invisible destruction of the wires is one of the most frequent causes of unexpected and sudden wire rope failure. To prevent this, keep the rope well lubricated, and handle and store it properly.

Wire rope should never be stored in an area where acid is or has been kept. This must be stressed to all personnel. The slightest trace of acid or acid fumes coming in contact with wire rope will damage it at the contact spot. Wire that has given way has been found many times to be acid damaged.

It is extremely important that wire rope be cleaned and lubricated properly before placing it in storage. Fortunately, corrosion of wire rope can be virtually eliminated if lubricant is applied properly and sufficient protection from the weather is provided. Remember that rust, corrosion of wires, and deterioration of the fiber core will significantly reduce the strength of wire rope.

Fin Super with MicPol: Suitable for above-water applications. A spray lubricant that goes on wet and dries to a solid film that protects from wear and moisture. Also has outstanding penetrating and creeping abilities, so it can quickly work its way throughout a wire rope and lubricate both interior and exterior.

Grease OG with MicPol: A grease with excellent metal adhesion that strongly resists washout and can withstand a temperature range of -20 C to 120 C. Ideal for use on outdoor and underwater cables, as well as heavily loaded open drive mechanisms such as turntables on cranes, bridges, locks, etc. Can be used with pneumatic lubricant spraying system. Calcium lithium complex grease with a DN factor of 60,000.

Crosby’s Vitalife®products are the preferred wire rope lubricants in the industry because of their ability to penetrate into wire rope and displace water and contaminants, thus reducing wear and corrosion throughout the rope.Available in a variety of container sizes.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant products also coat these strands to prevent friction and wear. This results in longer wire rope life, less downtime for rope changes and more production.

Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant is easily pumpable at temperatures down to -25°F (-35°C). Its nondrying film remains flexible in the most extreme weather conditions, which eliminates flaking and peeling.Whitmore’s Wire Rope Lubricant can be used to lubricate all sizes of wire rope, as well as chains, leaf springs and other applications where penetrating oil is needed. It may be applied by hand or automatic lube system.

Maintain a record for each rope that includes the date of inspection, type of inspection, the name of the person who performed the inspection, and inspection results.

Use the "rag-and-visual" method to check for external damage. Grab the rope lightly and with a rag or cotton cloth, move the rag slowly along the wire. Broken wires will often "porcupine" (stick out) and these broken wires will snag on the rag. If the cloth catches, stop and visually assess the rope. It is also important to visually inspect the wire (without a rag). Some wire breaks will not porcupine.

Measure the rope diameter. Compare the rope diameter measurements with the original diameter. If the measurements are different, this change indicates external and/or internal rope damage.

Visually check for abrasions, corrosion, pitting, and lubrication inside the rope. Insert a marlin spike beneath two strands and rotate to lift strands and open rope.

Assess the condition of the rope at the section showing the most wear. Discard a wire rope if you find any of the following conditions:In running ropes (wound on drums or passed over sheaves), 6 or more broken wires in one rope lay length; 3 or more broken wires in one strand in one rope lay. (One rope lay is the distance necessary to complete one turn of the strand around the diameter of the rope.)

Corrosion from lack of lubrication and exposure to heat or moisture (e.g., wire rope shows signs of pitting). A fibre core rope will dry out and break at temperatures above 120°C (250°F).

Kinks from the improper installation of new rope, the sudden release of a load or knots made to shorten a rope. A kink cannot be removed without creating a weak section. Discarding kinked rope is best.

EN12385-2 Steel wire ropes – Safety – Definitions, designation and classification provides a detailed explanation of all the terms and abbreviations used when describing a wire rope and its components. Below are a few of the most common abbreviations;

Steel wire ropes are specified in terms of a Nominal Rope Diameter and when produced have a manufacturing diameter tolerance, this tolerance can vary depending upon customer requirements and specifications and is often dictated by the diameter of grooving within sheaves and drums in which the wire rope will be expected to operate. If no diameter tolerance is specified, the general diameter tolerance is, Nominal Diameter +0% to +5% as specified within various International Rope Standards (EN12385-4, API-9A, ISO 2408). However, please note other diameter tolerances may be applied to ‘small’ diameter ropes and ropes used for specific applications/industries e.g. Mining, Aerials, Elevators, etc.

