HardHat™ Sheaves: Cast Nylon Sheaves for Lifting

Cast nylon sheaves are superior to aluminum or steel sheaves for wire rope load applications. They are now the sheaves preferred by the world’s leading crane and hoist manufacturers, as well as in a variety of other heavy duty mechanical installations.  

For years, nylon sheaves have replaced steel and aluminum sheaves in cranes, hoists, and other load bearing wire rope sheave applications for 4 main reasons: Improved service life, Corrosion protection, Reduced weight, and customization.  

Continue reading below to learn more about the Advantages of selecting a HardHat™ Cast Nylon Sheave, and how you can have a customized sheave solution in less time than a “catalog” item or OEM replacement. 

Advantages of HardHat™ Cast Nylon Wire Rope Sheaves 

It’s time to take advantage of the benefits of a custom Cast Nylon Wire Rope Sheave. Save time, money, and maintenance costs by switching to HardHat™ Cast Nylon Wire Rope Sheaves today! Here are a few advantages of making the switch: 

Improved Service Life 

Cast nylon sheaves provide exceptional durability and performance in demanding applications through a unique combination of physical properties which significantly improves wire rope life in operation.  

In addition to high tensile and compressive strength, cast nylon sheaves possess excellent toughness and high elongation properties normally associated with less-rigid elastomeric materials.  

Cast Nylon Sheaves:  

• Provide a cushioning effect in the groove areas which contact the rope strands. 
• Reduce contact pressure at rope-groove interface to one-twelfth that of a steel sheave 
• Practically eliminate wear on the outer layer of wire rope strands  
• Extend wire rope life by a factor of at least 2 to 3 times 
• Increase safety in operation, and  
• Reduced expenses associated with wire rope and sheave replacement. 

Corrosion Protection 

Cast nylons are impervious to rust and saltwater corrosion. The corrosion resistance is a property of the material itself and does not rely on the integrity of a paint or similar thin coating to protect the sheave. 

Cast Nylon Sheaves: 

• Eliminate the need for surface maintenance 
• Eliminate wear and reduction of strength due to rust 

Reduced Weight 

Cast nylon sheaves are approximately one-seventh the weight of steel sheaves of the same dimensions and approximately one-half the weight of aluminum sheaves. 

Cast Nylon Sheaves: 

• Reduce dead weight
• Increase working capacity 
• Lower inertial loads in operation 
• Ease handling during installation and replacement 

Custom Engineered  

The cast nylon blanks are produced in molds custom engineered to the application. Custom designed molds reduce material waste in production. The cast sheaves require minimal machining after casting to arrive at the finished part.  

Proper mold design also assures that material properties are optimized, and casting stresses are eliminated, resulting in a superior component. Our suppliers have hundreds of molds to fit almost every rope sheave requirement.