Steel wire rope testing

Steel wire rope testing

Small changes in steel wire ropes can produce profound differences in performance and lifetime. Well designed and well made ropes last much longer than the average. Traditional testing is based on tension-tension fatigue and bend cycling over sheaves. Work carried out by Dr. Isabel Ridge has shown that there is a third wear mechanism; tension-torsion fatigue. In mining and in cranes, tension-torsion can greatly accelerate wear. The advantage of different rope types can only be properly demonstrated by this form of testing.