Are you frustrated with buying Strand, Aircraft Cable, or Wire Rope that fails to perform to the highest level? When buying these products, the key to high-performance is to ensure you choose the suitable construction for the task. Tensile strength, flexibility, fatigue, and torque resistance are all dependent on construction. Let’s look at the various constructions available for Strand, Aircraft Cable, and Wire Rope and go in-depth into the differences and capabilities of each option.

The easiest way to break up the capabilities is to look at the constructions offered for each of our different products (Strand, Aircraft Cable and Wire Rope). Let’s start with Strand.

Strand: Below are the specifications of four different types of Strand constructions:

1x3 Strand Non-Flexible:

• Known as a three-wire twist
• Highly stretch resistant
• Minimal twist capability due to lacking a core wire
• Very stiff
• Often used as the core strand in other constructions

1x7 Strand Non-Flexible:

• High tensile strength
• High stretch resistance
• Relatively stiff in larger diameters
• Offers the least amount of stretch
• Basic Strand for all concentric cable

1x19 Strand Non-Flexible:

• Very high tensile strength
• Less stretch resistant than 1x7 Strand
• Slightly more flexible than 1x7 Strand
• Smooth outside
• Often used in applications that require luster, such as cable railings and architectural installations
• Performs well in Push/Pull operations

1x37 Strand Non-Flexible:

• Smooth outside
• Higher flexibility than other strands
• Basic Strand used in larger wire ropes
• Best used in straight line operations with minimal bend

Aircraft Cables: Below are the features of four different types of Aircraft Cable constructions

3x7 Aircraft Cable – Flexible:

• Known as a three-wire twist
• High stretch resistance
• Very stiff
• Primarily used as the core strand in other constructions.

7x7 Aircraft Cable – Flexible:

• Fairly high level of flexibility
• Moderate level of tensile strength
• Quite a low level of stretch resistance
• Commonly used in automotive and aircraft controls
• Performs well in various mechanical applications

7x19 Aircraft Cable – Flexible:

• Extremely flexible
• Performs well when fatigue is a concern
• Low level of stretch resistance
• Used in aircraft controls, sailboat rigging, winches and garage doors and other typical applications

19x7 Aircraft Cable Non-Rotating:

• Very flexible
• Construction resists the natural tendency to rotate in one direction
• Used for single line hoisting operations
• Common applications include helicopter rescue hoist and other critical lifting operations

Wire Ropes: Below are the specifications of four different types of Wire Rope constructions

6x19 IWRC Wire Rope – Flexible:

• Very flexible
• Used extensively in hoisting cranes, dredges, excavators, logging, and oil field applications

6x19 Fiber Core Wire Rope - Highly Flexible:

• Superior flexibility
• Less strength than a steel core
• Used Commonly in cranes, dredges, excavators, logging, oil field, and marine applications

6x37 IWRC Wire Rope – Flexible:

• Higher wire count offers increased flexibility over 6x19 IWRC Wire Ropes
• Strong
• Used primarily in hoisting cranes, dredges, excavators, logging, and oil field applications.

6x37 Fiber Core Wire Rope - Highly Flexible:

• Superior flexibility
• Less strength than a steel core
• Commonly used cranes, dredges, excavators, logging, oil field, and marine applications

Knowing the differences between these various constructions and products will guarantee you buy the right Strand, aircraft cable, or wire rope for the job. While there are various differences between each, following the guide above will make it much easier to choose your wire rope products. If you want to learn more about these products, you can check out Strand Core’s PDF with a detailed list of the Constructions offered for Strand, Aircraft Cable and General Purpose Wire Rope here.

If you are looking for a place to buy Strand, Cable or Wire Rope products, look no further than Strand Core. Why buy with us? We carry various constructions and sizes of Wire Rope products manufactured in the USA. We also can provide a custom configuration of materials and constructions that comply with various industry specifications. If you are interested in our products, check out our options at 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.