Rope Construction Selection Guide

There are many different constructions of fiber rope. The chart below will help you gain a better understanding of the types and strengths. Contact Industrial Rope  for all your rope needs.

 ROPE CONSTRUCTION SELECTION GUIDE

CHARACTERISTICS	SOLID BRAID	HOLLOW BRAID	DOUBLE BRAID	DIAMOND BRAID	TWISTED
Number of Strands or Carriers	9, 12 or 18	8, 12 or 16	16, 24 or 32	8 or 16	3
Spliceable	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Strength to Weight	5	2	1	4	3
Flexibility	3	1	2	4	5
Flattens Under Load	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Rotates Under Load	No	No	No	No	Yes
Mechanical Elongation	1	4	5	3	2
Cost Per Size	2	4	1	3	5
Working Load (as a % of TensileL)	15-20%	15-20%	15-20%	15-20%	8-14%
Abrasion Resistance	1	5	2	3	4
*WARNING: This guide is designed for general reference only. The construction comparisons assume using the same rope fiber and size. Expert advice should be sought when choosing a rope where protection of life or property is involved.

 

ROPE FIBER SELECTION GUIDE: Fiber Properties- Typical Values

	Manila	Sisal	Cotton	Nylon	Polyester	Poly- propylene	Poly- ethylene	Kevlar(1)	Spectra (2)
STRENGTH: Breaking Tenacity- Dry (grams/ denier) Wet Strength vs. Dry Strength Shock-load Absorption Ability	5.0-6.0 Up to 120% Poor	4.0-5.0 Up to 120% Poor	2.0-3.0 Up to 120 % Very Poor	7.0-9.5 85-90% Excellent	7.0-9.5 100% Good	6.5 100% Very Good	6.0 100% Fair	18-26.5 95% Poor	30.0 100% Fair
WEIGHT: Specific Gravity Floats	1.38 No	1.38 No	1.54 No	1.14 No	1.38 No	0.91 No	0.95 No	1.44 No	0.97 No
ELONGATION: Percent at Break Creep (extension under sustained load)	10-12% Very Low	10-12% Very Low	5-12% Very Low	18-25% Moderate	12-15% Low	15-25% High	15-25% High	1.5-3.6% Very Low	3.5% Moderate
EFFECTS OF MOISTURE: Water Absorp. of Indiv. Fibers Dielectric Properties	Up to 100% Very Poor	Up to 100% Very Poor	Up to 100% Very Poor	2.8% Poor	<1% Good	None Excellent	None Excellent	3.5-7.0% Poor	None Excellent
DEGRADATION: Resistance to UV in Sunlight Resistance to Rot and Mildew Storage Requirements	Good Poor Dry Only	Good Poor Dry Only	Good Poor Dry Only	Good Excellent Wet or Dry	Excellent Excellent Wet or Dry	Poor (black is best) Excellent Wet or Dry	Fair (black is best) Excellent Wet or Dry	Fair Excellent Wet or Dry	Fair Excellent Wet or Dry
ROPE ABRASION RESISTANCE: Surface Internal	Good Fair	Fair Fair	Poor Fair	Very Good Excellent	Excellent Excellent	Good Good	Good Good	Fair Fair	V. Good Excellent
THERMAL PROPERTIES: Melts at	Does not melt Chars at 350°	Does not melt Chars at 350°	Does not melt Chars at 300°	420°-480°	490°-500°	330°	275°	800°- Begins to Decompose	297°
RESISTANCE: Resistance to Acids Resistance to Alkalis Resistance to Oils and Gas	Poor Poor Poor	Poor Poor Fair	Poor Fair Poor	Fair Very Good Very Good	Good Fair Very Good	Excellent Excellent Very Good	Excellent Excellent Very Good	Fair Fair Very Good	Excellent Excellent Very Good

Nylon Slings - Industrial Rope

Nylon Slings

Nylon slings provide great strength combined with elasticity. Under a heavy load, nylon slings will absorb shock and return to their original shape after release. This combination of stretch and strength is beneficial for repeated lifting situations and tie-downs.

Should your job involve moisture or chemical exposure (alkalis not acids), nylon will not rot or deteriorate, even under repeated contact or long-term storage. Being impervious to UV light, nylon slings are safely used indoors or outdoors, in rain or shine and can withstand temperatures up to 180°F. [2]

Other benefits of nylon slings are their light weight and smooth surface. Rigging situations themselves may involve heavy and cumbersome preparation. The light weight of nylon slings make adjustments, transportation and storage of rigging equipment a simple. Certain loads may be scratched or damaged by chain or wire slings, but nylon slings have no undesired effects on the load itself. The flexibility of nylon gives these slings many advantages over chains or wires which are rigid and may kink when bent at sharp angles.

Extra features are built into the nylon slings themselves for enhanced safety and performance. As the nylon sling wears over time, red indicator yarns at the core of the sling will warn the user of any cuts or damage. Chemical compounds are also infused into these slings to seal out dirt and foreign particles enhancing the sling’s grip. Any signs of scorching, cuts or wear should caution the user of potential dangers.