When designing any rope operated equipment, designers should consider the relevant National and/or International Standards which refer to acceptable sheave and drum diameters based upon the application, industry, etc. The diameter of sheaves and drums together with the tension, are normally associated with overall service life of the rope and in ‘simple terms’ the larger the diameter the longer the service life, although consideration should also be given to the anticipated modes of rope deterioration which will also significantly affect the service life. Typically, the diameter of sheaves and drums for crane applications are 16 to 28 times the nominal rope diameter.

Wire ropes are generally subjected to a visual examination and specifically for crane ropes these is an International Standard ISO 4309 “Cranes – Wire ropes – Care and maintenance, inspection and discard” which provides guidance on the inspection of wire ropes and provide the discard criteria. The document also includes information on the Magnetic testing of roper in service / Non-Destructive Examination and how this can assist the competent person in combination with his visual examination, determine the overall condition of the rope. All wire ropes should be inspected on a routine basis by a competent person to ensure that they remain is a good condition whilst in service and removed from service before they become dangerous. However, this standard is used for offering guidance for ropes operating in other systems where no specific discard criteria are given for that application, industry or country in which the rope is operating.

Please note, wire ropes can cause death and/or serious injury if not correctly handles, operated and maintained to good condition and care should always be taken when work with or close to wire ropes.

A new rope can easily be damaged if the pulley wheel groove is too tight, this will in effect pinch the rope probably causing a wave (spiral) deformity in your new rope.

If left unchecked in a steel pulley, parallel, linear fatigue wire breaks will be found where the contact pressures have become too high, due to a pinch affect.

The Lang’s construction, due to the wires running across the axis of the rope is the same direction as the strand, provides a greater length of wire on the exterior surface of the rope and hence since there is an increased surface area there is an increased area of steel to wear away before a broken wire occurs, therefore offering greater wear resistance. Therefore, applications where the rope is operating over larger number of support rollers and/or sheaves, the Lang’s lay rope may be of benefit.

The direction of the wires within the Lang’s lay construction also reduces the level of mechanical damage and rope interference, which takes place between adjacent wraps of rope within the crossover zones during multi-layer spooling of wire rope.

It is important to state that, single layer strand and parallel laid, rope constructions, manufactured in Lang’s lay, MUST NOT be used with one end free to rotate. Since the wires and the strands as twisted in the same direction, if the rope is free to rotate the wires and the strands will untwist tighter and seriously affect the integrity and breaking strength of the rope.

Wire ropes may be considered as machines, each with approximately 200 to 300 individual wires, which move independently to each over whenever ropes operate around sheaves or spool on or off winch drums, therefore ensuring ropes are lubricated internally will minimise the level of friction between the individual wires and optimise the ropes bend fatigue performance. Lubricant internally and externally will protect the ropes from corrosion and this applies equally to both un-galvanised/bright ropes and galvanised rope. Although the zinc on the surface of the individual wires of a galvanised rope will protect the wires from corrosion, once the zinc has sacrificed itself (oxidised) to protect the steel, the wires are then susceptible to corrosion. The longer the zinc can be protected by the lubricant the longer the zinc remains to offer protection to the steel. However there are applications where internal or external lubricant on the rope may not be advisable, anywhere the lubricant could drop off the rope and contaminate products (paper, food, etc.) in the vicinity of the rope or where the lubricant on the exterior of the rope may be contaminated with debris in the atmosphere (grit, sand, etc.). In this application, it must be accepted that ‘dry’ ropes will have a significantly reduced service life.

Ropes may be lubricated in-service with either oil or grease, both products offering slightly different benefits. Oils may be applied from a portable spray unit and although the ropes may require being re-lubricated more frequently, since it is relatively easy and cleaning to apply, operators are more likely to re-lubricate the ropes in service. The thin oil may penetrate the rope and surface coat the exterior of the rope with a thin film of lubricant, which also allows for relatively easy routine visual inspection of the rope. Alternatively, rope may be lubricated with a soft bearing type grease; the grease may be applied using a suitable pressure greasing system (Masto, Viper, etc.) to ensure uniform coating of grease along the total length of the rope passing through the greasing system, although the level and colour of grease may make visual inspection difficult. It is important that any oil or grease used to lubricate ropes in service is compatible with the lubricant applied to the rope during manufacturing and Bridon-Bekaert offer a range of wire rope lubricants specially formulated to be suitable for most environments and operations, including ECO VGP 2013 compliant (Bio-degradable, Non-toxic & Non-accumulative) products.

