Non-destructive evaluation of drive ropes: a case study

Steel winding ropes which are heterogeneous in nature are subjected to severe working conditions and their behaviour vary on different environment and nature of service. Due to this, they are subjected to rope deterioration such as corrosion, abrasion and broken wire leading to rope failure (Singh, S.D. and Ghara, B., Steel Wire Rope Condition Monitoring by Non-Destructive Investigation and Evaluation while on Installation/Service, 15th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, Rome, Italy, 2000). Deterioration of a rope during its lifetime leads to a reduction of the rope safety and to its possible destruction. There are rejection criteria for ropes in national and international rules on the safe use of drive ropes. All wire ropes wear out eventually, gradually losing work capability throughout its useful life making periodic inspections, lubrication and tensioning necessary. Defects detected during a non-destructive evaluation can help pinpoint the factors leading to an eventual rope failure. Many ropes have to be retired due to damage caused by other, outside sources. Non-destructive evaluation can help the client to diagnose these conditions before its too late.