Last article, we talked about what to look for during a wire rope inspection. This month, we will talk about where and how to look for damage on a wire rope.
Much of a wire rope can be in good working order, while some sections may still be at the point of replacement or failure. This premature wear occurs at points where the rope bends over a sheave or, during drill operations, winds onto a drum during initial loading. On a drill rig, most of the time we apply a load to a winch, we either pick up a rod or piece of casing at the table, or at a rod box or rack. This means the same length of rope moves over the sheaves and enters the drum each time the operator applies a load. Wire rope wears much more quickly if subjected to bending because the outer wires and inner wires travel at differing speeds when going around a bend. Loading a rope while it bends increases these stresses.