Technical Board Releases Wire Rope Inspection Guide

Citing the fact that many wire rope failures could be avoided, the Wire Rope Technical Board (WRTB) has compiled 30 years' worth of information and experience to formulate a brochure dedicated to the process of examining wire rope. The publication, titled “Wire Rope Inspection Guidelines,” was unveiled during the Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) fall general meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

“The vast majority of failures could be avoided with inspections,” said WRTB member Dave Sleightholm of Bridon American Corp., who delivered a presentation on the new brochure to AWRF members. “We need to get this brochure into the hands of users, so they'll know what to look for and how to inspect.” He said the brochure includes special emphasis on the process for examining specialty ropes on the market today.

In his presentation, Sleightholm discussed how the brochure outlines the inspection process, saying the user should create an inspection schedule and stick to it, stressing to employees the importance of that schedule. The user should also have on staff trained and qualified inspectors who will keep inspection records.

The brochure includes information on the inspection tools required, inspection criteria, steps for inspecting the entire length of the rope, and examining areas that are difficult to inspect. Wire rope removal criteria are also outlined as are the types of wire breaks and where to look for them. Illustrations of distorted and damaged wire ropes, as well as inspection record forms, are also included.

“It's a compilation of information that WRTB has accumulated and tried to get out to the world,” says Sleightholm. WRTB's function as a technical board is to provide technical information to wire rope users. The 12-page publication was being printed during the general meeting, and was to be made available to the mobile crane industry by the WRTB. The order forms needed to obtain a copy can be found via a link from http://www.awrf.org.