COMMON WIRE ROPE FITTINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Wire Rope Fittings
Wire rope can be prone to fray easily at the ends making it difficult to connect to equipment. Wire rope fittings or wire rope terminations are used to secure the ends of wire rope and prevent fraying. There are many different types, sizes and finishes of wire rope fittings which are suitable for most types of rope. Some of the more common types of wire rope fittings are detailed below.
Wire Rope Thimbles
A wire rope thimble is used in wire rope assemblies to prevent the wire rope eye from being crushed and reducing wear on the rope itself. When a wire rope assembly is fitted with an eye at the end, a thimble is inserted to form the eye of the loop before the rope is secured in the ferrule or wire rope grip.
Wire Rope Grips
A wire rope grip is used to clamp the loose end of a wire rope after it has been looped back to form an eye. Wire rope assemblies generally require a minimum of three wire rope grips, depending on the wire and application to properly secure the ends.
Wire Rope Ferrules
Wire rope ferrules are used to terminate wire rope ends. Oval shaped sleeves are crushed around the wire rope to form eyes or to create a stopper on the end of a wire rope assembly. This can be done either by hand tools or via a hydraulic press. Hand pressing ferrules is only recommended on smaller diameters of wire ropes.
Turnbuckles/Rigging screws
These are wire rope fittings that are attached to wire rope assemblies and can be used to adjust the tension of wire rope. Turnbuckles typically consist of two eye bolts, one at each end of a metal frame. The tension of the wire rope can then be adjusted by rotating the frame.
Wire Rope Sockets
A wire rope socket is permanently attached using a hydraulic press to fit it to the end of the wire rope. These can be used instead of thimbles, wire rope grips or ferrules. Please don’t try this one at home, it takes specialised tools and knowledge to fit these to wire ropes.
Wedge socket
Wedge sockets are a fitting used to temporarily terminate the end of the wire rope. They are quick and easy to install and remove.
Wire rope sock/Cable sock
A little different from the rest of the fittings, these can be used to pull wire rope over a distance and through machinery and pulleys. Wire rope socks are available in a wide range of sizes and types.
Tip
Stainless steel fittings can be used in highly corrosive environments such as marine or working with chemicals, as stainless steel tends to be more resistant to such environments.
All Lifting has a complete range of quality wire rope fittings to suit almost any application. We can source or custom make fittings too!
