Spooling Wire Rope on to a Plain Drum

When transferring your crane rope on to a plain or smooth drum, it is essential that the first  (bottom) layer of wire rope is installed correctly.

This layer provides the grooving for any subsequent layers of rope wound over the top of it.  The wire rope wraps should be installed under tension and avoid having any gaps between the wraps.  A soft hammer or similar may be used to carefully knock the rope together during installation.  This will ensure they are closely wound, but excessive force should be avoided.  Any gaps left at the side of the flange should be eliminated.  This can be done by re-adjusting the rope wraps evenly over the width of the drum using soft packing inserts.  This will help to prevent subsequent movement.  If the gap is large enough, the installation of a false flange may be considered.

Once installed correctly this bottom layer should not be unwound.

After the first layer, it is at these areas that crushing and damage to the rope will occur.  The sections at which the wraps of the upper layer cross over the wraps of the lower layer are termed cross over zones.

With smooth or plain drums it is difficult to achieve satisfactory multi layer coiling beyond the third layer.

If you require assistance with spooling your crane rope, contact the team at Crane Ropes Australia on email wirerope@craneropesaustralia.com.au or via phone 7089 8335.