Chapter 4
WIRE ROPES
4.1 Introduction on wire ropes
When a large amount of power is to be transmitted over long distances from one
pulley to another (when the pulleys are up to 150 m apart) then the wire ropes are used.
The wire ropes are widely used in elevators, mine hoists, cranes, conveyors, handling
devices and suspension bridges.
Wire ropes are made from cold drawn wires in order to have increase in strength
and durability. The strength of the wire rope increases as its size decreases. Materials
used for wire ropes include wrought iron, cast steel and alloy steel. For certain
applications, wire ropes made of copper, bronze, aluminium alloys and stainless steels
are also used.
4.2 Advantages of wire ropes
1. Wire ropes can withstand shock loads.
2. Wire ropes are more durable.
3. Wire ropes offer silent operation.
4. The efficiency of operation of wire ropes is high.
5. Wire ropes are more reliable.
4.3 Construction of wire ropes
The wires are first given special heat treatment and then cold drawn in order to
have high strength and durability of the rope. The steel wires are manufactured by special
machines. First of all a number of wires such as 7, 19, or 37 are twisted about a core or
centre to form the rope as shown in figure. The core may be made of jute, asbestos or a
wire of softer steel.
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Fig.4.1. A wire rope in use (Courtesy: Wikipedia)
Fig.4.2. Construction of wire ropes (Courtesy: Wikipedia)
4.4 Designation of wire ropes
Standard designation Application
6 x 7 rope It is a standard coarse laid rope used as rope in mines,
tramways and power transmission.
6x 19 rope It is a standard hoisting rope used for hoisting purposes in
mines, quarries, cranes, dredges, elevators, tram ways etc.
6x 37 rope It is an extra flexible hoisting rope used in steel mill ladles,
cranes, high speed elevators
8 x 19 rope It is also an extra flexible hoisting rope.
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4.5 Wire rope sheaves and drums
The sheave diameter should be fairly large in order to reduce the bending stresses
in the ropes when they bend around the sheaves or pulleys.
4.6 Stresses in wire ropes
1. Direct stress due to axial load lifted and weight of the rope
Let W be load lifted, w be the weight of the rope
A be the net cross-sectional area of the rope
W +w
Direct stress d = (Equation.4.1)
A
2. Direct stress when the rope winds round the sheave or drum
When the wire rope is wound over the sheave, then the bending stresses are
induced in the wire which is tensile at the top and compressive at the lower side of the
wire.
The approximate value of the bending stress
Er dW
b = (Equation.4.2)
D
where Er is the modulus of elasticity of wire rope
dW is the diameter of wire rope
D is the diameter of sheave or drum and
A is the cross-sectional area of the rope
Note: Er = 77 kN mm 2 for wrought iron ropes
= 84 kN mm 2 for steel ropes
3. Stress due to starting and stopping
During starting and stopping, the wire rope and also the additional load
are to be accelerated. This induces additional load in the rope.
W +w
Wa = a (Equation.4.3)
g
W +w a
and the corresponding stress a = (Equation.4.4)
g A
where ‘a’ is the acceleration of the rope and ‘g’ is the acceleration due to gravity.
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The impact load on starting is obtained from the impact equation,
2ahEr
Wst = (W + w) 1 + 1 + (Equation.4.5)
d l g
where a = acceleration of the rope
h = slackness in the rope, l = length of the rope
If there is no slackness in the rope, then h = 0
Impact load during starting Wst = 2 (W + w) (Equation.4.6)
2 (W + w )
Corresponding stress st = (Equation.4.7)
A
4. Stresses due to change in speed
The additional stress due to change in speed
a=
( v2 − v1 ) (Equation.4.8)
t
where ( v2 − v1 ) is the change in speed and t is the time in seconds.
5. Effective Stresses
The sum of direct stresses d and b is called the effective stress in the rope
during normal working.
Mathematically,
Effective stress in the rope during normal working = d + b
Effective stress in the rope during starting = st + b
Effective stress in the rope during acceleration of the load = d + b + a
Important note: While designing a wire rope, the sum of these stresses should
be less than the ultimate strength divided by the factor of safety.
