Wire rope improvement program. Final report. [For draglines]

Activities in five major areas were undertaken during the WRIP: experiments using PNL-developed bend-over-sheave fatigue test machines to generate data on which to base a model for predicting large-diameter rope performance from that of small-diameter ropes; bend-over-sheave fatigue testing to determine differences in rope failure rates at varying rope loads; analyses to determine how wire ropes actually fail; development of a load sensor to record and quantity operational loads on drag and hoist ropes; and technology transfer activities to disseminate useful program findings to coal mine operators. Data obtained during the 6-year program support are included. High loads on wire ropes are damaging. As an adjunct, however, potentially useful countermeasures to high loads were identified. Large-diameter rope bend-over-sheave performance can be predicted from small-diameter rope test behavior, over some ranges