How to make your wire rope slings durable

Mostly what we do is just purchase the wire rope sling from the manufacturer and keep on using it until it is damaged and is of no use. This is where we go wrong, we invest money for buying an asset and without taking care of it we use it till the saturation point comes and after that point what we do is just throw the things away even after spending such a huge amount. At the end what happens? we end up buying a new one and the process continues. Don't you think there should be an alternative way out?

Yes there is! OSHA 1910.184 and ASME B30.9 have different inspecting and requirement criteria for each type of sling be it wire rope sling, alloy chain steel slings

OSHA( Occupational safety and health administration )

ASME ( American society of mechanical engineers)

These are the standards for taking the precautionary measures for providing safety and security.

Inspection is done to calculate their remaining strength  so as to know for how much time it can be used again i.e. to check its durability

Here are some methods of inspection which you can keep in mind from now for your next purchase

Ø  Initial inspection method : First and the foremost step is to check the slings as soon as you receive it from the manufacturer. Check the tags properly and see if its meeting your needs and look carefully if it is what you ordered.

Ø  Daily inspection method: Just keep a regular check on the wire rope  slings. If the slings are used many times you need to inspect not only once but more than that because due to the work pressure it undergoes i.e. lifting, dragging, hoisting, sharp edges, excessive heat etc.

Ø  Periodic inspection: Periodic inspection should be done by some qualified inspection specialist at least once a year. It should include

·         Checking how often is it used.

·         How the lifts are performed i.e. its nature

Talking about the tags that are attached to the slings it should include the name and trademark of the manufacturer, diameter or size, permitted weight it should be loaded with.

If the tag is missing then send the wire rope slings back to the manufacturer for rechecking and testing.

So by keeping in view all the methods of inspection we can make an initiative to make all kinds of wire rope slings durable.

Key Facts of Wire ropes

                       

When the group of fibers is twisted so as to make it a strand, a rope is made. The discovery of wire rope was done by a German named Wilhelm Albert in 1830’s; he was a mining engineer by profession. Wire ropes were developed primarily for the purpose of lifting and hoisting in cranes and elevators. The most important quality of rope is its high strength which enables it to support large tensile forces. Wire ropes are made by combining small individual wires that are in turn combined into strands, those  strands are then twisted together to form a solid rope. Talking about the steel wire ropes they are made of non alloy carbon steel with 0.4 to 0.95 % of carbon content. People usually get confused between cables and rope. The difference between the two lies in their diameter. Ropes are the ones which have diameter larger than 3/8 inches while as sizes smaller than this come under the category of cables or cords. Wire rope slings are used in various industries such as mining, oil, gas, crane and many more such industries for the purpose of lifting. As they are used for lifting there is a probability of getting hurt while handling various equipment. So, one has to be really very cautious while dealing with them as safety comes first.

Let us throw some light on some of its features

Ø  Strength: These ropes are very strong that's why they are used for lifting purpose.

Ø  Flexibility: Flexibility is the key criteria in manufacturing of the ropes.

Ø  Durability: Ropes have to go undergo ware and tear because of the force to which they are subjected so, they need to be strong enough to handle it and for a long time

Ø  Resistance: It should have great resistance to abrasion and heat.

Precautionary measures

Keep checking for the damages in the rope, if any then change the wire rope immediately.

Prior to using the slings just make sure the hooks are fastened properly to the load and appliances.