Glossary

A

ASTM: ASTM International, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials; Publishes many standards concerning the design, manufacture, and material used in wire, wire rope, and wire rope slings

Abrasion: Surface wear on the wires of a wire rope

Acceleration Stress: Additional stress imposed on a wire rope due to increasing the velocity of the load

Aircraft Cables: Strands, cords and wire ropes made of special strength wire primarily for aircraft controls and miscellaneous uses in the Aircraft Industry

Alternate Lay: Lay of a wire rope in which the strands are alternately regular and lang lay

Area, Metallic: Sum of the cross-sectional areas of individual wires in a wire rope or strand

Armored Rope: Rope with individual strands spirally wrapped with flat steel wire

Austenitic Types: Stainless steels that have high ductility, low yield stress, and relatively high ultimate tensile strength, when compared to typical carbon steel. Added alloys (such as Nickel and Chrome) help increase corrosion resistance, among other properties

B

Back-Stay: Guy used to support a boom or mast: or that section of a main cable, as on a suspension bridge, cable-way, etc., leading from the tower to the anchorage

Bending Stress: Stress imposed on wires of a wire rope by bending

Breaking Strength (aggregate wire): The sum of the breaking strength in tension of all the wires of a wire rope when the wires are tested individually

Breaking Strength (wire rope): The measured load required to break a wire rope in tension

Bridle Sling: A two-part wire rope sling attached to a single part line. The legs of the sling are spread to divide and equalize the load

Bright Rope: Wire rope made of wires that are not coated with zinc, tin, or any other protective metal

Bronze Ropes: Wire rope made of bronze wires

Button Conveyor Rope: Wire ropes to which buttons or discs are attached at regular intervals to move material in a trough

Buy American Act: Federal legislation governing the requirements for domestically manufactured products used in federally funded procurement contracts

C

Cable: A term loosely applied to wire ropes, wire strands, and electrical conductors

Cable Clamp: A style of hardware that consists of a threaded U-Bolt and a saddle

Cable Fitting: Synonymous with cable hardware

Cable Railings: A railing system made from wire rope and fittings. Frequently used in porches, decks, stairways, and walkways

Cable-Laid Wire Rope: A type of wire rope consisting of several wire ropes laid into a single wire rope

Centers: Wire, strand or fiber in the center of a strand about which the wires are laid

Choker: Short wire rope sling used to form a slip noose around the object to be moved or lifted

Clevis: A “U” shaped fitting with pin

Clip: Fitting for clamping two parts of wire rope

Come-Along: Device for making a temporary grip on a wire rope

Common Strand: Galvanized strand made of galvanized iron wire whose grade is common iron

Conical Drum: Grooved hoisting drum of tapering diameter

Construction: Design of wire rope including number of strands, number of wires per strand, and arrangement of wires in each strand

Continuous Bend: Reeving of wire rope over sheaves and drums so that it bends in the same direction, as opposed to reverse bend

Conveyor Rope: Parallel endless wire ropes used to carry material

Cord: Term applied to small sizes of wire ropes

Core: Member of a wire rope about which the strands are laid. It may be fiber, a wire strand, or an independent wire rope

Coring Line: Wire rope used to operate the coring tool for taking core samples during the drilling of a well

Corrosion: Chemical decomposition of the wires of a rope by exposure to moisture, acids, alkalines, or other destructive agents

Country of Origin: The country in which a wire rope (or component thereof) was manufactured

Critical Diameter: Diameter of the smallest bend for a given wire rope which permits the wires and strands to adjust themselves by relative movement while remaining in their normal position

Cylindrical Drum: Hoisting drum of uniform diameter

D

DFARS: Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement. Governs purchases made by the Department of Defense. Includes regulations for the purchase of materials made from Specialty Metals (including stainless steel). Often referred to as the “Berry Amendment”

Deceleration Stress: Additional stress imposed on a wire rope due to decreasing the velocity of the load

Design Factor: In a wire, the ratio of the minimum break strength to the total working load. Typical ratio is 5:1, but standards vary based upon industry, environment, and application

Diameter: Distance measured across the center of a circle circumscribing the wires of a strand or the strands of a wire rope

Dog-Leg: Permanent short bend or kink in a wire rope caused by improper use

Domestic Wire Rope: Wire rope that is stranded and closed in the United States of America

Drum: A cylindrical flanged barrel of uniform or tapering diameter on which rope is wound for operation or storage. It may be smooth or grooved

E

Efficiency (Wire Rope): Percentage ratio of measured breaking strength of a wire rope to the aggregate strength of all individual wires tested separately

