WIRE ROPE

IMPORTANT WARNINGS

Failure to follow warnings and instructions can result in serious injury or death.

WIRE ROPE IS A MACHINE.

Avoid shock loads.

Understand and respect it.

Avoid impacting, jerking or swinging of load.  Working

Load limit will not apply in these circumstances because a

Like any machine, it needs proper care and maintenance

shock load is generally significantly greater than the static

for optimal safety and long service life.  For a better under 

load.

standing of wire rope we highly recommend the Wire Rope

Users Manual by the American Iron & Steel institute.

Inspect wire rope regularly.

Excerpts of that manual have been reprinted in the wire

Use inspections as guidelines only.  Two of the most

rope section of this catalog.

important prerequisites for inspecting wire rope are techni 

Refer to the general warnings on

cal knowledge and experience.

page 4 & 5.

Check the general condition of the wire rope.  Also, look

These warnings also apply to wire rope.  Only additional

for localized damage and wear, especially at wire rope

warnings and information are listed below.

attachments.  Inspect all parts that come in contact with

Rated capacity

the wire rope.  Poor performance of wire rope can often be

traced back to worn or wrong sized sheaves, drums,

Rated capacity is the load which a new wire rope may

rollers, etc..  Look for kinks, broken wires, abrasions, lack

handle under given operating conditions and at assumed

of lubrication, rust damage, crushing, reduction of diame 

design factor.  A design factor of 5 is chosen most fre 

ter, stretch or other obvious damage.  If any of these con 

quently for wire rope.  (operating loads not to exceed 20%

ditions exists or if there is any other apparent damage to

of catalog Breaking Strength.)  Operating loads may have

the wire rope, retire the wire rope according to the instruc 

to be reduced when life, limb or valuable property are at

tions below.  When in doubt about the extent of the dam 

risk or other than new rope is used.  A design factor of 10

age, retire the wire rope in question immediately.  Without

is usually chosen when wire rope is used to carry person 

laboratory analysis, it is impossible to determine the

nel.  (Operating loads not to exceed 10% of catalog

strength of damaged or used wire. Thus, you will not be

Breaking Strength.)

able to tell whether wire rope with any amount of damage

Responsibility for choosing a design factor rests with

is safe to use.  Retire the wire rope that is damaged.  For

the user.

specific inspection procedures check various OSHA and

Attachments must have at least

ANSI publications.  

the same Working Load Limit as

Destroy, rather than discard, wire

the wire rope used.

rope to be retired.

Clips, sockets, thimbles, sleeves, hooks, links, shackles,

Wire rope that is not destroyed might be used again by

sheaves, blocks, etc. must match in size, material and

someone not aware of the hazard associated with that

strength to provide adequate safety protection. Proper

use.  Destroying wire rope is best done by cutting it up into

installation is crucial for maximum efficiency and safe 

short pieces.

ty.

Refer to General Information on

Keep out from under a raised

Wire Rope

load.

for important characteristics and properties of wire rope.

Do not operate load over people.  Do not ride on load.

Conduct all lifting operations in such a manner that if

equipment were to fail or break,  no personnel would be

injured.  This means KEEP OUT FROM UNDER A

RAISED LOAD, DO NOT OPERATE LOADS OVER PEO 

PLE AND KEEP OUT OF THE LINE OF FORCE OF ANY

LOAD.  

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