For ropes operating above ambient temperature consideration must be given to the effects the operating temperature may have on the wire rope. For guidance, unless otherwise stated, the maximum operating temperatures are provided in the International Standards e.g. EN 12385-3. However searches of these standards by Bridon-Bekaert indicate that the quoted temperatures within the standards have remained constant for a significant period of time, having been developed when rope constructions and usage centred around common 6-stranded rope constructions. With the introduction of more complex rope constructions incorporating higher tensile grade wires, synthetic lubricants and polymers, Bridon-Bekaert’s experiences indicate that reconsideration of the maximum operating temperatures is required. For high performance ropes incorporating synthetic lubricants and polymers Bridon-Bekaert recommend a maximum operating temperature of 100 degrees C. Excessive bleed out of lubricant from the rope may occur depending upon the rope operating temperature and the type/composition of the lubricant and frequent re-lubrication may be required.

Certain applications (Heave compensation systems, etc.) can generate high operating temperatures and for these and any application or where ropes are stored above ambient temperature, Bridon-Bekaert would be please to discuss this subject further.

Also due the smoothness of the circumference of these rope designs, they reduce wear at the cross over contact points as the rope wraps over itself as it is wound onto the drum.

An Ordinary lay rope is where the individual wires in the outer strands are spun / twisted together in the opposite direction to the direction the outer strands are twisted around the core, which results in the individual wires running along the axis of the rope. A Lang’s lay rope is where the individual wires in the outer stands are twisted in the same direction as the outer strands are twisted around the core, which results in the individual wires running across the rope in the same direction as the strands.

It is important to state that a left hand lay rope and a right hand lay rope MUST never be joined together unless the jointing mechanism is prevented from rotating, otherwise the rope will be allowed to un-twist together, which may have a significant effect on the integrity of the ropes, and could result in failure of the rope. There are two particular situations/arrangements where a left hand and/or right hand rope combination may be considered beneficial;

To prevent rotation of load – Twin rope operating systems (Overhead hoists, Grabbing systems, Container handling cranes, etc.) are generally designed to utilise one left hand rope and one right hand lay rope. When lifting a load both ropes will be subjected to an axial load and will try to un-twist, but since the ropes have been spun in different directions during manufacture one rope will trying to un-twist in one direction whilst the other rope will try to un-twist in the opposite direction, the two ropes therefore acting against each other to prevent/minimise rotation of the load.

When spooling a rope – Tension is generally applied to ropes whilst they are being spooled on to a winch drum and this tension will try to rotate / untwist the rope and therefore it is preferable to have the rope rotating up against the previous wrap of rope to minimise ‘gapping’ between the adjacent wrap of rope particularly on the bottom layer. Therefore, to achieve this, depending if the rope is anchored on the left or right hand side of the drum or the rope is being spooled under-wound or over-wound will determine if, a left or right hand lay rope should be utilised.

Rotation Resistant ropes are normally used to lift or suspend a load without the load rotating (example, hoist ropes used on Offshore, Mobile and Tower cranes, etc.) and are constructed by spinning the inner part of the rope in one direction and the outer part of the rope in the opposite direction. When an axial load is then applied to the rope the inner part will try to untwist in one direction and the outer part will try to untwist in the opposite direction, with the two parts of the rope reacting against each other. Rotation Resistant ropes are normally of a multi-strand construction and constructed of 2-layers of strands with the inner layer spun in the opposite direction to the outer layer and of 3-layers of strands with the inner two layers spun in the opposite direction to the outer layer. Three and four stranded rope constructions may also be considered as rotation resistant, but having only three or four strands, the ropes do not exhibit such a smooth exterior profile and may prove to be more difficult to spool, particularly when multi-layer spooled.

Wire rope does not have a defined shelf-live, provided the rope has been stored and maintained to ensure that the rope has not been allowed to deteriorate. To ensure that ropes remain in good condition, it is considered good practice to ensure the ropes are stored off the ground in a well-ventilated environment, protected from the sun, rain, sand/grit/dirt, chemicals or any other forms of contamination. Depending upon the environment the lubricant on the rope will tend to migrate to the bottom of the reel and dry out during storage. It is therefore good practice to rotate reels to prevent the lubricant migrating out of the rope on to the floor and to re-lubricate the ropes during storage by simple spraying a thin oil on to the surface of the rope to prevent the steel wires from corroding and/or zinc coating on the wires from oxidising (white rust). Whilst wire ropes are in storage they should be routinely inspected to ensure they have not been accidentally damaged, that all identification and certification remains in place and that the ropes remain fit for use. Rope being taken from storage on a ‘first in – first out’ basis, to minimise the length of time in storage.

