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Wire ropes are indispensable components of elevator systems, supporting their safe and reliable operation while ensuring the comfort and safety of passengers during vertical transportation. The reliability and durability of wire ropes are essential for ensuring the safety of elevator passengers. Elevator ropes contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of elevators by providing consistent traction and minimizing friction as they glide along the sheaves or pulleys. This smooth operation enhances the overall ride quality and passenger experience.

In recent times, governmental actions such as the UP Lift Bill aim to enhance elevator safety regulations, mandating registration, emergency drills, and stringent oversight. These measures seek to mitigate risks and ensure the well-being of elevator users. Keeping abreast of safety protocols, conducting routine maintenance checks, and prioritizing upgrades are integral steps toward safeguarding elevator users.

Usha Martin emerges as a beacon of reliability and safety in the elevator industry. With a commitment to superior quality, Usha Martin offers high-quality, pre-stretched, low-elongation wire ropes to ensure optimum service life and the highest safety standards for elevators. Engineered to withstand the rigors of elevator operation, these ropes offer peace of mind and safety assurance.

Usha Martin offers a comprehensive range of ropes, from hoist ropes to compensating ropes to governor ropes, catering to diverse elevator requirements. This ensures smooth and secure vertical transportation. Accredited with ISO certifications and trusted by the leading elevator OEMs, Usha Martin sets the benchmark for excellence in elevator wire ropes. Elevator hoisting ropes are designed with close dimensional tolerances to facilitate jerk-free movement.

High-Quality Wire Ropes: Our products are manufactured using advanced state-of-the-art technology and undergo strict quality control measures to meet stringent industry standards and specifications, ensuring reliability, strength, and durability for superior performance.

Testing and Quality Assurance: The hoisting ropes are closely monitored to ensure desired tolerances are met, and the diameter is consistent to ensure correct contact between the rope and groove. Additionally, routine and regular testing for fatigue endurance, elongation characteristics, and diameter stability are carried out in a dedicated fatigue test facility to deliver consistent rope performance.

Customized Solutions: Usha Martin works closely with elevator OEMs to develop customized wire rope solutions tailored to the specific requirements of different elevator systems. By understanding the unique needs of elevator installations, Usha Martin can provide ropes optimized for performance and safety.

Compliance with Standards: Usha Martin ensures that its wire ropes comply with relevant safety standards and regulations governing elevator components. This commitment to regulatory compliance ensures that the wire ropes meet strict safety criteria and contribute to the overall safety of elevator systems.

Technical Support and Training: We provide technical support and training to elevator manufacturers, installers, and maintenance personnel to ensure proper handling, installation, and maintenance of wire ropes. By imparting knowledge and best practices, Usha Martin helps maximize the safety and reliability of elevator systems.

Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuous improvement and innovation in wire rope technology. By investing in research and development, Usha Martin strives to enhance the safety, performance, and longevity of its wire ropes, thereby contributing to the overall safety of elevators.

Usha Martin is an approved supplier to many international elevator manufacturers. Our capacity to cater to the leading elevator OEMs with all types of high-performance elevator ropes and value-added services has positioned Usha Martin as one of the most preferred wire rope brands in the world today.

Let's elevate safety standards, one high-quality wire rope at a time, with Usha Martin.

Elevate your safety with Usha Martin’s high-quality elevator ropes

Lifting and Rigging Seminar

The 12th Lifting and Rigging Seminar took place in Amsterdam, which was organised by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). It brought together many industry professionals from Europe, South Africa, and North and South America. The international conference focused on the technical and operational challenges posed by increasingly heavier lifts in the offshore wind sector. Allen Leatt, IMCA’s Chief Executive Officer inaugurated the 12th Lifting and Rigging Seminar and said that the focus for this year’s seminar is on lifting technology in the offshore wind sector.

Event update from the Chairperson of LRMC

Laura Lombardi, Managing Director, Usha Martin Italia and Chairperson of IMCA’s Lifting & Rigging Management Committee (LRMC) shares her thoughts on the recent Lifting & Rigging Seminar, held in Amsterdam.

About Laura Lombardi

Laura Lombardi is the Managing Director of Usha Martin Italia, which is the technical and R&D center of Usha Martin Group, a global manufacturer of high-performance wire ropes. Laura has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and has been involved with IMCA since 2010. She became the vice chairperson of LRMC in 2016 and chairperson in February 2021.

Background of the International Seminar

The Lifting & Rigging Seminar is put together by a workgroup, comprising people involved in the LRMC’s work. Hence, they are all IMCA members with vast experience and in-depth knowledge of offshore lifting activities within our industry. The LRMC generates these events as forums for discussion between members and non-members alike with a focus on critical technical and operational topics. Bringing together a mixture of presentations and workshops allows attendees to focus on specific topics during the day, identifying the actual state of the industry and its future requirements and encouraging contractors, suppliers, and representatives from regulatory bodies to share their experiences and needs.

In this conference, Laura stepped at the last minute to Chair the seminar on the day as unfortunately David Cannell from TechnipFMC, who has traditionally fronted this event, was unable to attend. Our thanks go to David for his great contribution to getting in touch with the speakers and developing the event and we look forward to his return at the next seminar.

The theme focused on the technical side of offshore lifting and the challenges created in the renewable energy market, which is stretching the vessels and equipment capabilities, with components that are continuously getting bigger and more complex. We had a great speaker lineup with contributions from all areas of the industry, and I would like to thank each of them for their time and efforts in being part of this event and sincerely thank all attendees for their interaction.

