CHAPTER 5 WIRE ROPE

Wire rope is stronger, lasts longer, and is much more resistant to abrasion than fiber line. Because of these factors, wire rope is used for hoisting tasks that are too heavy for fiber line to handle. Also, many of the movable components on hoisting devices and attachments are moved by wire rope.

Wire rope is an intricate device made up of a number of precise moving parts. The moving parts of wire rope are designed and manufactured to maintain a definite relationship with one another. This relationship ensures that the wire rope has the flexibility and strength crucial to professional and safe hoisting operations.

WIRE ROPE

This chapter discusses the construction, the characteristics and specifications, and the criteria used for the selection of wire rope. The related attachments and the proper handling procedures for wire rope are also discussed.

NOTE: In the Navy, you may hear wire rope referred to as wire or rope but never as line.

WIRE ROPE CONSTRUCTION

Wire rope is composed of three parts: wires, strands, and core (fig. 5-1). A predetermined number of wires of the same or different size are fabricated in a uniform arrangement of definite lay to form a strand. The required number of strands is then laid together symmetrically around the core to form the wire rope.

Wires

The basic component of the wire rope is the wire. The wire may be made of steel, iron, or other metal in various sizes. The number of wires to a strand varies,

Figure 5-1. - Fabrication of wire rope