The importance of lubricating wire rope

Ropes are manufactured in a unique way so as to have the weight of the load that is being lifted evenly distributed across multiple strands and wires. This results in increased strength and less pressure on one individual strand. However, despite this added strength, it is still important to lubricate regularly for further protection. Below we examine the importance of lubrication.

 Why is lubricating wire rope important?

 There are a number of reasons as to why you should lubricate your lifting piece. Firstly, as was previously mentioned, a rope made from wire is comprised of several different wires and strands all woven around a central core. This means that the different parts of the rope will rub against each other as they are used, causing friction. It is important to keep your rope lubricated to protect against friction This is the same friction that will be caused by your rope running over any surfaces, such as through a metal pulley. Lubricating will help to prevent this friction, whether it is internally or externally, and will reduce the heat damage it suffers. This, in turn, will extend the rope's service life Another important reason for using lubrication is that it adds another level of corrosion resistance. Our ropes already carry with them a certain degree of corrosion resistance, but lubrication helps protect the rope from contaminants that might damage it such as water, which would rust the rope. As with the point above, this will help to increase the working life.

How should you lubricate your rope?

Lubricating your rope is an extremely simple task, although there are different types of lubricant that you can use. Particular types of oils are able to penetrate internally into the material, helping to reduce friction to a much greater degree. Greases, on the other hand, offer a much better layer of protection to the outside of the material but are much weaker when it comes to protecting the inside of the wire rope due to less penetrative properties.

Need help with lubrication?

The amount of lubricant that you need to use for your rope depends on varying factors including size, loading weight, and operating environment. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us.    

Image credit: photohito