Operating and maintenance instructions

1 - GENERAL

These operating instructions are applicable exclusively to the lifting wire ropes supplied by Traction Levage and must be submitted to the user of the wire rope with the corresponding certificate of conformity in accordance with the 2006/42/EC directives.

2 - MARKING

The wire rope marking is indicated on the reel and includes :

• manufacturer's identification
• WLL
• CE marking + year of manufacture

3 - PUTTING INTO SERVICE

Before putting into service for the first time, the user must check the following points :

• the wire rope matches the order and that the actual use is as intended ;
• presence of the marking plate and checking its content in accordance with its use ;
• presence of the certificate of conformity, checking its contents related to the order ;
• general inspection of the wire rope (transport damage).

4 - MAINTENANCE / STORAGE

• The wire rope must be supervised during its entire service life and regularly lubricated in the case of extended inactivity or severe conditions of use. The wire rope surface must always have at least a layer of lubrication.
• A lubricant compatible with the original lubricant can be used and applied by brush, spray or pressure using half-shells such as Masto.
• Store the wire rope in a clean, ventilated and dry place to avoid corrosion.
• Make sure the wire rope is not in contact with the ground.
• In any case, the wire rope must not be in contact with sharp edges and friction of the wire rope on metal parts must be avoided.
• Before each operation, visually check the condition of the wire rope and the absence of any deformation or broken wires that would justify immediate removal of the rope.                               

ATTENTION

• Avoid any corrosive environment. Any technical intervention on wire ropes such as heat or surface treatment, grinding, welding is forbidden.
• Avoid jolts when tensioning the wire rope.
• Load slowly to check the conditions of balance. Avoid sudden acceleration of load (dynamic effect).
• Do not lift more than the maximum working load of the rope, except for regulatory tests.

5 - INSPECTION ET MAINTENANCE

• These inspections must be carried out by an authorized (competent and experienced) person.
• The ISO 4309 standard specifies the criteria for the inspection and removal of lifting ropes.
• This standard details the essential guidelines for the inspections to be carried out on wire ropes in service on lifting devices and lists the removal criteria which must be applied in order to ensure a safety factor appropriate to the use.
• On a lifting device, the rope must be considered as a consumable wearing part which leads to its replacement if the observations made indicate a decrease of its potential breaking load to such an extent that its use becomes inadvisable.
• The lifetime of a wire rope depends on the specific characteristics of the hoist and the conditions of use.
• Incorrect use (jerking / poor rope type matching / bad rope diameter adjustment according to ISO 4308) leads to a rapid decrease in rope life.
• For some applications in which wire ropes are subject to accidental damage (apart from classic wear phenomena), it is essential to carry out a methodical and careful inspection and the removal must be carried out immediately if critical conditions are reached.
• In all cases, inspection of the removal criteria (broken wires / wear / corrosion / diametrical reduction / deformation) may, if necessary, lead to the immediate removal of the product.
• The removal criteria listed in ISO 4309 must be followed by a competent person involved in the maintenance and inspection of lifting devices.
• The removal criteria take into account a safety margin which, if exceeded, will lead to the ruin of the wire rope, to potential major property damages and fatal injuries.

6 - INSTALLATION / SETTING UP

• Check the diameter of the wire ropes to be installed.
• Check that the diameters of the sheave and drum grooves match the rules issued in the ISO 4308 standard.
• Check the hardness of the grooves of the winding elements.
• The installation of the wire rope must be carried out by a competent person.
• When uncoiling the wire rope from the reel, precautions must be taken to prevent any twisting of the rope. Not doing it can lead to the formation of loops or twists stored on the wire rope.
• If the wire rope has to rub against a sharp metal surface, it is important to protect these contact points (roller).
• Do not rub the wire rope on a floor covered with gravel, sand, etc.
• The angle between the position of the transmitter reel and the first sheave must be limited to a maximum of 1.5°.
• It is preferable to increase the distance between the transmitter reel and the first sheave.
• When winding the multilayer wire rope onto a reel, it is necessary to brake the transmitter reel in order to allow the correct positioning of the windings in relation to each other.
• Before using the wire rope in position, make sure that the attached parts are in working order (slings, hooks, etc.).
• It is necessary to stabilize the newly installed wire rope by performing a few cycles to approximately 10% of the maximum working load before starting full load tests.
• Not following these instructions can lead to permanent damage to equipment and people.
• Unwind the wire ropes in a straight line (no cross unwinding). A wire comes out from the bottom to be winded up from the bottom or vice versa.
• The eventual cut of a wire rope to be made on site is dangerous for the material as well as for the operator. If necessary, contact Traction Levage to establish the binding and cutting plan.
• It is important to ensure that wire ropes installed on the same layer are load-balanced identically.

7 - WORKING TEMPERATURE

• Minimum temperature : -40 °C / guaranteed minimum breaking load.
• Temperature between -40 °C et -100 °C / minimum breaking load reduced by 10 %.
• Temperature between +100 °C et +200 °C / minimum breaking load reduced by 20 %.
• Higher temperature : contact Traction Levage.