We also had a dedicated open panel with the suppliers, in which questions and answers were shared and good discussions were initiated.

Laura said: this seminar was part of a series of events that commenced in 2012 and focused on high-value offshore wire ropes. The seminars have proven to be a great platform for the subsea contractors to discuss their issues and concerns with various equipment suppliers to come up with effective solutions for the future. Over the years, we had great discussions and have seen significant changes in the approach taken to the care and maintenance of high-value steel wire ropes within the industry. In 2018, we took the decision to return to offshore cranes. The workshops during the 2018 seminar were used to identify the industry needs and crucial topics related to offshore cranes. From this, we identified the training needs of personnel, offshore lift planning, digitalisation of offshore cranes, and general crane technology requirements. In 2019, we covered training & personnel competencies. In 2020, we were hit by COVID. However, IMCA still ran a webinar that covered Crane Systems and Offshore Lifting.

A review of some of IMCA’s key lifting documents was presented in this recent seminar, which included guidance on the selection of wire ropes, storage, transport, maintenance, discard criteria, and factors causing wire rope deterioration. This document also included the use of non-destructive examination (NDE) by means of MRT for wire ropes, to assist with inspection and integrity management.

Looking ahead

Laura reminded everyone that the next IMCA Lifting and Rigging Seminar would take place on 26th October 2023 in Amsterdam and hoped to see everyone again.

You can register yourself and sponsorship opportunities are available. Detailed information can be viewed on IMCA Lifting & Rigging Seminar 2023 – IMCA (imca-int.com).

Challenges and Opportunities in Offshore Wind Lifting Technology: A Recap of the 12th Lifting and Rigging Seminar

crane wire rope

Usha Martin’s specially designed high-performance wire ropes are one of the most crucial components in heavy-duty cranes, without which the cranes can’t function at all. Our wire rope ensures a longer operational life and minimises downtime costs. Proper storage, installation, maintenance, lubrication, and discard of wire rope needs to be carried out as per international standard ISO 4309 to extract the maximum life from our products. 

Proper Storage of wire ropes

Storage

  • Ropes should be stored in a cool, dry building and should not be allowed to be in contact with the floor. They should not be stored where they are likely to be affected by chemicals, chemical fumes, steam, or other corrosive agents. Ropes should be covered so that moisture cannot induce corrosion in ropes.
  • Ropes in storage shall be checked periodically for any signs of deterioration such as surface corrosion and, if deemed necessary by a competent person, dressed with a suitable preservative or lubricant which is compatible with the rope manufacturing lubricant.
  • In warm environments, the reel shall be periodically rotated one half-turn to prevent drainage of lubricant from the rope.

Wire rope lubrication

A wire rope is a piece of machinery with many moving parts (wires-strands) and as such it is subjected to internal and external friction causing wear and corrosion.

Suitable lubricants are applied during the manufacturing of the core, the strands, and finally the finished ropes. The service lubricant should be compatible with the original lubricant used by the wire rope company.

A good lubricant must have the following properties:

  • Good adherence
  • Resistance to penetration of water and other corrosive elements
  • Antioxidants - to resist ageing
  • Alkaline-based emulsifiers - to neutralize acid

Rope lubrication during manufacturing:

  • Petroleum base lubricant
  • Bitumen base lubricant

Basic discard criteria of wire ropes

  • Evidence of plastic wear or surface embrittlement on outer wires
  • Sudden reduction in diameter with increased lay length
  • Severe corrosion like chain pitting or internal corrosion
  • Distortions like kinking, crushing, birdcaging, etc.
  • Evidence of core-collapse or damage through heat
  • Severe shock load or overload due to some accident with equipment
  • End fitting/attachment damaged, cracked, deformed, or worn-out

Broken wires

  • Crane ropes must be considered for discard if the number of visible broken wires equals or exceeds the allowable limit.
  • Wire breaks in the strand valley indicate internal rope deterioration and require closer inspection of the rope. It should be considered for discard if there are two or more such breaks in a length of rope equal to 6 x d.
  • Broken wires adjacent to the termination, require the termination to be remade by shortening the rope, otherwise, the rope should be discarded.
  • Complete fracture of one strand or collapse of core requires immediate discard of wire rope.

Increase in rope diameter: This characteristic is often related to a change in the condition of the core, such as a fibre core swelling up due to the absorption of moisture or the accumulation of corrosion debris within the rope.

 

If the rope diameter increases by 5 % or more in a rope with a steel core or 10 % or more in a rope with fibre core during service, the reason for this shall be investigated and consideration is given to discarding the rope.

Decrease in rope diameter: A decrease in rope diameter can result from a number of factors, one of which is external wear. Usually results from contact with sheaves or drums or from the pressure of rope on the rope, as would be expected at the cross-over zones as the rope traverses the drum. More pronounced amounts of wear are usually found in those sections of rope which are in contact with the grooves of sheaves and drums when the load is being accelerated or decelerated. A lack of lubrication and the presence of abrasive dust can also affect the rate of wear. In addition to the obvious visible mode of deterioration described above, the rope can also decrease as a result of one or a number of internal mechanisms, such as:

  • Internal wear is caused by friction between adjacent strands and wires in the rope, particularly when it is subjected to bending.
  • Deterioration of a fibre core or fracture of a steel core.
  • Fracture of the inner layers of strands of a rotation-resistant rope. By reducing the metallic cross-sectional area of the rope by wear, the strength of the rope is reduced.

