Wire rope inspections

Find out how and when to inspect steel wire rope.

You must conduct wire rope inspections in accordance with AS2759 Wire Rope Application standard and the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Why do you inspect?

The purpose of wire rope inspections is to:

• reveal the condition of the rope
• indicate potential need for replacement
• enable to detection and correction of faults
• ensure the rope can be discarded before it becomes operationally unsafe.

When do you inspect?

Wire rope inspections are carried out:

• daily by the operator
• at regular intervals by qualified personnel
• when recommissioning machinery cranes.

A thorough inspection of all wire ropes in use is to be made at regular intervals.

Inspections must be conducted by a competent person who will inspect using the relevant sections of AS2550, AS2759 general application or AS1666.2.

How to inspect steel wire ropes

An understanding of the type of deterioration of steel wire rope will help determine where to focus the effort of any inspection.

An inspection starts by determining where deterioration is most likely to occur.

Run the entire rope and identify rope areas with damage, including:

• breaks (fatigue or tensile)
• surface wear (individual wire and diameter)
• corrosion
• elongation.

Then count the total number of broken wires anywhere around the body of the rope over 6 times the rope diameter.

Discard criteria for damaged wires

Remember, broken ends of wires generally do not protrude. The narrow gap between the wire ends is frequently filled with lubricant, dirt or other materials.

A mill certificate or test certificate should be available. This will provide information on the rope diameter, construction, grade of steel and Working Load Limit. This information helps with what to look for during an inspection.

Inspection process

Follow these steps during a typical wire rope inspection. You should inspect:

• terminations (thimbles or socket ends)
• termination of rope at drum
• defective coiling which causes deformations (flattened portions) and wear. This can be severe at crossover sections
• wire breaks
• corrosion
• portion that winds over sheave for wire breaks and wear
• points of attachment
• sections of ropes which lie on or adjacent to compensating sheaves
• for deformation
• wire breaks or surface wear
• lengths that run through sheaves when the equipment is in a loaded condition
• that sheaves are rotating
• rope diameter and measure at multiple locations.

Typical inspection of a rope system