This is not a good name for our industry "Wire Rope" when we read studies about wire rope and coiled rope being found at the bottom of the ocean. Ocean Study

One thing is certain Industrial Rope can supply you with all the needed materials to compete in the new extreme sport. Of course Industrial Rope will not install the materials and we do not offer classes. So please remember to learn the new sport at your own risk. Hey where would you practice? New Sport

Industrial Rope has also decided to enter into the climbing rope. If this is you we can supply you with all the needed supplies......check your fear at the door......Ropes

As always contact Industrial Rope for all your rigging needs!

Wire Rope Slings

Wire Rope Slings are available in many different types. Eye & Eye, Single Leg, Double Leg Bridle, Triple Leg Bridle...The best place on the internet for this information is Wire Rope Slings. Industrial Rope has been in the same family for over 50 years. They have a wealth of knowledge when it come to all your lifting needs.

Wire Rope Specifications

Wire Rope Basics

If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me at 888.345.0919 or Industrial Rope 

  

TYPES OF CORES

An important point to consider is the selection of the proper type of core needed in the rope. Wire Ropes are made with either fiber core or steel wire core.

1) Fiber Core (FC)
This center is made of either natural fibers or polypropylene and offers greater elasticity than the independent

Wire Rope Core.

2) Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC)
This center is usually composed of a separate 7x7 wire rope designated as IWRC. The steel core increases the strength by 7% and the weight by 10%. These steel cores provide more substantial support than fiber cores to the outer strands during the rope's operating life. Steel centers resist crushing, are more resistant to heat and increase the strength of the rope.

DESIGN FACTOR

The Design Factor being both the ratio between the minimum Breaking load of the rope and the rated capacity (RC) tells at what percentage of its ultimate strength a wire rope is operating. The Design Factor takes into consideration both normal rope wear and potential stresses in various applications. The best practice in determining an adequate design factor is to analyze the specific conditions involved inn each individual installation. The following example shows how to determine the Design Factor: If a rope is working under a max. operating load of 10,000 lbs. and is having an ultimate strength of 50,000 lbs., the factor is 5 which means it is operating at 20% of its ultimate strength.

FLEET ANGLE

The fleet angle is the angle formed between the rope running to or from the extreme left or right of the drum and a line drawn from the center of the sheave normal to the axis of the drum. For optimum efficiency, the angle here should not exceed 1 1/2 degrees for a smooth drum, or 2 degrees for a grooved drum. If the fleet angle is larger than the recommended limits, it can cause bad winding on smooth drums and rubbing against the flanges of the grooves. Too small a fleet angle should also be avoided since it will cause the rope to pile up against the flange head.

Before installing any wire rope that winds onto a drum, the fleet angle should be checked and if found improper, conditions should be corrected.

SHEAVE ALIGNMENT

Proper alignment of sheaves is essential. The main sheave should line up with the center of the hoisting drum, otherwise both the rope and sheave flanges will be subjected to severe and rapid deterioration will occur. If rope speeds are high, sheaves should also be balanced.

NOTE:

Wire rope products will break if abused, misused or overused. Regular inspection and maintenance are necessary. Consult industry recommendation and OSHA standards before using.

For additional Information Visit the Links below:

Rope Deterioration

Common Wire Rope Degradation

Replacement of Wire Ropes

Welcoming the New Year!

In January of 2009 if you would have told me Industrial rope may see a 20% drop in business I would have called you crazy! Not now! 2009 was the most challenging year the wire rope industry has ever faced. I learned to manage better in one year than the previous 19 years combined. It does appear we have seen the bottom and I do hope that is the case or deeper cuts will have to be made. I have yet to find one owner/manager in my industry who did not get out the knife and start cutting, cutting, cutting. Enough of the last on with the new.

Industrial Rope has launched a limited online shopping store at Industrialrope.com and we have launched an Ebay Store as well. We anticipate our online store to be growing as we move forward into 2010. I also wanted to give our customers a brief history about Industrial Rope and all we have to offer.

Industrial Rope Supply Co., Inc. is a family owned business with an extremely deep history. The company was founded in the late 1800's by George Kray on 2nd Street in downtown Cincinnati. After the death of George Kray, Floyd Gudgeon purchased the company. In 1952 he changed the name to Industrial Rope Supply Co., Inc. and moved it to the present location, 5250 River Road. After the death of Floyd Gudgeon ownership was passed on to his daughter, Carole Lemen. In 1998 I purchased the company, and have managed its growth to include a second location in St. Charles Missouri.

Our product line has evolved to meet the demands of our current customers and customers of the future. Aside from the products shown in our catalog, we offer a full line of safety products, fiber rope, small cordage, galvanized aircord, import wire rope, import fittings, bulk chain, chain slings and all related chain products. Customer service has been the key to our success and will be the key to our future growth. That is why we pride ourselves on servicing our customers because without you, Industrial Rope would not exist.

Join us as we welcome in the new year with many new avenues for success. Hello 2010!