Conclusion: We at Usha Martin are committed to working together with our customers to extract the optimum life cycle from our wire ropes. Therefore, proper storage, handling & installation of wire rope is crucial. Thus, being one of the leading wire rope manufacturers, we follow international standards as per ISO 4309 in helping our end-users to achieve maximum performance from our products.

Guidance on proper storage, lubrication, and discard of crane ropes

The wire ropes manufactured by Usha Martin are today catering to some of the most critical applications for almost all industrial sectors. Our wire ropes undergo stringent quality testing measures to ensure utmost safety with the highest quality standards that help to deliver high-performance ropes for different applications. With six decades of experience, we engineer in offering a wide range of products that suits all types of critical environment.

Special operations like compaction, plastication, and pre-stretching are induced to enhance product properties and performance. Usha Martin is probably the only company in the world that can provide a one-stop solution/ system guarantee of entire pre-stressing activities, having supply capability of all the required components backed up by a specialized service team and equipment.

In this blog, let us discuss the application of wire ropes used in Ports and Mines.

Ports

wire rope ports 

As transportation of goods by sea is more economical than either air or land, hence worldwide logistics through ships play a major role in the smooth functioning of business by carrying a huge volume of goods and materials from one country to another. Here ports play a major role, where goods are unloaded in the form of containerized loads or bulk material from the ships.

Unloading the goods from vessels within a limited timeframe is one of the biggest challenges faced by port terminals. Very high-capacity cranes are deployed in both container terminals and bulk material handling terminals to carry out these enormous tasks, which operate at a level of 50-60 meters above the ground. Here, the quality and life cycle of the wire ropes installed on heavy-duty cranes are crucial as they affect the downtime cost.

Usha Martin’s specially designed high-quality wire ropes are one of the most crucial components used in these heavy-duty cranes, without which the cranes can’t function at all.

A few key factors for preferring the Usha Martin brand are:

  • Accident-free performance ensures maximum human safety.
  • Longer service life.
  • Reduced downtime cost/ frequency to achieve the committed time cycle of port clearance.
  • Repeated contracts with major global port operators.

Over the years, we have developed a wide range of high-performance wire ropes, including plastic-impregnated compacted ropes with special properties that have delivered excellent results for our customers and helped to enhance operational efficiency in ports. To learn more about our crane ropes, visit https://ushamartin.com/products/crane-rope

Mines

Wire ropes are extensively used in mining applications, both in underground and surface mining. After excavation, wire ropes play a significant role in lifting and moving the ores, ensuring maximum safety of workers and equipment both in opencast and underground mines. Usha Martin spearheads the safety “movement” in mines by providing wire ropes with higher resistance to fatigue, wear & abrasion, ensuring longer operational life with minimum downtime cost.

Usha Martin has developed plasticated-valley-filled ropes, which are used extensively in very high-capacity shovels and draglines in opencast mines. Specially designed locked coil winding ropes are deployed for the safest movement of man & material in underground mines.

When it comes to critical operations in mining, global mining companies rely on us. Our wire ropes find applications in the following mining equipment:

  1. Surface Mining: Dragline, Hoist rope, Shovel, and Bucket Excavator.
  2. Under Ground Mining: Conventional Winder, Friction Winder, Chair Lift, and Direct Hauling System.
  3. Material Transportation: Monocable and Bicable Systems used in aerial transportation. Usha Martin design and manufactures the round strand haulage ropes used in Cable Belt Conveying System.

To know more about our products used in mines, visit: https://ushamartin.com/products/mining-rope

Conclusion

Usha Martin is one of the largest manufacturers of wire ropes in the world, supported by six global manufacturing units and service centers spread across the world. Our Global R&D center, located in Italy, has been at the forefront of finding innovative solutions for industry-wise technical needs, with a special focus on designing high-quality wire ropes for the critical and sophisticated application that meets your requirement under extremely adverse conditions. Over the years, we have built a robust network globally to offer our customers a comprehensive range of international quality products ensuring smooth delivery and uninterrupted service.

What makes Usha Martin wire ropes superior for critical applications in Ports and Mines?

Usha Martin has always been one of those organizations that have contributed to the nation's development over the last six decades. This has helped to build the nation's infrastructure with our value-added products and solutions. The company offers high-performance wire ropes, PE-coated bonded/ un-bonded LRPC strands, and prestressing solutions, backed up by the expert installation team for pre-tensioning and post-tensioning jobs for infrastructural projects. Usha Martin is the only company in India and probably in the world to provide one-stop prestressing solutions. We are proud to be associated with the infrastructural growth of the nation, especially in transportation, be it elevated expressways, cable-stayed bridges, metro projects, nuclear reactors, urban development, and so on.

So, let's take a look at some of the key installations from Usha Martin.

Within 60 years of experience in the industry, we have been involved in many substantial projects:

Chenab Bridge

Usha Martin is proud to be a part of this iconic installation. The world's highest railway arch bridge over the River Chenab in Kashmir. Usha Martin designed and manufactured the locked coil wire ropes installed on the 'cable cranes', which have been used to move almost all the segments of the bridge during its construction. The company has supplied the wire ropes for the cranes used in this project.