Elastic Limit: Limit of stress above which a permanent deformation takes place within the material

Endless Rope: Rope whose two ends are spliced together

Endurance Test: The procedure by which aircraft cable is tested for longevity in applications requiring cycles over a pulley or other device. This test differs from a pull test by simulating real world applications and environments

Equalizing Thimbles: Special type of fitting used as a component part of some wire rope slings

Extra High Strength Strand: A grade of galvanized or bright strand

Extra Improved Plow: See “Grades, Rope”

Extrusion: The process by which a coating is applied to wire rope. Both wire rope and coating material are drawn through a die to create the desired jacket thickness and consistency

Eye or Eye Splice: A loop with or without a thimble formed in the end of a wire rope

F

Factor of Safety: Ratio of breaking strength of a wire rope to total rope stress

Fatigue: Term commonly applied to progressive fracture of wires of a rope

Fiber Centers: Cords or rope made of vegetable fiber or synthetic fiber used in the center of a strand

Filler Wire: Small auxiliary wires in a strand for spacing and positioning other wires

Fitting: Small auxiliary wires in a strand for spacing and positioning other wires

Flat Rope: Wire rope made of parallel alternating right lay and left lay ropes sewn together by relatively soft wires

Fleet Angle: Angle between position of a rope at the extreme end wrap on a drum, and a line drawn perpendicular to the axis of the drum through the center of the nearest fixed sheave

G

Galvanize: To coat with zinc to protect against corrosion

Galvanized Rope: Rope made of galvanized wire

Galvanized Strand: Strand made of galvanized wire

Galvanized Wire: Wire Coated with Zinc

Grades, Rope: Classification of wire rope by its breaking strength. In order of increasing breaking strengths they are Iron, Traction, Mild Plow Steel. Plow Steel, Improved Plow Steel, Extra Improved Plow Steel

Grades, Strand: Classification of strand by its breaking strength. In order of increasing breaking strengths they are Common, Siemens Martin, High Strength, and Extra-high Strength. A Utilities grade strand is also made to meet special requirements

Grooved Drum: Drum with grooved surface to accommodate and guide the rope

Grooves: Depressions in the periphery of a sheave or drum for positioning and supporting a rope

Guard Rail Cable: A galvanized wire rope or strand erected along a highway

Guy Line: Strand or rope, usually galvanized, for holding a structure in position

H

High Strength Strand: Grade of galvanized or bright strand

I

Idler: Sheave or roller used to guide or support a rope

Independent Wire Rope Core: Wire rope used as the core of a larger rope

Internally Lubricated: Wire rope or strand having all wires coated with lubricant

K

Kink: Sharp bend in a wire rope that permanently distorts the wires and strands

L

Lagging: External wood covering on a reel of rope or strand

Lang Lay Rope: Wire rope in which the wires in the strands in the rope are laid in the same direction

Lay: Sharp bend in a wire rope that permanently distorts the wires and strands

Left Lay: (a) Strand – Strand in which the cover wires are laid in a helix having a left-hand pitch
(b) Rope – Rope in which the strands are laid in a helix having a left-hand pitch

M

Marine Eye: A style of hardware with a drilled eye and a drilled shank into which wire rope is inserted for swaging

Marline Spike: Tapered steel pin used in splicing wire rope

Messenger Strand: Galvanized strand or bronze strand used to support telephone and electric cables

Metric Cable: Cable designed and manufactured to metric sizes and tolerances

Military Specification: A specification governing the manufacture of specialty wire ropes and aircraft cables required in various military and non-military applications. See Cable Specifications

Minimum Bending Radius: Ratio of the diameter of the pulley used in an application (D) to the diameter of the wire rope (d)

Modulus of Elasticity: Mathematical quantity giving the ratio, within the elastic limit, between a definite range of unit stress on a wire rope, to the corresponding elongation

Mooring Lines: Galvanized wire rope, usually 6×12, 6×24 or spring lay construction, for holding ships to dock

N

Non-Rotating Wire Ropes: 18×7 wire rope consisting of a 6×7 left lay Lang lay inner rope covered by twelve 7-wire strands right lay regular lay – also 19×7’s

P

Peening: Permanent distortion of outside wire in a rope caused by pounding

Preece Test: A recognized standard of testing the galvanized coating on wire

Preformed Strand: Strand in which the wires are permanently shaped, before fabrication in the strands, to the helical form they assume in the strand

Preformed Wire Rope: Wire rope in which the strands are permanently shaped, before fabrication into the rope, to the helical form they assume in the wire rope

