Resources to Reference When Buying Wire Rope, Cable, and Sheaves

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While buying wire rope, cable and sheave products for your applications can feel daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Strand Core provides five different technical resource pages on our website to help ensure our customers get the best products for their application needs! We provide Wire Rope Stretch information, Pulley, Sheave & Bend Radius Guides, a Standard Points of Measure and Assembly Tolerances page, and a Military Specification Cross Reference Guide. Continue reading to get a brief overview of each of the resources that we offer.

Wire Rope Stretch Page:

When buying cable or wire rope, stretch is often a concern. There are two types of stretch in cable and wire rope to be aware of, Structural and Elastic stretch.

Structural stretch is the lengthening of the lay in cable and wire rope construction as the individual wires adjust under load. While certain levels of this stretch may be required, it is possible to remove it through a wire rope pre-stretching operation before shipment. Elastic stretch is the actual elongation of the individual wires under load. While calculating Elastic stretch can be tricky, following the formula provided by Strand Core E= (W x G) / D2 makes it easier. To learn more about this formula and to see our Cable Stretch Calculations, view our pdf here.

Pulley & Sheave Radius Guides:

The most common reason cables have a short service life is because they are used with the wrong pulleys and sheaves. To get the most out of your wire rope, it should operate over the largest possible pulley or sheave diameter. This helps reduce stress on the cable. Additionally, the cable or wire rope must be properly supported in the pulley and sheave grooves. Strand Core offers a chart that shows the minimum tread diameter over which various sizes and constructions of cable should operate. To get a look at the desired and critical minimums for sheaves and pulleys, you can reference our guide here!

Recommended Bend Radius Guide:

When looking at cables and sheaves, there is one key takeaway. In general, big pulleys create a less intense angle for the rope to make, while smaller pulleys create a more intense angle. Choosing a big pulley puts less stress on your cables and wire rope, and makes them last longer. Our guide provides a visual understanding of the minimum recommended pulley diameter for specific rope sizes and the approximate bend radius of the rope. Take a look at our guide in more detail here.

Standard Points of Measure and Assembly Tolerances:

To ensure you get the product you need for your application, understanding the lengths and tolerance of your custom cable assembly is crucial. Strand Core provides information on the three standard points of measure for customer cable assembly (Bearing Point, Center, End) and the length tolerances defined by the length of your custom cable assembly. For an illustrated guide of how to measure your custom cable assembly and a chart of assembly length tolerances, view our pdf

Military Specification Cross Reference Guide:

Military Specification cable is commonly designated with an identifying reference number known as a slash & dash. Numbering Mil-Spec products allows for a quick reference to the type and material of the aircraft cable required. Our Mil-Spec guide lists the designation numbers alongside the Strand Core part numbers to assist with quote requests. You can find out more by viewing our detailed cross reference guide or find more detail about each of the Mil-Spec products here

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Although it can be overwhelming to buy wire rope, cable and sheave products for your applications, following the guides, webpages, and visual graphics provided by Strand Core makes it much easier! Whether looking for Wire Rope Stretch information, Pulley & Sheave Radius Guides, Bend Radius Guided, Standard Points of Measure and Assembly Tolerances help, or a Military Specification Cross Reference Guide, Strand Core can help! If you want to look at some of our products, please visit https://strandcore.com. Alternatively, if you have any questions, our team is happy to help! Reach out to us by email through sales@strandcore.com or by phone at 800-983-9926.  

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