That time a load line snapped on a Friday afternoon in Columbus

Everyone says wire rope lasts until the visible wear shows, but I had a 7/8 inch line let go on a 40 ton pick with zero warning signs. The manufacturer's inspection checklist missed internal strand fatigue every time. Has anyone else had a cable fail without visible fraying?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesm4828d ago

hollyc92 nailed it with that internal corrosion thing. I read somewhere that wire rope can lose up to half its strength from inside rust before you see anything on the outside. Always made me second guess the visual checks.

hollyc9228d ago

And internal corrosion can hide deep inside the cable long before the outside looks bad.

nancy47513d ago

Gotta admit, I used to just glance at the outside and call it good... never really thought about what's going on underneath. This whole thread has me rethinking my whole inspection routine.