Prestretching: Stressing a wire rope or strand before use under such a tension and for such a time that the constructional stretch is largely removed

Proof Load: A load applied in performance of a proof test. Typically 40-60% of breaking strength

Proof Test: Non-destructive test to verify construction and workmanship of a wire rope assembly

R

Reel: The flanged spool on which wire rope or strand is wound for storage or shipment

Regular Lay Rope: Wire rope in which the wires in the strands and the strands in the rope are laid in opposite directions

Reverse Bend: Reeving of a wire rope over sheaves and drums so that it bends in opposite directions

Reverse Lay: Synonymous with “Alternate Lay”

Reverse Strength: Strength represented by the inner wires of a wire rope

Rigging: Any assembly made from wire rope that is to be used in a lifting, pulling, holding, or strapping capacity; Wire rope or aircraft cable used for securing the mast and/or boom on a sail boat, and for running of sails

Right Lay: (a) Strand – Strand in which the cover wires are laid in a helix having a right-hand pitch, similar to a right-hand screw
(b) Rope – Rope in which the strands are laid in a helix having a right-hand pitch, similar to a right-hand screw

Rollers: Relatively small diameter cylinders which are free to turn while supporting ropes

S

Safe Working Load: Proper load which the rope may carry economically and safely

Sash Cord: Term applied to small 6×7 wire ropes commonly made of iron, bronze or copper wires

Seale: A strand construction having one size of cover wires with the same number of one size of wires in the inner layer and each layer having the same length and direction of lay

Seize: To bind securely the end of a wire rope or strand with seizing wire or strand

Seizing Strand: Small strand usually of 7 wires made of soft annealed wire

Seizing Wire: Soft annealed wire

Serve: To cover the surface of a wire rope or strand with a wrapping of fiber cord

Shackle: A “U” shaped fitting with pin

Sheave: A grooved pulley for use with rope

Siemens-Martin Strand: A grade of galvanized strand

Sleeve: A style of hardware that allows wire rope to be doubled back on itself in order to create a loop end

Slings: Wire ropes made into forms, with or without fittings, for handling loads and so made as to permit the attachment of an operating rope

Slings, Braided: A very flexible sling composed of several individual wire ropes braided into a single sling

Smooth Faced Drum: Drum with a plain face, not grooved

Spiral Groove: Groove which follows the path of a helix around the drum, as the thread of a screw

Splicing: Interweaving of two ends of ropes so as to make a continuous or endless length without appreciably increasing the diameter. Also making a loop or eye in the end of a rope by tucking the ends of the strands

Stainless Steel Rope: Wire rope made of chrome-nickel steel wires having great resistance to corrosion

Stake Eye: A style of hardware stamped from sheet metal to include an eye and a U-Shaped shank for swaging onto wire rope or aircraft cable. This hardware is similar to, but much sturdier than, wire ends used in the electrical industry

Steel Clad Rope: Rope with individual strands spirally wrapped with flat steel wire

Stone Swaging Strand: Usually a 3-wire strand used in quarrying stone or slate

Strand: An arrangement of wires helically laid about an axis. or another wire or fiber center to produce a symmetrical section

Stretch, Elastic: The actual physical elongation of individual wires under load

Stretch, Structural: The lengthening of the lay in construction as wires adjust under load

Stud: Swaged fitting that is often threaded to provide a method of attaching a cable assembly to some other item or end point

Swaged Fittings: Fittings in which wire rope is inserted and attached by cold flowing method

T

Tag Line: A small wire rope used to prevent rotation of a load

Tapered Drum: Grooved hoisting drum of tapering diameter

Tapering and Welding: Reducing the diameter of the end of a wire rope and welding it to facilitate reeving

Thimble: Grooved metal fitting to protect the eye of a wire rope

Tiller Rope/Cable: A very flexible operating rope, commonly made by cable laying six 6×7 ropes around a fiber core resulting in a 6×42 construction. Also a 3/32″ 7×7 galvanized cable coated to an outside diameter of 3/16″ with vinyl or nylon

Tinned Wire: Wire coated with tin

Turnbuckle: Device attached to wire rope for making limited adjustments in length. It consists of a barrel and right and left hand threaded bolts

W

Warrington: A strand construction in which one layer of wires, usually the outer, is composed of alternating large and small wires

Wire (Round): Single continuous length of metal cold drawn from a rod

Wire Rope: A plurality of strands laid helically around an axis or a core

Looking to Request a Quote?

Click the button below to fill out our short quote form & begin your project today!