Wire Rope Cable

The three primary areas that determine the strength of wire rope cable include the wire configuration (how many strands, and how many wires per strand), the cable diameter (how large is each individual wire) and finally the wire material used and any additional coatings.

Wire configuration is the primary way that wire rope is categorized and there is a standard naming convention across the industry. The configuration is the “Number of Strands” X “Number of Wires per Strand.”  Therefore, a 6×19 wire rope cable means that there are 6 strands wrapped around the core and there are 19 wires per individual strand.  A 6×19 wire rope cable has 114 total wires.

Although the terms wire, wire strand and wire rope cable may be used interchangeably, there is a stark difference between the terms. A wire is a single and very flexible string.  A wire strand is created when two or more wires are laid around a center wire.  A cable is made when strands are wrapped around a core.

Selecting the right material for your cable application can be perplexing sometimes and there is not just one right answer. Typically, stainless steel may be slightly stronger than a galvanized material, diameter dependent, but it comes at a much greater cost. Tungsten can be stronger, more flexible and have a greater service life, but again is more expensive. Cable construction also plays a major role in your assemblies’ design. If you need flexibility and abrasion resistance, that may affect the overall strength of your wire rope cable assembly.

In the world of miniature wire rope cable there is an inverse relationship between the strength of the wire rope and the flexibility / stretch of the rope as more strands and more wires per strand are added. Therefore, in the diagram below, a 1×19 wire rope configuration is the least flexible but has the highest breaking strength.  7×7 wire rope is more flexible and has medium strength and 7×19 is considered the most flexible but has the lowest breaking strength.  We can provide numerous options depending on what type of strength and flexibility is needed, including a 7×49 wire rope cable which is an extremely flexible wire rope cable that is often used in pulley and cycling assemblies.

There is almost an endless number of types of wire rope cable. There are so many factors that need to be considered when picking the type of wire rope cable including but not limited to size requirements, material and coating considerations, fittings required, and whether any processes need to be done before, during or even after construction of the wire rope (i.e. ultrasonic cleaning, passivation or cable stress relief).  Zauderer Associates, inc. can help you understand each step of the process and can provide the engineering support you need.

IWRC stands for independent wire rope cores and is itself a wire rope that is comprised of wires and strands. This is different than the other two types of a core which are WSC (Wire Strand Core) and FC (Fiber Core).  WSC is a single wire that is used as a core.  FC is a natural or synthetic rope.

Our partner in wire rope cable manufacturing produces quality products are safe, reliable, and effective.  The following standards and certifications are maintained:

• ISO 9001:2015 certification
• RoHS and REACH compliant
• FDA Registered Status
• ITAR Registered Status

Swaging is an assembly process that will squeeze or crush the fitting around the length of the wire rope cable, slightly reducing the overall diameter without reducing the performance of the cable or damaging the cable. Swaging will increase the wear resistance and lower friction for push-pull type applications. Crimping may be just one or a couple “strikes” of the fitting to secure it to the cable. Crimping is a quicker assembly process where strength, wear and fatigue are less of a concern for wire rope cable.

Swaging is a process used to flatten the strands of wire rope cable to reduce the cable diameter. Cable rope is fed through a rotary swaging machine that hammers the wire rope cable in a repetitive action until the wire cable has the desired diameter.

The swaging process prevents fraying, increasing wear resistance by improving the stiffness of the cable, and lowers friction. Medical cable assemblies and push-pull cable assemblies often use swaged cable since these types of applications require smooth and frictionless movement.

A wire rope clamp is a very common fitting placed on the end of wire rope cable. The end of the wire rope is looped back to form an eye and the wire rope clips are used to secure the ends properly.

Push-Pull and Push-Pull cable assemblies are terms used to describe a dedicated mechanical control device that provides a smooth and positive transmission of mechanical power or force to a remote location. A properly designed push-pull or pull-push cable assembly uses a solid wire or a wire rope to smoothly and with little friction, transfer motion from one point to the other.  A well designed, flexible wire rope cable assembly includes a casing that is properly sized for the appropriate solid wire or wire rope.  The next design consideration will be specifying the proper bulkhead terminal(s). Lastly, you need to determine the termination that is needed for your application. What will this be attached to and how best to attach it? Next will be deciding on the proper push-pull control in either locking or non-locking fashion, to provide the motion desired.  There are many design requirements and considerations when manufacturing a push-pull wire rope cable assembly, so let us help to customize your product.

If your assembly needs to be prestressed, passivated, stress relieved, ultrasonically cleaned, or vapor decreased let us know. We are the experts in the field on how to make your wire rope cable assembly clean, safe, effective, and reliable.

Deciding between stainless steel and galvanized wire rope is a tough question to answer without knowing more details about the overall project. Details that should be considered include understanding the specified application, the product’s needs, the desired end result, the typical life of your assembly, the environment the assembly will live in, the “factor of safety” needed and most importantly what cost considerations are expected. Our experienced professionals will bring together the right assembly to handle all your needs.

Stainless steel cable is stronger than galvanized cable. And tungsten cable is even stronger than stainless steel cable.  However, when determining the right material for your project, many variables besides simply wire cable strength will need to be considered including cost environmental factors.  Let Zauderer Associates, Inc. help you determine what is the best material for your wire rope cable assembly.

Aircraft cable is a generic term for wire rope that is used in many industries and applications. While aircraft cable was originally used in aircraft flight controls, you can find “aircraft” cable in exercise equipment, railings, sailboat rigging and many more applications.  Because aircraft cable is a generic term, the strength of aircraft cable is dependent on the type of material used (i.e. stainless steel or galvanized wire rope) and the configuration chosen.

Mil-Spec Wire Rope Cable is cable that is manufactured to US Military specifications. MIL-DTL 83420, MS20664, MS21260 products are available.