In heavy eng. steel plants, pipes, fabrication, overhead cranes play a major role. The maintenance dept. Give topmost priority to this equipment as any break-down may result in huge production loss. Considering the importance of overhead cranes, we have developed tailor made products to give a complete lubricate solution for overhead cranes.

Ropes in overhead cranes are very critical in application and any breakage may result in total accidents. Generally the maintenance dept. don’t give much importance and use between based product for the lubrication of ropes. These bitumen based products are an old age practice where people were not having any alternative. But now due to the technology up-gradation there are better substitutes for the lubrication of ropes. Its our pleasure to introduce two products for the lubrication of chain and wire ropes.

There is a continuous wear of sideways of tracks and drum collar failures in overhead cranes due to the problem of alignments. These areas remain neglected due to the non-availability of proper lubricant. We offer Chemilube Molybond 300 as a complete and proven solution for this problem.

In stricter senses, the term wire rope refers to a diameter larger than 9.5 mm (3⁄8 in), with smaller gauges designated cable or cords.wrought iron wires were used, but today steel is the main material used for wire ropes.

Historically, wire rope evolved from wrought iron chains, which had a record of mechanical failure. While flaws in chain links or solid steel bars can lead to catastrophic failure, flaws in the wires making up a steel cable are less critical as the other wires easily take up the load. While friction between the individual wires and strands causes wear over the life of the rope, it also helps to compensate for minor failures in the short run.

Wire ropes were developed starting with mining hoist applications in the 1830s. Wire ropes are used dynamically for lifting and hoisting in cranes and elevators, and for transmission of mechanical power. Wire rope is also used to transmit force in mechanisms, such as a Bowden cable or the control surfaces of an airplane connected to levers and pedals in the cockpit. Only aircraft cables have WSC (wire strand core). Also, aircraft cables are available in smaller diameters than wire rope. For example, aircraft cables are available in 1.2 mm (3⁄64 in) diameter while most wire ropes begin at a 6.4 mm (1⁄4 in) diameter.suspension bridges or as guy wires to support towers. An aerial tramway relies on wire rope to support and move cargo overhead.

Modern wire rope was invented by the German mining engineer Wilhelm Albert in the years between 1831 and 1834 for use in mining in the Harz Mountains in Clausthal, Lower Saxony, Germany.chains, such as had been used before.

Wilhelm Albert"s first ropes consisted of three strands consisting of four wires each. In 1840, Scotsman Robert Stirling Newall improved the process further.John A. Roebling, starting in 1841suspension bridge building. Roebling introduced a number of innovations in the design, materials and manufacture of wire rope. Ever with an ear to technology developments in mining and railroading, Josiah White and Erskine Hazard, principal ownersLehigh Coal & Navigation Company (LC&N Co.) — as they had with the first blast furnaces in the Lehigh Valley — built a Wire Rope factory in Mauch Chunk,Pennsylvania in 1848, which provided lift cables for the Ashley Planes project, then the back track planes of the Summit Hill & Mauch Chunk Railroad, improving its attractiveness as a premier tourism destination, and vastly improving the throughput of the coal capacity since return of cars dropped from nearly four hours to less than 20 minutes. The decades were witness to a burgeoning increase in deep shaft mining in both Europe and North America as surface mineral deposits were exhausted and miners had to chase layers along inclined layers. The era was early in railroad development and steam engines lacked sufficient tractive effort to climb steep slopes, so incline plane railways were common. This pushed development of cable hoists rapidly in the United States as surface deposits in the Anthracite Coal Region north and south dove deeper every year, and even the rich deposits in the Panther Creek Valley required LC&N Co. to drive their first shafts into lower slopes beginning Lansford and its Schuylkill County twin-town Coaldale.

