Wire rope is an incredibly robust solution for applications that require high strength, superior corrosion resistance, and the ability to function optimally in wet and dry environments.
At Greenshields Industrial Supply, we stock a wide variety of high-quality wire rope for an array of industries and applications.
Continue reading to learn more about our wire rope, or use the search function above to find the exact rope you’re looking for.
What Is Wire Rope?
Wire rope is composed of three different parts:
- Steel wire
- Strands
- Core material
While there is some variation depending on the design, most wire ropes are constructed from steel wires that are bound together into strands which are then twisted around a core material to form the final wire rope.
Three common kinds of core material include:
- Fiber core. This is usually polypropylene but can be made from other natural and man-made fibers. This is the most common core material.
- Independent Wire Rope Core (IWRC). This is a thin wire rope composed of its own strands and core.
- Strand core. A strand of wires used as a core.
Advantages of Wire Rope?
Wire ropes deliver a huge number of robust advantages, including:
- Increased resistance to fatigue
- High flexibility
- Higher breaking load, allowing you to use smaller diameter rope
- Larger metallic area
- Superior abrasion resistance
- Robust resistance to vibrations
- Superior return on investment when compared to the shorter life expectancy of competing ropes and chains
Classification of Wire Rope
The primary way to identify different types of wire rope is by the number of strands and wires in the rope. This method of differentiating between kinds of rope is called “wire rope classification” and ropes sorted this way are identified using two numbers (e.g. 6 x 7)
Within wire rope classification, the first number tells the exact amount of strands in the rope, while the second number reveals how many steel wires are in each strand.
Now, a key distinction between the two numbers is that the first is exact but the second is representative of a range. So while a 6 x 7 rope has exactly 6 strands, the 7 represents a range of 7-15 wires.
Wire rope classifications include:
|
Classification
|
Wires Per Strand
|
|
6 x 7
|
7 - 15
|
|
6 x 19
|
16 - 26
|
|
6 x 36
|
27 - 49
|
|
6 x 61
|
50 - 74
|
This classification gets repeated for 7 and 8 strand rope, with the wire range numbers being the same (e.g. 8 x 7 = 8 strands and 7 - 15 wires per strand).
Types of Wire Rope
In addition to wire rope classification, wire rope can also be divided based on construction, core material, use, and final wire rope assemblies with hardware attached.
Wire Rope Types By Use
- Cable Wire Rope
- Spiral Wire Rope
- Stranded Wire Rope
- Wire Rope Chain
- Wire Rope Sling
Types of Wire Rope By Construction
- Single Layer
- Seale Rope
- Filler Wire
- Warrington
- Combined Patterns
- Flex-X®
- Tuf-Kote®/PFV®
- 7-Flex®
- Flex-X® 7CC
- Swaged Ropes
- PowermaxTM
- Flattened (Triangular) Strand
Finding the Best Industrial Wire Rope Supplier Near You
Greenshields Industrial Supply is one of the leading wire rope suppliers in the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re looking for lengths of wire rope or would like to order a turn-key rigging assembly, Greenshields has you covered. Contact our supply store today to place your order.
