Wire Rope Common Terms

Wire Rope Common Terms

AIRCRAFT CABLES – Strands and wire ropes made of special PREFORMED WIRE ROPE – Wire rope
strength wire originally used primarily for aircraft controls and in which the strands are permanently
miscellaneous uses of aircraft industry. No longer made to that shaped, before fabrication into the rope
specification. to the helical form they assume in the wire rope
CLOSED SOCKET – Wire rope and fitting consisting of basket REEL – The flanged spool on which wire rope or strand is wound
and bail made integral for storage or shipment
CONSTRUCTION – Design of wire rope including number of REGULAR LAY ROPE – Wire rope in which the wires in the
strands, number of wires per strand and arrangement of wires strands and the strands in the rope are laid in opposite direc-
in each strand tions
CORE – Member of a wire rope about which the strands are REVERSE LAY – Synonymous with “Alternate Lay”
laid. It may be fiber, a wire strand or an independent wire rope ROTARY LINES – The wire rope on a rotary drilling rig which
CORRUGATED – Term used to describe the grooves of a sheave raises and lowers the traveling block
or drum when worn so as to show the impression of a wire rope SOCKET – Type of wire rope fitting. See “Closed Sockets,” “Open
Sockets” and “Wedge Sockets”
DIAMETER – Distance measured across the center of a circle
circumscribing the wires of a strand or the strands of a wire rope STAINLESS STEEL ROPE – Wire rope made of chrome-nickle
steel wires having great resistance to corrosion
GALVANIZED ROPE – Rope made of galvanized wire
STRENGTH, NOMINAL – Published catalog strength which has
GRADES, ROPE – Classification of wire rope by its breaking been calculated and accepted by the wire rope industry follow-
strength. In order of increasing breaking strengths they are Iron, ing a set standard procedure. The wire rope manufacturer uses
Traction, Mild Plow Steel, Plow Steel, Improved Plow Steel, Ex- this strength as a minimum strength when designing the wire
tra Improved Plow Steel rope, and the user should consider this to be the strength when
GRADES, STRAND – Classification of strand by its breaking making his design calculations
strength. In order of increasing breaking strengths they are STRENGTH, ACCEPTANCE – Strength which is 2-1/2% lower
Common, Siemens Martin, High Strength and Extra-high than the nominal strength. This variance is used to offset pos-
Strength. A Utilities grade strand is also made to meet special sible variables which might exist when the test is made to deter-
requirement mine the breaking strength of a specific piece of wire rope.
INNER WIRES – All wires of a strand except surface or cover Its use originated with the basic government wire rope specifi-
wires cation
INTERNALLY LUBRICATED – Wire rope or strand having all STRENGTH, BREAKING – Load, applied through some type
wires coated with lubricant of tensile machine, that it takes to pull that piece of rope apart.
This is the load at which a tensile failure occurs in the piece of
IWRC – “Independent Wire Rope Core”
wire rope being tested
LANG LAY ROPE – Wire rope in which the wires in the strands
STRENGTH, AGGREGATE – Sum of the breaking strength in
in the rope are laid in the same direction
tension of all the wires of a wire rope when the wires are tested
LAY – Manner in which wires are helically laid into strands or individually
strands into rope THIMBLE – Grooved metal fitting to protect the eye of a wire
LEFT LAY – (a) Strand – Strand in which the cover wires are rope
laid in a helix having a left-hand pitch; (b) Rope – Rope in which WEDGE SOCKET – Wire rope fitting in which the rope is se-
the strands are laid in a helix having a left-hand pitch cured by a wedge
MOORING LINES – Galvanized wire rope, usually 6 x 12, 6 x 24 WIRE ROPE – A plurality of strands laid helically around an
or spring lay construction, for holding ships to dock axis or a core
OPEN SOCKET – Wire rope fitting consisting of a “basket” and
HAND LAID & SPLICED SLINGS
two “ears” with a pin
Fabricated from one or more wire ropes helically laid together
SUPER-FLEX SLINGS continuously through both eyes and sling body. Rope ends se-
Several wire ropes helically laid by machine form sling body of cured by hand-tucked splices. High flexibility, conform well to
3, 4, 5, 7 or 9 parts. Offer higher rated capacity than hand formed irregular loads, snug load tighter in choke hitch and easier to
slings. Flemish-type splices and mechanically pressed sleeves pull from under loads than mechanically spliced eyes.
form eyes, providing “centerline” pull. High flexibility. Every
sling proof tested. CABLE LAID SLINGS
These smooth, clean slings are made from a rope-like fabric
BRAIDED SLINGS formed by laying 6 wire ropes in a helical pattern around a core
One or more wire ropes are braided to provide wide bearing rope. Flemish splices secured by pressed sleeves provide
surface in the body. Very flexible and capable of bending in “centerline” pull at eyes. More flexible than same capacity
tight radius to “snug up tight” around loads. 5, 6 and 7-part slings single-part slings.
have flat bodies, 8-part is round.

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Wire Rope Common Terms

Standard Wire Rope Abbreviations

STRAND CONSTRUCTION GRADE AND FINISH OF WIRE
PRF ................preformed IPS ................. improved plow steel
NP ..................non-preformed GIPS .............. galvanized improved plow steel
S .....................scale DR.................. drawn galvanized improved plow
FW..................filler wire steel
SFW ...............scale filler wire EIPS ............... extra improved plow steel
FWS ...............filler wire scale GEIPS ............ galvanized extra improved plow
steel
LAYS
RRL ................right regular lay DR/GXIP ....... drawn galvanized extra improved
LRL ................left regular lay plow steel
RLL ................right lang lay EEIPS ............ extra extra improved plow steel
LLL ................left lang lay GAC ............... galvanized aircraft
AL1-1 .............alternating lay of strands, 1 lang SS ................... stainless steel wire
and 1 regular GI ................... galvanized iron wire
AL2-1 .............alternating lay of strands, 2 lang COM GI ......... galvanized common iron grade of
and 1 regular wire, for strand
GI SZG .......... galvanized iron grade of wire for
TYPE OF CORE seizing strand
FC ...................fiber rope core; natural or synthetic BRIGHT ........ wire without any coating, such as
fiber zinc or tin
IWRC .............independent wire rope core BRZ ............... bronze wire
PPC ................polypropylene rope core
SC...................strand core

How to Order Wire Rope Products

To insure that your order is filled accurately. according to your requirements, the following information
should be included for each item:
1. LENGTH .............................. The length of each piece and the number of pieces required should be specified.
2. DIAMETER ......................... Specify the exact diameter of rope required.
3. CONSTRUCTION ............... It is necessary to state the required construction of the rope.
4. FINISH ................................. When galvanized finish is required, it should be specified. If no finish is
specified, bright or ungalvanized finish will be furnished.
5. GRADE ................................ The grade of steel should be specified; i.e., Improved Plow Steel (IPS) or Extra-
improved Plow Steel (EIPS).
6. PREFORMING .................... The requirements of preformed or non-preformed rope must be specified.
7. LAY ...................................... The direction and type of lay should be specified. If no lay is specified, Right
Regular Lay will be furnished.
8. CORE ................................... Specify which core type is desired.
9. PURPOSE ............................ It is preferred that you state the purpose or end use of the rope.
10. SPECIAL PROCESSING ... Any special instructions not included in the above should be specifically stated.

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