Suspension Ropes

IMechE CPD Certificate Course

23 Nov. 2016

Only for Circulation in Lectures

Suspension Rope

• Standard

• Configuration

• Replacement Criteria

• Tension Measurement

• Traction Measurement
Only for Circulation in Lectures
 Standard
• Nominal diameter at least 8mm

• BS302 : Part 1 and Part 4 or ISO4344 or other relevant

international standards

• EN 12385-5 (Stranded Ropes for Lifts)

• 1570 N/MM2 or 1770 N/MM2 for single tensile

• 1370 N/MM2 for the outer wires and 1770 N/MM2 for
inner wires of ropes of dual tensile
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BS302
• BS302: Part 1
Stranded steel wire ropes
Part. Specification for general requirements

• BS302 : Part 4
Stranded steel wire ropes
Part 4. Specification for ropes for lifts

• BSEN 12385-5:2002 (it supersedes BS302 - 4:

1987)
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 EN 12385 -5 Ropes Grade

• Rope grade addresses the nominal tensile

strength grades of the outer and inner
wires. Additionally, the rope grade defines
the minimum breaking force of this rope

• 1570 grade

• 1370/1770 grade
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Configuration
• Strand: 6 or 8

• Core: Two types of

cores are used:
A. Fibre Core (Natural or
Synthetic)
B. Steel Wire Core i.e.
independent wire rope
core (IWRC)

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 Symbols for strand construction

• S – strand construction Seale

• W – strand construction Warrington
• F – strand construction Filler or Filler Wire
• WS – strand construction Warrington-
Seale

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SEALE Formation

1 2

9 9
1
2
3
3
8 1
8 4
7 4

6 5

7 5
6

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 FILLER Formation

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WARRINGTON Formation

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 Symbols for rope core
• FC – Fibre core:
a) NFC – Natural Fibre Core
b) SFC – Synthetic Fibre Core

• IWRC – Steel Core (Independent Wire

Rope Core)

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Symbols for wire finish and type of lay

• U – bright (from uncoated)
• B – galvanized
• sZ – right hand ordinary lay
• zS – left hand ordinary lay
• zZ – right hand lang lay
• sS – left hand lang lay
Remark: S – Clockwise Direction [LH]
Z – Anticlockwise Direction [RH]

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 Ordinary lay (sZ)

Anticlockwise (strand direction - Z →RH)

Clockwise (wire in the strand – s → LH)

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Ordinary lay

Right hand ordinary lay Left hand ordinary lay

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 Lang Lay (zZ)

Anticlockwise (strand direction - Z →RH)

Anticlockwise (wire in the strand – z → RH)

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Lang Lay

Right hand lang lay Left hand lang lay

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 Lay

Length of Lay
Each strands in a wire rope is helical in shape. The distance
measured parallel to the axis or the centre line of a rope in which
the strand makes one complete spiral around the rope is the length
of rope lay.

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13 8 x 19 S – NFC 1370/1770 U sZ

• 13: 13 mm nominal rope diameter

• 8: 8 strands
• 19: 19 wire per strand
• S: Strand construction Seale
• NFC: Natural Fibre Core
• 1370/1770: Dual Tensile
• Outer wires: 1370N/mm2
• Inner wires: 1770N/mm2
• U: Wire finish: Bright (uncoated)
• sZ(Lay): ordinary lay right hand
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 Nominal Tensile strength grade of wires

• Nominal tensile strength grade in Germany is

usually 1570

• USA, Japan and many European countries know

and use elevator ropes of dual tensile rope grade

• To come along with sheaves of often minor

quality, the outer wires are then of lower tensile
strength grade

• Ropes for roped hydraulic elevators are

preferably supplied with rope grade 1770
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Only for Circulation in Lectures

BS6570
(The selection, care and maintenance of steel wire ropes)

• 90% of the nominal diameter in the

case of six and eight strand ropes;

• Corrosion and chemical attack

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 BS6570
The selection, care and maintenance of steel wire ropes

Generally distributed broken wires: six and eight strand ropes in metal sheaves

Number of visible broken wires necessitating discard in a

wire ropes fitted to an appliance having metal sheaves
Number of wires Rope construction when measured over a length of 10 x diameter
In outer strands (typical)
Factory of safety < 5
Factory of safety > 5

6 x 19 (12/6/1)
From 101 to 120 5 10
6 x 19S (9/9/1)

6 x 19F (12/6+6F/1) 7 14
From 141 to 160 6 x 25TS(12/12/∆) 7 14
8 x 19S(9/9/1) 7 14

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Discard Criteria (PFEIFER DRAKO)

Rope Number of wires Number of wires Number of wires
Construction in outer strands within a length of within a length of
6 xØ 30 x Ø

6 x 19 S - FC = 114 wires 6 12

6 x 19 W – FC
= 114 wires 10 19
6 x 25 F - FC

8 x 19 S - FC = 152 wires 10 19

8 x 19w – FC
=152 wires 13 26
8 x 25F - FC

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 Notes
• If wire fracture don’t occur in regular pattern across the
majority of the strands but are concentrated in one or two
strands, the above table is not applicable

• Such ropes must be replaced, if there are 5 or more

broken wires adjacent to each other within one strand

• Ropes with excessive crown wear tend to show rapidly

increasing numbers of broken wires

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Measurement of wire ropes

Right Way: Set the Wrong Way: This is the wrong way
machinist's caliper to read the to measure wire rope diameter.
widest diameter. Widest diameter is not being read.

