Rope Technology
verolube spray
➜ Wire rope lubricant
The wire rope lubricant has two major tasks: it should protect the rope from corrosion and it should minimize the friction between the rope elements themselves and between the rope and the sheave or the drum. A reduction of the friction reduces the actuating power and minimizes the wear of the rope, the sheaves and the drums. We differentiate between wax-based lubricants and oil-based lubricants. While wax-based lubricants offer a better handling of the ropes, the oil-based lubricants advantage is a better closing of the lubrication film due to the gravitational force of the oil. The quality of the wire rope lubricant has a great impact on the fatigue resistance of a wire rope (figure 22).
➜ Re-lubrication
Generally wire ropes are lubricated intensively during the production process. Nevertheless, this initial lubrication has to be renewed regularly during the whole rope‘s lifetime. A regular re-lubrication contributes to an increase in the rope‘s service life (figure 23). The lubricant used for re-lubrication needs to be compatible with the lubricant used during production. It is advised to follow the maintenance instructions in ISO 4309.