Durgam Cheruvu Bridge

The Durgam Cheruvu cable-stayed bridge is an extradosed bridge in Hyderabad, India. Usha Martin executed the complete internal prestressing contract for the concrete deck with the supply of LRPC strands. This is the longest bridge in Hyderabad, with a total length of 233 meters.

Janki Setu Bridge

Kailash gate bridge, also known as Janki Setu bridge, located at Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, is the first three-lane bridge in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Usha Martin has been an integral part of this project. The semi-vehicular cable suspension bridge has been installed with spiral strand ropes, which were manufactured and supplied by Usha Martin. The bridge has a total length of 346 meters, with a span of 274 meters.

Dobra Chanti Bridge

Dobra Chanthi Bridge is India's longest motorable cable suspension bridge with a 440-meter span, built on Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand. The bridge was installed with 66 mm diameter high-quality locked coil bridge ropes designed and manufactured by Usha Martin. The suspension bridge adds enormous value to the society of the Tehri district.

Burdwan ROB

Polymer-coated wax-filled LRPC strands manufactured by Usha Martin have been installed as stay cables components in the Rail-Over-Bridge (ROB) at Burdwan station in West Bengal. Usha Martin supplied the specially designed cables for this project under the 'Make-in-India' policy.

Auli Ropeway

Auli Ropeway is one of the longest ropeways in India, which connects Joshimath with Auli in Uttarakhand. With a height of 3016 meters above sea level, the bi-cable ropeway is installed with high-quality haulage ropes manufactured and supplied by Usha Martin. Our haulage ropes have been hassle-free and maintenance-free for nearly a decade since they were installed. Auli Ropeway is the major attraction in Auli, which covers a distance of 4.15 km, offering visitors a magnificent view of the Himalayan mountains.

Naini Bridge

Naini Bridge, also known as New Yamuna Bridge, is a Cable-Stayed Bridge at Prayagraj (Allahabad) in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. The four-lane cable-stayed bridge is installed with specially designed locked coil steel wire ropes manufactured and supplied by Usha Martin. The total length of the bridge is 1510 meters, with a span of 260 meters. This landmark installation, suspended with high-quality wire ropes of Usha Martin, ensures the utmost safety for millions of lives moving over it.

Building new India and the global infrastructure

The aforementioned works of Usha Martin in India are some of the notable contributions of the company. Besides making an active contribution to building India, the company is also continuously strengthening its overseas operations to maintain its leadership position in the global market.

Usha Martin's Global Design Centre, located in Italy, is actively engaged in designing high-performance wire ropes to develop products that are the best in class. The manufacturing facilities are located in India, the UK, Thailand, and UAE. Our distribution, sales, and service centers are spread across the world at strategic locations to provide uninterrupted and customized services to our clients.

Usha Martin has emerged as one of the leading wire rope manufacturers and suppliers, helping the nation to build the infrastructure required to strengthen the foundation for tomorrow.

To learn more about our products and solutions reach us at contact@ushamartin.co.in

How are Usha Martin's products and solutions building the nation's infrastructure?

A Fiber Optic Cable is a network cable with improved performance and bandwidth for data transfer. In addition, fiber optic cables are more reliable than standard metal conductors. As a result, cable manufacturers are producing these cables for commercial purposes.

When it comes to optical fiber cable manufacturers, “Usha Martin” is one of the most popular brands in the market as they are equipped with global standard manufacturing units to produce high-quality optical fiber cables. Usha Martin is one of the world’s leading cable suppliers.

Fiber optic cable is suitable for the transfer of information using the medium of light. These cables consist of thin, transparent glass fiber rods. The fibers have three layers; the first layer is called the core, which is comparatively very smaller in diameter than the average hair diameter. Cladding is the second layer, which is constructed with a different refractive index as compared to the fiber core. Cladded fiber forms the third layer, i.e., acrylate coating. These fibers are cascaded in polymeric tubes. The multiple tubes are wrapped around to strengthen the members. The complete unit is coated/encapsulated in a sheathed/jacketed compound.

Types of Optical Fiber:

1. Single-Mode Fiber: Single-mode fiber optic cables are used for long-distance signal transmission.

2. Multimode Fiber: Multi-mode fiber optic cables are manufactured with a wide diameter and larger cores. These cables are used for shorter data transmissions.

Types of Optical Fiber Cable

There are generally four types of optical fiber cables. The following cables are different as per their build type and usage:

1. CATV Cable: Used for cable antenna TV signal transmission.

2. Multi-Loose Tube OFC: These cables are manufactured with multiple tubes for branch communication.

3. Armoured OFC: Armoured cable is used for direct burial or trench deployment applications.

4. ADSS OFC: All Dielectric Self-Supporting Optical Fiber Cable is used for hanging applications, exhibiting very strong pulling strength.

The Benefits of Optical Fiber Cable

Fiber optic cable has many benefits, and a few of them are explained below:

1. Bandwidth & data transfer: Fiber optic cables are the best for data transfer and efficient transmission of signals.

2. High Speed: These cables use light pulses for data transfer and provide a higher speed of transmission.

3. Distance: Fiber optic cable can cover a very long distance as compared to copper cables. These cables offer less optical or transmission loss in signals.

4. Interference: Fiber optic cables offer high protection against interference compared to traditional metal wires. It has the capability to boost data transfer for much longer distances with safety.