The German engineering firm of Adolf Bleichert & Co. was founded in 1874 and began to build bicable aerial tramways for mining in the Ruhr Valley. With important patents, and dozens of working systems in Europe, Bleichert dominated the global industry, later licensing its designs and manufacturing techniques to Trenton Iron Works, New Jersey, USA which built systems across America. Adolf Bleichert & Co. went on to build hundreds of aerial tramways around the world: from Alaska to Argentina, Australia and Spitsbergen. The Bleichert company also built hundreds of aerial tramways for both the Imperial German Army and the Wehrmacht.

In the last half of the 19th century, wire rope systems were used as a means of transmitting mechanical powercable cars. Wire rope systems cost one-tenth as much and had lower friction losses than line shafts. Because of these advantages, wire rope systems were used to transmit power for a distance of a few miles or kilometers.

Steel wires for wire ropes are normally made of non-alloy carbon steel with a carbon content of 0.4 to 0.95%. The very high strength of the rope wires enables wire ropes to support large tensile forces and to run over sheaves with relatively small diameters.

In the mostly used parallel lay strands, the lay length of all the wire layers is equal and the wires of any two superimposed layers are parallel, resulting in linear contact. The wire of the outer layer is supported by two wires of the inner layer. These wires are neighbors along the whole length of the strand. Parallel lay strands are made in one operation. The endurance of wire ropes with this kind of strand is always much greater than of those (seldom used) with cross lay strands. Parallel lay strands with two wire layers have the construction Filler, Seale or Warrington.

In principle, spiral ropes are round strands as they have an assembly of layers of wires laid helically over a centre with at least one layer of wires being laid in the opposite direction to that of the outer layer. Spiral ropes can be dimensioned in such a way that they are non-rotating which means that under tension the rope torque is nearly zero. The open spiral rope consists only of round wires. The half-locked coil rope and the full-locked coil rope always have a centre made of round wires. The locked coil ropes have one or more outer layers of profile wires. They have the advantage that their construction prevents the penetration of dirt and water to a greater extent and it also protects them from loss of lubricant. In addition, they have one further very important advantage as the ends of a broken outer wire cannot leave the rope if it has the proper dimensions.

Stranded ropes are an assembly of several strands laid helically in one or more layers around a core. This core can be one of three types. The first is a fiber core, made up of synthetic material or natural fibers like sisal. Synthetic fibers are stronger and more uniform but cannot absorb much lubricant. Natural fibers can absorb up to 15% of their weight in lubricant and so protect the inner wires much better from corrosion than synthetic fibers do. Fiber cores are the most flexible and elastic, but have the downside of getting crushed easily. The second type, wire strand core, is made up of one additional strand of wire, and is typically used for suspension. The third type is independent wire rope core (IWRC), which is the most durable in all types of environments.ordinary lay rope if the lay direction of the wires in the outer strands is in the opposite direction to the lay of the outer strands themselves. If both the wires in the outer strands and the outer strands themselves have the same lay direction, the rope is called a lang lay rope (from Dutch langslag contrary to kruisslag,Regular lay means the individual wires were wrapped around the centers in one direction and the strands were wrapped around the core in the opposite direction.

Multi-strand ropes are all more or less resistant to rotation and have at least two layers of strands laid helically around a centre. The direction of the outer strands is opposite to that of the underlying strand layers. Ropes with three strand layers can be nearly non-rotating. Ropes with two strand layers are mostly only low-rotating.

Stationary ropes, stay ropes (spiral ropes, mostly full-locked) have to carry tensile forces and are therefore mainly loaded by static and fluctuating tensile stresses. Ropes used for suspension are often called cables.

Track ropes (full locked ropes) have to act as rails for the rollers of cabins or other loads in aerial ropeways and cable cranes. In contrast to running ropes, track ropes do not take on the curvature of the rollers. Under the roller force, a so-called free bending radius of the rope occurs. This radius increases (and the bending stresses decrease) with the tensile force and decreases with the roller force.

Wire rope slings (stranded ropes) are used to harness various kinds of goods. These slings are stressed by the tensile forces but first of all by bending stresses when bent over the more or less sharp edges of the goods.

Technical regulations apply to the design of rope drives for cranes, elevators, rope ways and mining installations. Factors that are considered in design include:

Donandt force (yielding tensile force for a given bending diameter ratio D/d) - strict limit. The nominal rope tensile force S must be smaller than the Donandt force SD1.

