- May 25, 2021
- By JC International
- In Uncategorized
- 8040
- 0
Wire ropes (especially running rope) are regarded as a safety critical expendable component, requiring immediate replacement when the results of inspection indicates wire rope defects – wear, deterioration, or damage beyond the point where safe and continued use can no longer be guaranteed.
Wire rope (for the purpose of his blog), refers to those ropes use for the following types of cranes:
Every steel wire rope, which is subject to corrosion, abrasion, and fatigue, will fail suffer failure at some point if it is not detected, discarded, and replaced in time. For most duty holders, a periodic replacement of wire ropes is built into their safety management and maintenance strategy in addition to regular maintenance like lubrication and visual inspection.
Wire rope inspection using Magnetic Rope Tester (MRT) is driven by electro-magnetic principles and used as an aid to visual inspection to determine the location of sections of rope suffering deterioration. MRT technology has evolved rapidly over the years with advances in digitalization and innovative developments in design and manufacturing, now offers significant advantages as a non-destructive testing (NDT) technique.
Where it is intended to monitor the condition of a crane wire rope throughout its operational life then it is recommended that an NDT (MRT) be carried out on the rope at first installation in order to reveal any manufacturing defects and to establish baseline data against which the findings of further tests may be evaluated.
The challenges of wire rope operation often enable duty holders/operators to recognise the value of an MDT NDT inspection of ‘in-service’ crane ropes as a reliable means of inspection monitoring data collection.
In addition to the points above, failure to understand the scope, methods and standards of wire rope inspection, and acceptance /rejection criteria specified for all types of wire rope defects can lead to also failure and equipment unavailability.
As stated earlier, it is important to establish a baseline data for newly installed crane wire ropes. If it is the intention to carry out NDT by MRT means during the operational life of the rope, an initial examination should be carried out as soon as practicable. This could be during the following stages of the rope life cycle:
The results of this inspection would serve as the baseline or reference point for future calibration.
NDT of crane wire ropes using MRT is a specialised operation often involving the use of equipment designed specifically for different types of rope. The next blog will look at some types of MRT machines currently in use in the industry, their benefits, and opportunities.
Other key features that must be considered when looking to optimise MRT as an NDT technique for wire rope inspection are detailed below:
As members of the Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF), JC International offers the full suite of wire rope management services from NDT to visual wire rope inspection performed by experienced and qualified inspectors with sufficient skill and knowledge of acceptance and rejection criteria from relevant codes, standards, regulations and industry best practices.
Our investments in wire rope inspection technology allows us to focus on wire rope reliability and integrity throughout the operational and service life of the ropes. It also allows to continue to provide a world-class service, promoting safety performance by the most cost-effective means.