5. Safety & reliability: Optical fiber cables are safe, reliable, and comparatively much lighter in weight. These cables are sturdier and come with a weatherproof coating.

Why Choose Usha Martin?

Usha Martin is one of the leading fiber optic cable manufacturers and exporters. With over 6 decades of expertise, the company offers the best solutions when it comes to optical fiber for faster communication and low signal loss.

At Usha Martin, low-risk and high-flexibility optical fiber cables are manufactured. Our superior quality optical fiber cable ensures high data security and efficient transmission.

We have a wide range of offerings: 1F to 48 F Uni-tube construction, 2F to 432 multi-tube construction, and Micro-duct cable. In addition to these, we manufacture hybrid cables and composite cables. We also produce underground and FTTH optical fiber cables.

Get the complete range of FTTH LSZH Sheath cables, FTTH Drop cables, and micro duct cables. Apart from optical fiber cables, we also produce jelly-filled copper cables, aerial copper cables, and duct copper cables, ranging from 5 pairs to 2400 pairs of cables. Usha Martin Cables also manufactures FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) rods ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 mm in diameter. To know more about fiber optic cables, connect with Usha Martin experts, and get more information on our exclusive range of fiber optic cables.

Everything You Need to Know About Optical Fiber Cable

There is no denying that wire ropes are one of the most used materials in the industrial landscape. According to Statista, in 2020 itself, the production volume of steel wire ropes in Japan amounted to approximately 240.32 thousand tons. Their necessity is evident, and the wire rope sling manufacturers are increasingly deploying their solutions in marine environments or for rigging purposes. However, as wire ropes face considerable loads, they suffer massive mechanical damage.

As suggested by the leading steel wire rope manufacturers, some well-known reasons for wire rope failure are corrosion, excess deterioration, improper usage, and lack of maintenance resulting in reduced safety, increased replacement costs, and early discard. Do you want to know the professional ways steel wire rope manufacturers inspect wire ropes? Then here's a guide for you!

How often should you inspect your wire ropes?

All wire ropes must be inspected visually on daily basis before starting the operation. This safety guideline can ensure maximum security. Although it's daunting to determine the exact service span of the ropes, close analysis on a more frequent basis can help get a more precise estimation of their predictive life cycle. Also, note that calculating the precise times when the ropes have been in use during the mooring/tidal conditions, load pressures, etc., can be the answer. A competent person shall carry out an overall, thorough periodical inspection of the wire rope.

How to inspect a wire rope visually?

Well, you can assess the wire rope condition by standard inspection. Look for signs of:

  • Wire Breaks (Pro tip: valley wire breaks are more hazardous than outer wire breaks)
  • Abrasive damage that is caused by passing over the drum and sheaves during daily use
  • Corrosion is caused by the lack of lubrication. (Pro tip: look for discoloration)
  • Diameter reduction due to excessive abrasion under normal load conditions
  • Crushing or flattening of wire rope strands
  • High Stranding
  • Shock-loading or bird-caging-caused by the abrupt release of tension on the wire rope leading to overloading

The rag and visual method

You can use the rag-and-visual process to check for any external damage. All you need to do is grab the rope lightly with a rag or cotton cloth. Then move the rag along the wire, and if there are any broken wires, they will stick out and snag on the rag. If the cloth catches broken wires, you can stop and assess the rope visually. Also, make sure to visually inspect the wire without any rag because some wire breaks don't stick out.

Measure the rope diameter vividly

Measure the diameter of the rope and compare the diameter with the original values. When the measurements are different, the change implies internal or external rope conditions.

Check for abrasions

When a steel wire rope passes over the drum and sheaves or any other metallic equipment component, abrasion takes place. Hence, it is important that all components must be in proper working order and of the appropriate diameter for the rope. A badly corrugated or worn-out sheave or drum will significantly damage a new rope, resulting in premature rope replacement.

In addition, try to look for corrosion, pitting, abrasions, end fitting conditions, wire breakage (if any), and lubrication inside the rope. Wire rope should be inspected to check for any abnormality like External damage, Kink, Strand looseness, Core protrusion, or Bird-caging.

It is always recommended to maintain the inspection records to assess the rope condition in the next inspection schedule.

Word of caution

While sometimes the damage can be easily identified on the surface, in other cases, the fracture might occur inside the wires. Therefore, ensure that the ropes are maintained, manufactured, and inspected by competent professionals. Searching for the best wire rope sling manufacturers and inspecting company that focuses stringently on quality checks? Usha Martin can be your one-stop solution!

Important Guidelines of Wire Rope Inspection

The wire rope market has witnessed immense growth because of the rising demands in the manufacturing sector and growth in infrastructure. Moreover, the rising number of projects related to drilling from ores, coal mining, and oil exploration brings a major market chance for the pioneer players operating in the steel wire rope market. The global steel wire rope market is estimated to see high growth in the coming period. With so many companies competing against one another, one company that deserves your attention worldwide now is Usha Martin.

What makes Usha Martin a leading Wire rope manufacturer and supplier globally?

Usha Martin has made its own place in the international market and has stood tall for the past 60 years. The company is one of the largest wire rope producers in the world. Decked with state-of-the-art technologies and technically advanced infrastructural facilities, it uses the highest-capacity machines to produce steel wire ropes, mining rope, elevator wire rope, fishing rope, structural rope, crane wire ropes, wire rope sling, and optical fiber cables to name a few. Besides producing wires, it also manufactures a wide variety of LRPC strands, including polymer-coated bonded & unbonded LRPC strands, which find application in various infrastructure, construction, and bridge projects.

