Frictional performance of wire and fibre ropes bent over sheaves

Abstract

The frictional behaviour of heavily loaded wire ropes bent over relatively small sheaves has been investigated with 6 × 36, 28 mm and 35 mm diameter, IWRC (independent wire rope core) and FC (fibre core), bright and galvanized ropes being tested, over sheaves with D/d ratios between 12 and 20. The groove profiles used were plain U and undercut U, with groove diameters 2.5 per cent smaller than the rope nominal diameter. Some pilot studies were also run on high-strength synthetic fibre ropes. The measurements showed that the effective friction coefficient increased with decreasing line tension and increasing sheave diameter for unused surfaces but became almost constant for used surfaces. It was shown that the undercut U groove had a higher frictional hold than the plain U groove but gave rise to early erratic slip. Galvanized rope had a lower friction coefficient while increased speed of sliding decreased friction.

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