What determines if a wire rope is considered damaged?

A wire rope is considered damaged based on the presence of broken wires that exceed a specified threshold. The integrity of wire rope is crucial for safe lifting operations, and the number of broken wires can significantly compromise the rope's strength and performance. Industry standards typically set limits on how many broken wires are permissible per length of rope. If the number of broken wires surpasses this threshold, it indicates that the safety of the rope is at risk, making it unsuitable for further use.

While other issues such as kinks, rust, and corrosion can affect the operability and lifespan of the wire rope, they do not provide a clear quantifiable criterion for determining damage as broken wires do. Kinks can impede the flexibility of the rope, while rust and corrosion can weaken it, but broken wires directly correlate with the structural capability of the rope and are a definite indicator of damage. The length of the rope by itself does not determine damage; rather, it is the condition of the individual wires that is critical.