On abrasion between wire-rope and sheave at skidder

Abstract

Last few years abrasion tests between main wire rope and carrier sheaves at skidder have been conducted. Main ropes used were 6×7, lang ray, 26mm dia. and loads were 500kg and sag at midspan 400mm. This abrasion tests were carried out by varying sheave materials.
Recently, tests were made by altering the sheave materials in forged high carbon steel and high Mn cast steel, and the conclusion was derived from the present new tests correlated with the preceding ones. Tests amounted to 10 kinds of sheave materials, and the results obtained as following:
1. Hardness of sheave materials must be lower than that of the rope wire.
2. Wires were given a great wearing quality when soft and plastic materials were used, but soft and brittle materials gave a little wearing quality to the wire.
3. If materials were made of steel, of course, hardness must be lower than that of the wire, but it would be better if their hardness were near hardness of the wire.
4. Abrasion of wires were dependent not only upon the hardness of sheave materials but also upon the strength and micro-structure of sheave materials itself.