The company delivers a wide range of value-added products and customized solutions to meet customers' specific needs. It offers services in varied sectors ranging from mining, crane, infrastructure, elevator, oil, and offshore. Its global clients are a testimony to its expertise in manufacturing top-notch products. Usha Martin has become one of the leading global players by offering comprehensive solutions using modern technologies and delivering sustainable growth opportunities to its customers.

Why do industries across the world partner with Usha Martin?

There are several benefits of working with Usha Martin. Some of them are given below:

Total solution provider: Usha Martin offers complete solutions under one roof when it comes to wire rope manufacturing, rigging services, installation, inspection, prestressing solutions, NDT services, etc. The company offers tailor-made products with value-added services to meet specific client requirements. The manufacturing plants and service centers have world-class rigging facilities, providing turnkey solutions, including socketing, cutting, coiling, spooling services, etc. From production and supply to installation, the company offers all turnkey services to its customers worldwide.

Global service network: Usha Martin has a robust, well-established network set up globally. All the service centers are decked with best-in-class rigging facilities to meet the specific demands of clients. The company enjoys support from a broad network of dealers worldwide, which are well equipped with in-house assembly and testing facilities to offer tailor-made products to suit different working conditions and ensure smooth delivery of products at the client's site.

Global R&D: When it comes to innovation and development, the company offers several innovative solutions for different sectors taking every initiative to meet their technical needs, focusing on designing top-quality wire ropes for critical applications to suit adverse working conditions. The Global Design Centre provides support to the group's manufacturing units and project management teams while leading technical guidance towards rope design, product improvement, and R&D activities.

Superior Performance: The products manufactured at Usha Martin deliver longer service life and ensure the utmost safety, keeping quality their major concern. With six decades of experience, the company uses state-of-the-art technologies. Processes undergo stringent quality testing measures at every stage of operation to produce high-quality wire ropes that meet global standards.

Global Accreditations: As Usha Martin pays utmost attention to its quality, it has several international accreditations to its name. The company's quality management system is certified by ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. It is also accredited by many global manufacturing assessments, including ABS, Lloyds, DNV-GL, SNI, Australian Certification Authority for Reinforcing & Infrastructure Steel, etc.

Wide product range: Excelling in all the products it has to its name, Usha Martin offers a wide range of high-performance wire ropes, LRPC Strands, wires, prestressing accessories, and cables in the best quality to suit all critical environments for different applications across the industry.

After-Sales and Service: What makes Usha Martin stand out from the crowd is its after-sale services. The company has a robust network of service centers located worldwide. They work in the best efforts with their clients to extract the optimum performance of their products. From installation to an inspection of the wire ropes in different applications, it offers complete after-sales services to its customers. The company also offers customized training programs for its clients.

Usha Martin has been one of the best wire rope suppliers to several industries globally for six decades. The company follows innovative product development and unique manufacturing techniques to offer a wide range of high-quality wire ropes, wires, and strands.

Some of its most demanded products are:

● Steel wire rope: The company enjoys as one of the top players in producing the widest range of wire rope products globally. These ropes service different applications across various industrial segments.

● Oil and offshore rope: The Titan Oil field rope from Usha Martin is known for its superior strength and power. Manufacturing using top-notch technology, they offer a great strength-to-weight ratio.

● Crane rope: Crane wire ropes from Usha Martin offer high performance, longer service life, and less downtime, increasing operational efficiency even in harsh working conditions.

● Mining rope: Usha Martin mining ropes are designed to perform in harsh mining conditions in both surface and underground mining, helping the users accomplish lower downtime, higher life, and reduced maintenance cost.

● Structural rope: Usha Martin produces a wide range of high-quality structural ropes for critical projects and installations around the world. It offers superior quality pre-stretched locked coil bridge ropes and requisite end fittings in a ready-to-install condition.

● Conveyor Cord: Usha Martin produces high-quality conveyor cords, offering superior strength for use in belt conveyors for material handling industries.

● Engineering Rope: The company also produces different types of wire ropes suitable for general purposes like guyline, boring application, etc.

Conclusion

So, with years of experience and tradition in offering a wide range of products and an ideal customer service package, Usha Martin continues to rule the major businesses to date. Its varied range of wires, wire ropes, LRPC strands, and cables find application in construction, mining, elevator, automobile, oil & gas, fishing, telecom, and many more. The company has its reach in all the major markets and is one of the largest wire rope manufacturers globally, offering all the services under one roof. Connect with us to get more information on our products and services. We are here to help you.

Usha Martin – A One-Stop Solution Company in the Global Wire Rope Industry

Wire ropes have numerous applications in the offshore industries due to their massive strength and durability. Offshore wire ropes, slings, and other rigging equipment handle heavy loads in daily operation. In addition, they are constantly exposed to adverse weather conditions, saline ocean water, etc. Like any machinery and equipment, wire ropes and slings also need proper care and maintenance to ensure their longevity and strength.

That's why we are discussing 5 Care and Safety Tips for Offshore Wire Ropes.

1. Seizing wire ropes

Seizing or cutting wire ropes is vital to deploy them in suitable applications. Moreover, seizing them appropriately is a must to ensure safe and efficient operations. Improper or inadequate seized ends of ropes can be colossal trouble ahead since it can cause flattening of ropes and uneven distribution of load, making it susceptible to premature wear and tear.

