Why do wire ropes need re-lubrication?

Wire ropes are mostly utilized for mooring, towing, handling heavy lifts and similar other operations. Due to such profound usage, wire ropes are subject to constant wear and tear.  They are exposed to corrosive seawater, dry and heated working temperatures, high and inconsistent pressures / tensions on wires and strands, chafing and internal wear, etc. Therefore, to maximize the operation life of the wire ropes, regular re-lubrication is required. 

• Reduce wear between wire ropes and external machinery or impurities, and reduce friction and wear between internal strands and strands due to stress.
• Set up a wire rope anticorrosion layer to prevent corrosion and chemical corrosion of wire ropes caused by wet, acid, alkali or acid gases in the surrounding environment.
• To prolong the service life of wire rope, reduce unnecessary equipment repair costs and loss of production due to equipment downtime.

What happens if the ropes are not field lubricated?

• Ropes are under constant pressure as they are being squeezed by the sheave groove. This friction causes the lubricant to oxidize and lose its viscosity. Friction between the wires and strands of the rope causes internal notching while lack of lubrication on the outer wires increases crown wear. The damage caused by this friction could cost a rope 20 to 30% of its anticipated service life.
• There are other factors to consider. Most cities experience some level of hot and humid weather; lack of protective field lubrication will cause the rope to dry out and permit ingress of damaging moisture.
• This moisture will cause the core to degrade, which will result in rouge and shorten the rope’s life even beyond that of the friction mentioned above.
• But the damage does not end with the rope. Like the pistons and bearings in a car engine, there needs to be a lubrication buffer between the ropes and the sheave. If there isn’t, the ropes will lose diameter due to internal notching from a dry core and external excess abrasion on the crown wires.
• Remember that ropes are harder than sheaves. As rope diameter decreases, it creates excess friction that will amplify groove wear.
• The damage caused by running an un-lubricated or undersized rope could also require the re-grooving or replacement of the sheaves. This repair could cost tens of thousands of dollars. What’s worse is that it could have been easily prevented by the use of a few dollars worth of lubricant.