An indispensable component, wire rope finds application in a variety of fields, such as building, shipping, agriculture, and amusement parks. Although wire rope is incredibly durable and long-lasting, when you want to cut to a specific length or when a worn-out wire rope needs to be replaced. Because wire rope is rather stiff and fibrous, cutting it is quite challenging. Echter, cutting wire rope is not difficult if the proper equipment and techniques are used, which will also guarantee safety. In order to prevent sharp edges that could injure people, this article will go into detail on the proper technique for cutting wire rope.
Understanding Wire Rope
Whenever you proceed to cut the wire rope, there are several important aspects that you need to know about the structure. Wire rope is a flexible elongated metal product made up of several bands of metal wire or strands wound around a core. The first one is named the “outer strand”, and the second one is designated as “lay strands”. The core can be made up of a number of fibers or steel, thus determining the flexibility or the strength of rope.
Veiligheid eerst
You should be very cautions while sawing wire ropes because they may pose a serious hazard to the people operating them. Eye protection such as goggles, hand protection such as gloves and ear protection in cases where there’ll be usage of power tools. Make sure that your work area is to some extent free from obstruction and fasten the wire rope to minimize shifting whilst cutting. Ook, if you are working close to an electrical line or equipment, one must also consider electrical risks involved therein.
Tools You’ll Need
To get it right when cutting wire rope, it is important that one acquires the correct tool.
Some of the most frequently used tools for this task as follows:
- Bolt Cutters
Best for: Small to medium diameter ropes.
Voordelen: The learning process is easy to follow and it is quite cheap.
Limitations: May struggle with larger or high-tensile wire ropes.
- Chain Saws
Best for: Medium to large diameter ropes.
Voordelen: Quick and efficient for thick ropes.
Limitations: Requires safety precautions due to sharp teeth and high-speed operation.
- Disc Saws
Best for: Larger diameter ropes.
Benefits: Cuts angled and can cut through thin and thick material.
Nadelen: Suitable in a stable environment and requires protective measures because of revolutions of blades.
- Hydraulic Shears
Best for: Large diameter ropes and high-tensile wire ropes.
Advantage: It has many advantages, one of which is that it can make deep and fast cuts in the hardest of materials.
Limitations: The system contains high cost and is costly to maintain.
- Abrasive Cut-Off Wheels
Doel: Useful for cutting ropes that are challenging to cut with various other tools.
Voordelen: It will suit various type of works since they will be used with angle grinders.
Limitations: It has a feature of arc and how it must be handle.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting Wire Rope
Stap 1: Measure and Mark
Allereerst, determine the length to be cut. Alternatief, you can use a piece of chalk or marker to encircle the rope and come up with a line in cross section. This will help in achieving a straight cut. It is also important to verify any written measurement to avoid any kind of mistakes.
Stap 2: Secure the Wire Rope
Secure the wire rope into a position such as to avoid any movement when cutting it. When fixing the rope, you can lock it in clamps, vise grips or any suitable equipment to enable it not to move. Saw that it is tight enough so that it does not move freely but not too tight so as to distort the shape of the rope to be used in the shop.
Stap 3: Choose the Right Tool
The cutting capacity of the tool should be matched to that to the diameter of the wire rope. Smaller ropes can be cut using just bolt cutters while thicker ropes call for the use of the disc saws or hydraulic shears.
Stap 4: Cutting the Rope
Using Bolt Cutters
Position the Rope: When pulling the rope through the pipe, the marked section should be positioned between the jaws of the bolt cutters.
Hazardous Movement: Pull the trigger to apply pressure on the handles by squeezing them from both ends and ensuring that it is firm and constant. Het kan meerdere keren meer druk vereisen, voor dikkere touwen.
Een kettingzaag gebruiken
Stak het touw in: Ensure that the chain saw is aligned with the rope in this fashion to cut on the rope’s marked line.
Snijd langzaam en soepel: One should allow the saw to complete as much of the work as possible, Het minimaliseren van ‘schors carving’. Het moet niet worden gedwongen om terugslag te voorkomen.
Een schijfzaag gebruiken
Monteer de touwen: Ensure that the marked part of the rope is placed under the schijfzaag mes.
Delicaat: Switch on the power button of the saw and allow it to rift through the rope. Het is ook belangrijk om geen contact te hebben met het mes, omdat dit kan leiden tot ernstige verwondingen.
Hydraulische schaar gebruiken
Het draadtouw moet in de schaar worden geplaatst zodat het zich houdt aan de volgende stappen:
Dubbel blok en tackle: Use the crank to turn over the shears provided by the hydraulic mechanism in order to cut through the rope easily with minimum force.
Using an Abrasive Cut-Off Wheel
Prevention from Accidental Movement: This can be done by positioning the rope in the following ways.
Angle Grinder: Cut the rope through slicing mechanism. Stay focused and be calm and composed while running the rehearsal at a steady pace.
Stap 5: Clean Up the Ends
The two cut ends of the rope are likely to have sharp edges, or worn wires on their outer surface. Metaalbestand of ontbrekingsgereedschap moet worden gebruikt om de randen van het koperoppervlak te verfijnen. Dit zal gevallen elimineren van mensen die verwondingen krijgen tijdens periodes van het verplaatsen van het touw en er evenzeer voor zorgen dat het touw het beoogde doel dient zoals verwacht.
Stap 6: Inspecteer de snede
Na het snijden, men moet de gesneden uiteinden controleren om vast te stellen dat ze netjes zijn en de afmetingen nauwkeurig zijn. Zorg ervoor dat er geen resterende bramen zijn die idealiter moeten worden bijgesneden of losse draden die moeten worden gestopt.