Manufactured to EN12385-4 The choice of wire rope depends on the application and the safe working load that needs to be achieved. The construction of the rope refers to the diameter, the ‘lay’ of the rope (either right hand or left hand), the tensile strength and the number of individual strands of wire in the rope itself. e.g. 7x19 wire rope (7 lots of 19 wires twisted together) is more flexible than a 7x7 wire rope and therefore more suited to use on a pulley or winch system. The main constructions of wire rope are either wire core or fibre core, the former being harder wearing.
Wire rope is rated on its Minimum Break Load (MBL) requirements and the ultimate Actual break Load (ABL), the safety factor is then determined by BS EN13414-1:2003. This rates slings using a factor of 5:1 however performer flying generally uses a safety factor of 10:1.
There are many specialty wire ropes available for specific applications lifts/elevators, excavators, marine and fishing to name a few.