4.7 Procedure for designing a wire rope
1. First of all select a suitable type of rope from the tables for the given application.
2. Find the design load by assuming a factor of safety of 2 to 2.5 times the factor
of safety as given in table.
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3. Find the diameter of wire rope (d) by equating the tensile strength of the rope
selected to the design load.
4. Find the diameter of wire ( d w ) and area of rope (A) from table.
5. Find the various stresses for loads in the rope.
6. Find the effective loads during normal working, during starting and during
acceleration of the load.
7. Now find the actual factor of safety and compare with the factor assumed
initially. If the actual factor of safety is within permissible limits, then the design
is safe.
4.8 Problems on Wire Ropes
Problem 1: Select a wire rope for a vertical mine hoist to lift a load of 55 kN from a depth
300 metre. A rope speed of 500 m/min is to be attained in 10 seconds.
Step 1: Selection of Rope
From tables select a rope of type 6 x 19
Step 2: Design Load
From tables, the factor of safety for mine hoists from 300 m to 600 m is 7. Since the
design load is calculated by taking a factor of safety 2 to 2.5 times the factor of safety
given in tables, let us take a factor of safety of 14.
Therefore design load for the wire rope = 14 x 55 = 770 kN = 770,000N
Step 3: Rope Diameter
The tensile strength of 6 x 19 rope made of wire with tensile strength of 1800 MPa is
(595 d 2 ) N where d is the diameter of rope in mm.
Equating this tensile strength to the design load,
(595 d 2 ) = 770, 000 and d = 35.97 mm = 36 mm
Therefore d = 36 mm
Step 4: Diameter of wire
From tables for a 6 x 19 rope,
Diameter of wire d w = 0.063 d = 0.063 x 36 = 2.268 mm = 2.4 mm
d w = 2.4 mm
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2
Area of rope A = 0.38 d 2 = 0.38 x (36) = 492.48 mm 2
Step 5: Various stresses acting in the rope
2
(a) w = 0.0363 d 2 = 0.0363 x (36) = 47.045 N/m
Assuming a depth of 300 m as in step 2,
w = 47.045 x 300 = 14114.4 N
From tables, the diameter of sheave (D) may be taken as 60 to 100 times the diameter
of rope (d).
Taking D = 100d = 100 x 36 = 3600 mm
Er d w 84 103 2.4
(b) Bending stress b = = = 56 N/ mm 2
D 3600
Equivalent bending load on the rope Wb = b A = 56 x 493 = 27,608 N
(c) Acceleration of the rope and load
v 500
a= = = 0.83 m 2
60t 60 10 sec
W +w 55000+ 14113.4
Additional load due to acceleration = a = 0.83
g 9.81
= 5847.5 N
(d) The impact load during starting (when there is no slackness in the rope)
Wst = 2 (W + w) = 2 (55,000 + 14112.4) = 138,227 N
Step 6: Effective load on the rope during normal working
Effective load on the rope during normal working = W + w + Wb
= 55,000 + 14,114.4 + 27,608
= 96,721 N
Actual factor of safety during normal working = Design load/ Effective load during
starting
770, 000
= = 7.96
96721
Effective load on the rope during starting =
Wst + Wb = 138227 + 27608 = 165835N
6
Actual factor of safety during starting =
Designload 770000
= = 4.64
Effectiveloadduringstarting 165835
Effective load on the rope during acceleration of the load (during first 10 seconds after
starting) = W + w + Wb + Wa
= 55,000 + 14114.4 + 27608 + 5847.5
= 102,568.9 N
Actual factor of safety during acceleration of load
= Design Load/ Effective load during
acceleration
770, 000
= = 7.5
102,568.9
Since the actual factor of safety above are safe, therefore a wire rope of diameter
36 mm and 6 x 19 type is satisfactory.
Problem 2: A workshop crane is lifting a load of 25 kN through a wire rope and a hook.
The weight of the hook etc is 15 kN. The rope drum diameter may be taken as 30
times the diameter of the rope. The load is to be lifted with an acceleration of 1 m/sec 2.