The wire ropes are stressed by fluctuating forces, by wear, by corrosion and in seldom cases by extreme forces. The rope life is finite and the safety is only ensured by inspection for the detection of wire breaks on a reference rope length, of cross-section loss, as well as other failures so that the wire rope can be replaced before a dangerous situation occurs. Installations should be designed to facilitate the inspection of the wire ropes.

Lifting installations for passenger transportation require that a combination of several methods should be used to prevent a car from plunging downwards. Elevators must have redundant bearing ropes and a safety gear. Ropeways and mine hoistings must be permanently supervised by a responsible manager and the rope must be inspected by a magnetic method capable of detecting inner wire breaks.

The end of a wire rope tends to fray readily, and cannot be easily connected to plant and equipment. There are different ways of securing the ends of wire ropes to prevent fraying. The common and useful type of end fitting for a wire rope is to turn the end back to form a loop. The loose end is then fixed back on the wire rope. Termination efficiencies vary from about 70% for a Flemish eye alone; to nearly 90% for a Flemish eye and splice; to 100% for potted ends and swagings.

When the wire rope is terminated with a loop, there is a risk that it will bend too tightly, especially when the loop is connected to a device that concentrates the load on a relatively small area. A thimble can be installed inside the loop to preserve the natural shape of the loop, and protect the cable from pinching and abrading on the inside of the loop. The use of thimbles in loops is industry best practice. The thimble prevents the load from coming into direct contact with the wires.

A wire rope clip, sometimes called a clamp, is used to fix the loose end of the loop back to the wire rope. It usually consists of a U-bolt, a forged saddle, and two nuts. The two layers of wire rope are placed in the U-bolt. The saddle is then fitted to the bolt over the ropes (the saddle includes two holes to fit to the U-bolt). The nuts secure the arrangement in place. Two or more clips are usually used to terminate a wire rope depending on the diameter. As many as eight may be needed for a 2 in (50.8 mm) diameter rope.

The mnemonic "never saddle a dead horse" means that when installing clips, the saddle portion of the assembly is placed on the load-bearing or "live" side, not on the non-load-bearing or "dead" side of the cable. This is to protect the live or stress-bearing end of the rope against crushing and abuse. The flat bearing seat and extended prongs of the body are designed to protect the rope and are always placed against the live end.

An eye splice may be used to terminate the loose end of a wire rope when forming a loop. The strands of the end of a wire rope are unwound a certain distance, then bent around so that the end of the unwrapped length forms an eye. The unwrapped strands are then plaited back into the wire rope, forming the loop, or an eye, called an eye splice.

A Flemish eye, or Dutch Splice, involves unwrapping three strands (the strands need to be next to each other, not alternates) of the wire and keeping them off to one side. The remaining strands are bent around, until the end of the wire meets the "V" where the unwrapping finished, to form the eye. The strands kept to one side are now re-wrapped by wrapping from the end of the wire back to the "V" of the eye. These strands are effectively rewrapped along the wire in the opposite direction to their original lay. When this type of rope splice is used specifically on wire rope, it is called a "Molly Hogan", and, by some, a "Dutch" eye instead of a "Flemish" eye.

Swaging is a method of wire rope termination that refers to the installation technique. The purpose of swaging wire rope fittings is to connect two wire rope ends together, or to otherwise terminate one end of wire rope to something else. A mechanical or hydraulic swager is used to compress and deform the fitting, creating a permanent connection. Threaded studs, ferrules, sockets, and sleeves are examples of different swaged terminations.

A wedge socket termination is useful when the fitting needs to be replaced frequently. For example, if the end of a wire rope is in a high-wear region, the rope may be periodically trimmed, requiring the termination hardware to be removed and reapplied. An example of this is on the ends of the drag ropes on a dragline. The end loop of the wire rope enters a tapered opening in the socket, wrapped around a separate component called the wedge. The arrangement is knocked in place, and load gradually eased onto the rope. As the load increases on the wire rope, the wedge become more secure, gripping the rope tighter.

Poured sockets are used to make a high strength, permanent termination; they are created by inserting the wire rope into the narrow end of a conical cavity which is oriented in-line with the intended direction of strain. The individual wires are splayed out inside the cone or "capel", and the cone is then filled with molten lead-antimony-tin (Pb80Sb15Sn5) solder or "white metal capping",zincpolyester resin compound.

Donald Sayenga. "Modern History of Wire Rope". History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy (atlantic-cable.com). Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.