WIRE ROPE IS A MACHINE. Understand and respect it. Like any machine, it needs proper care and maintenance for optimal safety and long service life. For a better understanding of wire rope we highly recommend the Wire Rope Users Manual by the Wire Rope Technical Board. Excerpts of that manual have been reprinted in the wire rope section of this catalog. Refer to the General Warnings on pages (##). These warnings also apply to wire rope. Only additional warning and information are listed below. Rated Capacity
Rated capacity is the load which a new wire rope may handle under given operating conditions and at assumed design factor. A design factor of 5 is chosen most frequently for wire rope. (Operating loads not to exceed 20% of catalog Breaking Strength.) Operating loads may have to be reduced when life, limb or valuable property are at risk or other than new rope is used. A design factor of 10 is usually chosen when wire rope is used to carry personnel. (Operating loads not to exceed 10% of catalog Breaking Strength.) Responsibility for choosing a design factor rests with the user.