2. Routine inspection and cleaning

Since wire ropes are primarily used for heavy equipment lifting, you must conduct regular inspections. Any carelessness or lack of maintenance can cause the ropes to break, resulting in huge losses, accidents, and even fatal injuries. If any change or issue in the rope is noticed during inspection, it must be immediately reported.

3. Ambient lubrication

Although most wire ropes come with original lubrication, it often gets removed due to constant friction and adverse conditions. The wire rope is constantly exposed to environmental elements if the lubrication isn't replenished. Thus, it is advised to maintain proper lubrication to protect the wires and the core from dust, debris, unwanted friction, and corrosion.

4. Professional installation

Are you installing offshore wire ropes on your own? You better leave it to professionals unless you have the proper training. Professional wire rope installers are well-trained in considering every little detail during installation. For example, they use suitable tools like calipers to calculate the rope's nominal diameter to see if it is compatible with the equipment.

5. Proper storage

If you are storing the wire ropes, ensure they are in dry, covered, and well-ventilated conditions. The best practices are keeping them away from moisture, dust, steam, chemicals, and adverse weather conditions.

Get the best quality wire ropes.

Wire ropes are designed accordingly to suit the most demanding and critical working conditions in the oil & gas industry. For that, you must begin with getting high-quality wire ropes. Usha Martin is the ultimate destination for international-standard oil & offshore wire ropes, mooring rope, sand line, bull line, slings, and essential rigging services. All their products undergo vigorous quality testing, making them a globally renowned manufacturer and supplier of high-performance wire ropes. It's a one-stop solution company, offering heavy spooling services, proof testing, inspection facilities, and full rigging shop services covering pressed terminations and wire rope socketing.

Get in touch with them today.

FAQs

What are wire ropes made of?

Wire ropes are typically manufactured from high carbon steel wires, stranded together to form a thick and strong rope.

What are some offshore applications of wire ropes?

Wire ropes are widely used in drilling, hoisting, rigging, offshore mooring, anchoring, towing, etc.

Why is rope oil necessary?

Rope oil or lubricants protect the wire ropes from wearing off early since it creates a protective layer against dust, water, salt, chemicals, etc.

Does the best wire rope supplier provide rigging equipment?

Yes, they are global-standard manufacturers of wire ropes, slings, marine mooring systems, and complete rigging solutions.

High-Quality Offshore Wire Ropes: Care and Safety Tips

Steel Wire

Overview

International prices of base metals have gradually slashed from 9 to 17% since April from the soared levels, giving some relief to the related industries, which noticed a sharp rise in input prices. Between April 11 and May 10, a sharp fall of 15%, 9%, and 17% was noticed in the LME, copper, and zinc prices, respectively. China's domestic price of HRC (hot-rolled coil) steel fell by 15%.

As per Trading economics, steel prices have dropped below CNY 4,500 per tonne, a level not seen since last December. They are now roughly 15% below their early May peak due to persistently weak demand and rising inventories.

 

Source Image: Trading economics

 

Some glimpses from the past

In 2021, the steel price in the Indian city of Chennai reached 59.78 Indian rupees per kilogram. On the other hand, steel in Pune was less expensive at 58.08 rupees per kilogram. Therefore, it was projected that steel prices would decrease in all the presented cities. However, driving demand for Indian iron ore in China is said to have increased the steel price in India significantly at the end of 2020.

In India, the steel price varies depending on the cost of import and the prices of other metals and raw materials. Because of these underlying causes, steel prices crashed to ₹65000 per ton from a whopping ₹71000 per ton. Prices were seen at ₹76000 per ton in April 2022, but because of the excess supply during the weak demand, the prices fell with the incoming southwest monsoon slowing the work.

According to analysts, the market expects steel prices to go to ₹60,000 per ton in July 2022 and drop to ₹55000 per ton in August 2022. However, it may not fall further and then gain stability.

Currently, the steel market is in a chaotic condition, and demand is stagnant because of the undercutting done by dealers in expectation of the price reduction by steel manufacturers. Steel price fell by ₹5000 per ton because of the imposition of export duty, and the hot-rolled coil presently hovers at ₹65000 per ton.

 

Major industries affected by the fall in steel prices

A lot of manufacturing units rely on steel for their products and services. From automobile manufacturers to consumer electronics, 'steel' enjoys a huge presence. It is also used for equipment, machinery, steel wire ropes, and hardware production.

The major industries impacted by the fall in steel prices are:

  • Energy
  • Automobile
  • Appliances
  • Construction
  • Steel wire rope
  • Machinery
  • Engineering

 

Here are the reasons why steel prices crashed

Government steps: A rise in export duty

To control roaring steel prices, in May 2022, the government hiked the export duty on finished steel to 15%. However, the government did not include steel intermediaries in the export duties list.

Post this, the semis exports declined by 26% last year to 4.9 MT. However, they may notice a rise in the current financial year. The demand for domestic steel fell by 7.2% every month and is expected to fall more. The fall in the raw material cost will have a positive impact on the manufacturing sector and also help to keep the prices in control. In addition, the fall in import duties of iron ore and steel will enhance domestic availability and further help reduce steel product costs.

