Wire Rope Lubricants

Kilometres of wire rope are used in surface mines on the excavators or drag lines and in the underground mines. Another large user of wire ropes is a variety of lifting and transport equipment, especially home elevators, industrial elevators, personal and industrial cable cars. During production of the wire ropes lubricants are applied to ensure corrosion protection and to minimise friction of the single wires when the rope stretches under load. The amount of lubricant in the core should be ca 25 % w/w of the core.

Lay-up lubricants based on wax-resin are applied during manufacture to ensure lubrication of the individual wires and stands. After production the wires must have corrosion protection; this can be achieved by painting or by applying a bitumen-based lubricant with a solvent.

During operation in some countries the wire ropes are maintained by cleaning the surface and re-lubrication. In many countries bitumen-based products are still in use, but are being replaced by bitumen-free greases or even biodegradable lubricants. It is essential to apply the lubricants on top of the sheave-wheel or shortly after bending over the winder drum when a large twisting motion or unloading opens the wires and sucks in the lubricant.