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 Trade Practice

A B
Wires (Even Distribution on each of (Focus on one
strands) Strand)

6 x 19 24 8

8 x 19 32 10

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Trade practice
Reduction in diameter

If the diameter of suspension rope is smaller than the following

figures, the rope shall be arranged to replace:

Rope diameter(mm) 12 14 16 18 20

Max. allowable
11.2 13.2 14.8 16.8 18.4
diameter(mm)

93.3 94.3 92.5 93.3 92

90% diameter (mm) 10.8 12.6 14.4 16.2 18

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 Trade practice

Types Criteria of Replacement

10 12 14 16 18 20
米仔
Crown wear(mm) 一

8 x (S) 19 3.6 4.2 4.7 5.6 6.3 7.1

6 x (W) 19 4.0 4.8 5.6 6.3 7.2 8.1

8 x (F) x 25 3.35 4.05 4.40 5.38 6.18 6.5

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British Standard(Health and Safety

Executive Guidance Note PM7)
No. of broken Allowable number Reporting and Replacement
wires per lay arrangement for immediately
replacement

Type 6 x 19 8 x 19 6 x 19 8 x 19 6 x 19 8 x 19

No. of broken < 12 < 15  12  15  24  32

wires randomly
distributed among
the outer strands

No. of broken <6 <8 6 8 8  10

wires
concentrating in
one or two outer
strands

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 Code of Practice for Lift Works and
Escalator Works
Rope Replacement Criteria
Rope Conditions 6-strand x 19 rope 8- or 9- strand x 19 rope
6-strand x 25 rope 8- or 9-strand x 25 rope
Reduction in diameter 10% 10%
No of broken wires randomly distributed among ˃32 per rope lay
˃24 per rope lay
the outer strands
No. broken wires randomly distributed among
the outer strands when severe rusting or ˃12 per rope lay ˃16 per rope lay
extensive rouging of the rope is observed
No. of broken wire concerning in one or two
˃12 per rope lay ˃16 per rope lay
outer strands
No. of broken wires concerning in one or two
outer strands when severe rusting or extensive ˃6 per rope lay ˃8 per rope lay
rouging of the rope is observed
No. of adjacent broken wires in one outer strand ˃4 and the no. of broken ˃4 and the no. of broken
wires per lay ˃12 wires per rope lay˃16
No. of adjacent broken wires in one outer strand
˃2 and the no. of broken ˃2 and the no. of broken
when severe rusting or extensive rouging of the
wires per rope lay˃6 wires per rope lay˃8
rope is observed

Only for Circulation in Lectures

Tension Measurement

• What problems of suspension ropes are

unequal:
A. Traction strength
B. Traction Sheave
C. Suspension Ropes

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 How to measurement the tension
• By equipment
• By hand
• By calculation

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By Equipment

Only for Circulation in Lectures

 By Equipment

Only for Circulation in Lectures

By Equipment

Only for Circulation in Lectures

 By Calculation Method
1. Go into the car top and stop the car at the lowest floor (if the
travelling is over 40M, the car shall be stopped at mid floor);

2. Use the plastic hammer hit the rope at the point 1M height
from the termination;

3. The time shall be measured 5 nos. of completed oscillation;

4. Following the procedures of (2) & (3) for each of ropes and
record all the data;

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By Calculation Method
5) Select the max and min. time and calculate by the formula

6) If the calculation figure is greater than on 0.2, the tension of

the ropes shall be adjusted.

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 Lift Traction Inspection
Traction Formula
T1/T2 x C1 x C2 ≦ efα

Remark:
T1/T2 - Ratio ration between the greater and the smaller static force in parts of
the rope located on either side of traction sheave.
C1- Coefficient taking account of the acceleration, deceleration and specific
conditions of the installation.
C2 – Coefficient taking account of the variation in profile of the traction sheave
groove due to wear

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Friction Factor

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 Grooves

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Angle of Wrap of the ropes

Wrapping angle

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 Roping- 1

2:1 1:1
2:1
Single wrap Double wrap
Double Wrap

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Roping- 2

1 2 3

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 Roping- 3

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Roping- 4

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 Traction calculation - 1
T1/T2C1 x C2 ≦ efα
Condition:
1. Car stationary at the lowest landing with a load
equivalent to 125% (150% for industrial truck
loaded freight lift or vehicle lift)
2. Car stationary at the highest landing level,
unload

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Traction calculation - 2
T1/T2C1 x C2 ≧ efα

Condition:
3. It shall not possible to raise the empty
car when the counterweight is resting on
the buffers, and the lift machine is rotated
in the ‘up’ direction

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 Checking of the traction

• Make sure the balance load correctly

• This check may be means of

measurements of current

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T1/T2C1xC2 ≦ efα
• At each emergency stopping test, complete
stoppage of the car shall occur:
• At ascending, with the car empty, in the upper
part of the travel
• At descending, with the car loaded with 125% of
the rated load, in the lower part of the travel

• In case of the industrial truck loaded freight lifts

and vehicle lifts, the traction shall also be
checked statically with 150% of the rated load
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 T1/T2 C1XC2≧ efα
• It shall be checked that empty car cannot
be raised by the operation of the driving
sheave when counterweight rests on its
compressed buffers.

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