A steel wire rope is made up of individual steel wires spun into a strand. A number of strands are twisted into a helix over a central core thus producing a rope. The number and size of wires must offer the best compromise possible between large wires for maximum corrosion protection and resistance to abrasion, and smaller wires for the necessary flexibility and handling.
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.
The strands in a rope are laid around a core of either fibre, steel or solid plastic.
The construction of a steel wire rope is expressed according to following:
e.g 6x36-FC
- 6 is the number of strands in the steel wire rope
- 36 is the number of wires in the strand
- FC is the type of the core in this case Fiber Core
Ropes with steel cores should be chosen if the rope is exposed to high working temperature, hard strains, high work rate, hard pressures on drums and blocks etc. The steel core gives better support for the strands, which result in the rope retaining its shape better and giving a better distribution of the stresses in the individual wires.
If the steel core of the rope consists of a single strand the term -WSC is used, e.g. 6x19-WSC.
If the steel core of the rope consists of a steel wire rope the term -IWRC is used, e.g. 6x19-IWRC.
Some steel wire ropes can have a plastic encapsulated core which provides increased stability to the rope and also reduces the wear and corrosion in and around the core, e.g. Dyform 8 PI.
Technical Parameters:
| Diameter | 4 mm | Safe load | 119 kg | |
| Number of strands x wires | 6 x 7 | Tensile strength max | 958 kg | |
| Core type | Fiber | Coil | 100 m |