Calculate the diameter of the wire rope. Take a factor of safety of 6 and Young’s
modulus for the wire rope is 80 kN/mm 2. The ultimate stress may be taken as 1800
MPa. The cross-sectional area of the rope may be taken as 0.38 times the square of
the wire rope diameter. Neglect the effect of impact load.
Data: W = 25 kN = 25000 N w = 15 kN = 15000 N
D = 30 d a = 1 m/sec 2 Er = 80 kN/mm 2
σu = 1800 MPa = 1800 N/mm 2 A = 0.38 d2
Let d be the diameter of wire rope in mm.
Direct load on the wire rope = Wd = W + w = 25000+15000 = 40, 000 N
Let us assume a 6 x 19 wire rope. The diameter of the wire dw = 0.063 d
Er d w 80 103 0.063d
Bending load on the rope Wb = = d 2
D 30d
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= (64.84 d2) N
W +w 25000 + 15000
Load on the rope due to acceleration Wa = a = =
g 9.81
Total load acting on the rope
= Wd + Wb + Wa = 40,000 + 63.84d 2 + 4080 = 44080 + 63.84d 2 (Equation 4.9)
Total load on the rope = Area of wire rope x Allowable stress =
u
A = 0.38d 2 = 114d 2 (Equation 4.10)
Fs
Equating equations 1.9 and 1.10,
d = 29.6 mm
Referring the tables, the standard nominal diameter of 6 x 19 wire rope is 32 mm.
Problem 3: Select a suitable wire rope to lift a load of 10 kN of debris from a well 60
m deep. The rope should have a factor of safety equal to 6. The weight of the bucket
is 5 kN. The load is lifted up with a maximum speed of 150 m/min which is attained in
1 second. Find also the stress induced in the rope due to starting with an initial slack
of 250 mm. The average tensile strength of the rope may be taken as 590 d2 Newtons
(where d is the rope diameter in mm) for 6 x 19 wire rope. The weight of the rope is
18.5 N/m. Take diameter of the wire (dw) = 0.063d and area of rope A = 0.38 d2.
Design Load = (10+5) x 103 x 6 x 2.5 = 2, 25,000 N (Assuming an additional factor of 2.5 for
design load)
Rope diameter 590 d2 = 225000 d = 19.52 mm = 20 mm
Therefore d = 20 mm
Wire diameter dw = 0.063 d = 0.063 x 20 = 1.26 mm
Area of rope = 0.38 d2 = 152 mm 2
Various stresses acting in the rope
w = 18.5 N/m length and depth = 60 m
Therefore w = 18.5 x 60 = 1110 N
From tables, D = 30 d = 30 x 20 = 600 mm
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Er d w 84
Bending stress = b = = = 176.4 N / mm2
D
Equivalent bending load on the rope = Wb = σb x A = 176.4 x 152 = 26,813 N
The impact load on starting is obtained from the impact equation,
2ahEr
Wst = (W + w) 1 + 1 +
d l g
Acceleration = 150/60 = 2.5 m/s2
Direct stress = σd = (W+w)/A = 106 N/mm 2
Therefore Wst = 42,479 N
Corresponding stress σst = 279 N/mm 2
W +w
Additional load due to acceleration Wa = a = 4105.5 N
g
Effective load on the rope during normal working = W+w+Wb = 42,923 N
Actual factor of safety during normal working = Design load/42,923 = 5.2
Effective load on the rope during starting = Wst + Wb = 69,310 N
Actual factor of safety during starting = 225000/69310 = 4.24
Effective load on the rope during acceleration = W + w + W b + Wa = 47,028.5 N
Actual factor of safety during acceleration = 4.784
Since all the factors of safety are within limits, the design is safe.
4.9 Failure of Ropes: The failure of wire rope is mainly due to fatigue and wear while
passing around the sheave. The bending and straightening of the rope as it passes
over the sheave results in fluctuating stress leading to fatigue failure. The individual
wires slide on each other and over the sheave resulting in gradual wearing of both
the rope and the drum.
