EXPLORATION/DRILLING/FIELD SERVICES 19
High-performance steel wire ropes for offshore cranes
High-performance steel wire ropes can make a big difference especially in offshore applications. Gerald Neuwirth explains why.
La utilización de cables de acero de alto rendimiento puede marcar una diferencia importante, especialmente en las aplicaciones en alta mar. Gerald Neuwirth explica los motivos.
Besonders im Offshore- Bereich bringen Stahlseile von hoher Qualität entscheidende Vorteile mit sich. Gerald Neuwirth erläutert wieso.
C
ranes on offshore-platforms need to perform in the best possible way without the risk of failure in critical moments. Demanding
the highest and permanent use in extreme environment conditions is characteristic for offshore cranes. High device availability is very important far away from the coast, while safety and reliability are crucial factors for both the cranes and the steel wire ropes in use. Teufelberger, as a manufacturer of high
performance steel wire ropes with a strong presence in the offshore industry, says these ropes make a big difference, especially in offshore applications.
Wire rope basics
The main difference between a standard wire rope and a high-performance wire rope can be found in the following features. In general, ropes for offshore applications should only be used with galvanised wires. Only this ensures a long service life. Galvanised wires have a far better base in quality as ungalvanised ropes.
o Compaction of the wires. Compacted ropes reach significantly higher breaking forces than non-compacted ropes (up to 30 per cent). This makes a big difference as a compacted rope allows crane producers to use a smaller rope diameter to reach the same breaking load. On the other hand, compacted ropes offer a smooth rope surface, resulting in reduced abrasion on rope, sheaves and drums. Compacted ropes also work perfectly in multi-layer spooling, as they offer a high form stability against lateral pressure. Important is also what kind of compaction technology is being used to ensure a perfect result. o Plastification of the
rope core. In order to ensure permanent lubrication and less friction between core and outerstrands, the core should be plasticised. Here it is important to use a plastic which does not absorb water. The rope strands are embedded in a synthetic coat during the stranding process. This offers an additional protection of the rope core against external influences, increases the lifetime of the rope due to permanent lubrication and the rope also reaches higher breaking forces through reduced friction in the rope.
o Significantly higher service life of the ropes in use. Especially on offshore cranes this is a very important issue to be considered. To change a crane rope – especially under harsh conditions – is not an easy task. Therefore it makes sense to extend the use of a crane rope to the maximum possible period. Furthermore, it is crucial to avoid unplanned downtimes of the crane in use – due to problems with a rope – as this can cause significant costs due to high day
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Fig. 1. High-performance wire rope.
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