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About Wire Rope
Wire ropes have three basic elements: wires, strands
and a core. The wires are bundled together to form strands. Strands consist
of two or more wires that are arranged in one of various geometric arrangements.
The strands are helically laid around the core, or center. Strands can
be a blending of steel wires with other materials like synthetic or natural
fiber. The core, which is the foundation of the wire rope, provides support
to the strands for normal operating conditions. Core material includes
steel or various fibers, such as synthetic or hard vegetable fibers.
Wire rope suppliers classify their products in terms of the direction
in which the strands are wound around the core. This classification is
also known as the lay, which can be right or left. Further classifications
of regular and lang lay refer to the way the wire and the strands are
laid in relation to each other. In a regular lay, the wires and the strands
are laid in opposite directions. They are laid in the same direction
for lang. Wire rope suppliers classify the construction of the wire rope
with two sets of numbers. The first number represents the number of strands
and the second, the number of wires per strand. There are four standard
construction classifications: 6x7, 6x19, 6x37 and 8x19.
Wire ropes and slings are used in a variety of applications. Mining operations
use steel wire rope for winding in shafts and underground hauling, as
well as safety hoists. Wire rope is necessary in oil drilling operations
for crane operations, air hoists, rotary drilling lines and mast-raising
lines. Ski and chair lifts depend on specially designed wires from wire
rope suppliers. The construction industry utilizes wire rope as rigging
for cranes. Commercial fishing boats use various types of wire ropes
for applications, such as trawling. Other applications for wire rope
include elevator operations, aircraft cables, marine control, garage
doors, supporting, or guy, wires and winches.
When selecting wire rope, some important considerations will help in
choosing a construction that will provide long service while minimizing
cost. The resistance of the rope to breaking refers to the actual normal
workload that the wire rope will carry. Select a rope that is able to
carry five to ten times greater than that amount. Flexibility refers
to the resistance of the wire rope to bending. Other determining factors
include size, material, core and construction. Vibrational fatigue, abrasion
resistance and resistance to crushing are also considerations. It is
important to realize that it is impossible to maximize all of the above
factors in relation to the task of the rope.
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