The amount of wear that occurs depends upon the pressure between the rope and
the sheave and is given by
2T
p= (Equation 4.9)
dD
where ‘T’ is the tension in the rope, ‘d’ is the diameter of rope and
‘D’ is the diameter of the sheave.
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Number of bends to failure
Fig.4.4. Fatigue Diagram (Courtesy: PSG Design Data book)
(Source: Design of Transmission Systems by JayaKumar)
The fatigue diagram is plotted on Cartesian coordinates, in which the number of
bends is taken as abscissa and a dimensionless quantity (p/σu ) as ordinate. The figure
indicates that 6x19 rope has longer life (i.e infinite) if the value of ratio of p/σu is less than
0.0012.
Problem 4: A 6 x 19 wire rope with fibre core and tensile designation 1420 is used to
raise a load. The nominal diameter of the wire rope and the sheave diameter are 10 and
450 mm respectively. Assuming long life on the basis of fatigue consideration, determine
the maximum load that the wire rope can carry.
Tensile designation 1420 means σu = 1420 N/mm 2
We know that the 6x19 rope has longer life when the value of ratio of p/σ u = 0.0012
Contact pressure between the rope and the drum p = 0.0012 x 1420 = 1.704 N/mm 2
2T p d D 1.704 10 450
p= T= = = 3834N
dD 2 2
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Problem 5: A 6x19 wire rope with fibre core and tensile strength of 1750 is used to raise
the load of 22 kN as shown in figure below. The nominal diameter of the wire rope is 10
mm and the sheave has 550 mm pitch diameter. Determine the expected life of rope
assuming 500 bends per week.
Fig.4.4. Loaded Wire Rope (ignoring weight of rope and acceleration of load)
(Source: Design of Transmission Systems by JayaKumar)
2T 2 11000
p= p= = 4 N / mm 2
dD 10 550 2T = 22 kN T = 11 kN
p/σu = 4/1750 = 0.00228
From the fatigue diagram, the life of the wire tope is obtained as 2.8 x 10 5 bends before
failure.
Life = 2.8 x 105 /500 = 560 weeks = 560/52 = 10.77 years
Problems for Practice
Problem: 1: Design a suitable wire rope from 6 x 37 group to lift a maximum load of 10
kN through a height of 60 m. The weight of the bucket is 2 kN. Maximum lifting speed is
2 m/sec which is attained in 3 seconds. Drum diameter is 30 times the rope diameter and
factor of safety 6 assuming an initial slack of 12.5 cm.
Problem 2: In an office building an elevator rises 400 m with an operating speed of 275
m/min and reaches the full speed in 10 m. The loaded elevator weighs 22 kN. Design a
suitable wire rope.
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2
[Hint: Rate of acceleration, a = v =
(27560) 2
= 1.05 m/sec 2 ]
2s 2 10
Problem 3: A 6 x 19 wire rope with fibre core is used to raise a load. The tensile
designation of wires is 1770. The nominal diameter of the wire rope and sheave diameter
are 10 mm and 450 mm respectively. Assuming long life on the basis of fatigue
consideration, determine the maximum load that the wire rope can carry.
[Answer: 4779 N]
Problem 4: Figure shows a hoisting system used to raise a load of 25 kN with a 6 x 19
wire rope. The tensile strength of the rope material is 1770 N/mm 2. The diameter of the
sheave is 600 mm and diameter of the rope is 12 mm. Determine the expected life of the
rope, assuming 600 bends per week (100 hoisting operations per week and 6 bends per
hosting operation).
Note: In one cycle of hoisting, that is one lowering and one raising, the rope will
experience 6 bends. In 100 hoisting operations, there are 600 bends. [Answer: 11.22
years.]
Problem 5: Design a suitable wire rope to lift a load of 1 tonne of debris from a well of 50
m deep. The weight of the bucket is 3000 N. The weight is being lifted with a maximum
speed of 3 m/sec and the maximum speed is attained in 1 sec. Determine also the stress
induced in the rope due to starting with an initial slack of 0.2 m.
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