 

China's steel demand

As per Fitch experts (an American credit rating agency), the steel demand growth from the construction industries of China has largely peaked in the first six months of 2021. The firm never estimated any demand effect from government incentives after the pandemic struck in April 2020 to support the post-Covid recovery. With current projects and new infrastructural work being taken up, the steel demand will rise during 2022-2025; the company doesn't predict the gush in demand to return from 2022 onwards.

 

Our part: Being a leading wire rope solution provider

When the steel prices rose, companies like Usha Martin came out with good performance with an increase in revenue and EBITDA. The company offered top-quality products to its clients, maintained its standards, and continued to meet specific customer needs for critical applications under challenging conditions.

In recent times, when steel prices in India have come down sharply, Usha Martin has adapted well to this change to optimize its operational benefits. It facilitates the sourcing of steel rods at a lower price and enhances production. The company is one of the largest steel wire rope manufacturers, offering customized services for diversified fields such as ports, mining, bridge installation, renewable energy, oil & offshore, elevators, ropeways, and more. It manufactures high-quality crane wire ropes, elevator ropes, mining ropes, conveyor cords, fishing ropes, wire rope slings, and structural ropes.

 

Conclusion

The steel price fall helped us bring down the cost of production and offer better value propositions to customers. From quality checks to customization and technical services, the company offers all to live up to the expectations of its clients. It endeavours to use the best of its technology and raw material procurement processes to deliver to its customers efficiently.

The imposition of export duty by the government on finished steel is expected to lower the domestic steel industry prices further.

Usha Martin acknowledges these government initiatives and aims to enhance its working accordingly. For more details, speak to our experts now!

Steel Prices Sharply Fall – The Triggers and the Impact

Most Common Wire Rope Terminology

Does your business largely depend on wire ropes? The steel ropes used in heavy-duty applications are specially designed with the required specifications to meet the requirements of the most demanding applications. A typical wire rope is made of four components—wire, strand, core, and rope. Apart from these, you might come across many other terms while dealing with wire ropes in day-to-day industrial activities. Read further to learn about some of the most common wire rope terminologies.

Common Wire Rope Terminology:

  • Wire- The individual strands that make up the wire rope.
  • Strand- A group of wires bound together to make a rope.
  • Core- The centre of a wire rope is often made of steel, sisal, jute, hemp, etc.
  • Rope- The final product comprises several strands wrapped around the core.
  • Bending Stress- It refers to the amount of stress laid on the wire when bent.
  • Abrasion- Day-to-day surface wear and tear on the wire ropes.
  • Aircraft Cables- These are specially crafted wire ropes designed to handle aircraft operations and related uses.
  • Construction- It refers to the building of the wire ropes, which includes the number of wires per strand.
  • Metallic Area– The total cross-sectional area of all the wires within a strand or rope.
  • Corrosion- Chemical damage to the metal wire ropes due to exposure to moisture, acid, alkaline, sea salt, and harsh cleaning agents.
  • Corrugated- When the surface of a reel or drum shows worn-out streaks due to wire ropes rubbing against it.
  • Drum- A large cylindrical barrel around which the wire rope is wrapped for storage purposes.
  • Elastic Limit- The maximum limit until a permanent deformation occurs in the ropes.
  • Fatigue Resistance- The wire ropes' resistance capacity lets them repeatedly bend without breaking.
  • Fiber Core– When the core of the wire rope is made of natural or synthetic fibre like sisal, vegetable material, polypropylene, etc.
  • Grooves- Indentations on the periphery of the drum or sheave that are shaped to position and stabilise the wire ropes in one place.
  • Grooved Drum– A drum with grooves that help easy support and winding of the wire roped around it.
  • Kink– A noticeable bend in the wire rope which is caused by the loop being pulled through. This bend permanently distorts the wires and strands of the rope.
  • Lay– The pattern or length along the wire rope that a strand takes to wrap completely around the core.
  • Left lay– In the case of strands, it refers to those wire strands that are braided into a helix having a left-hand pitch. Similarly, in the case of ropes, it relates to a rope where the helix pattern is formed with a left-hand pitch.
  • Reel– A spool around which the wire rope is wrapped like a roll, especially during storage and transportation.
  • Rotation-Resistant Rope– A rope having two layers of strands where each of the layers has opposite lay directions, allowing smooth rotatory movement.
  • Slings– Wire ropes that are fitted with other operating ropes for lifting heavy loads.
  • Socket– Socket means the type of rope fitting. It can be of three types: open, closed, and wedged.
  • Thimble– It is a single metal fitting with grooves, often used to cover the eye of a wire rope.
  • Breaking Strength– The tensile load at which the wire rope breaks or the tensile failure occurs.
  • Aggregate Strength- The sum of the individual strengths of each wire when subjected to tension.
  • Nominal Strength- Steel wire manufacturers in India use this standard of minimum strength calculated for wire ropes while designing.

Wrapping Up

Steel wire ropes have been a revolutionary invention. Its strength, reliability, and versatility make it ideal across a wide range of industries. From oil rigging to cargo lifting, they can withstand many heavy-duty applications. If you are also searching for the best steel wire rope suppliers, then Usha Martin is the one to trust. We are renowned steel wire manufacturers in India for delivering high-quality wire ropes, LRPC strands, pre-stressing solutions, and optical fiber cables. Get in touch with us to get industry-leading wires and cables today.

Most Common Wire Rope Terminology You Need to Know