What is the material of steel wire ropes?

I remember that the cross-section I saw last time showed 1 group of fibers and 3 groups of steel wires twisted together to form one strand, with three such strands then being twisted together as well

Well, thanks to the friend on floor 2; I’ve learned something

Simply put, it’s steel wires and fibers

The wire is made of high-quality carbon steel, and can achieve very high strength after multiple rounds of cold drawing and heat treatment. In work environments such as humid or outdoor areas, wire ropes made of galvanized steel wires can be used to improve rust resistance.

A steel cable is a flexible rope made by twisting multiple thin steel wires together. It is formed by twisting layers of steel wires into strands, which are then wrapped around a core in a spiral pattern to create the cable. In material handling machinery, it is used for lifting, pulling, tensioning, and carrying. Steel wire ropes have high strength, low self-weight, smooth operation, are not prone to sudden breakage of the entire rope, and offer reliable performance. (1) Steel wire. The steel wire rope is used to bear loads, and its performance is primarily determined by the steel wires. Steel wire is round (or shaped) wire made from carbon steel or alloy steel through cold drawing or cold rolling; it possesses high strength and toughness, and its surface is treated depending on the operating conditions. 　 (2) Rope core. It is used to increase the elasticity and toughness of steel wires, lubricate copper wires, reduce friction, and extend their service life. Common materials for the rope core include organic fibers such as hemp and cotton, synthetic fibers, asbestos cores (for high-temperature conditions), or soft metals. 　Steel ropes can be classified into single-layer twisted ropes, double-layer twisted ropes, and triple-layer twisted ropes according to the number of layers of twisting. ①Single-wound rope: It is made by twisting several thin steel wires around a metal core; it has poor flexibility and tends to wear out or break when bent repeatedly. It is mainly used as a tensioning rope in applications where no movement occurs. ②Double-wound rope: It is formed by twisting steel wires into strands, and then those strands are twisted around a core to create the rope. The commonly used rope core is a hemp core; for high-temperature applications, an asbestos core or a metal core made of twisted soft steel wire is preferred. Coating the rope core with lubricant before rope manufacturing can reduce damage caused by friction between the steel wires. Twisted ropes have good flexibility, are easy to manufacture, and are the most widely used. ③Three-strand rope: Made by using a double-strand rope as the strand and then twisting it around a double-strand core to form the rope, offering good flexibility ； However, it is more complex to manufacture, and the steel wire is too thin and prone to wear, so it is rarely used. There are two types of winding directions for steel wire ropes: straight winding and cross winding. When the winding direction of the wires twisted together to form strands is the same as that of the strands twisted together to form a rope, it is called right-hand winding. Wires wound in the same direction have good contact with each other, exhibit good flexibility, and have a long service life; however, they tend to become loose due to twisting, so they are not suitable as lifting ropes for suspending loads at free ends. They can be used as lifting or pulling ropes when rigid guides are used to guide the load. Twisting the steel wires into strands in a direction opposite to that of twisting the strands into a rope is called cross-twisting. The twisted steel wire rope is not prone to twisting and loosening, and is widely used in lifting operations. 　Steel ropes can also be classified into three types based on the contact condition between the wires in each layer of the strand: point contact, line contact, or surface contact. ①Wire ropes with point contact: all the wires in a strand have the same diameter. To ensure even stress distribution on the steel wires, the helical angle after twisting each layer of wires is roughly the same, but the twist pitch varies; as a result, the inner and outer layers of wires intersect with one another, resulting in point contact. ②Wire rope with linear contact: The lay length of the wires in each layer of the strand is equal, and the inner and outer wires are in contact along a single helix line, resulting in linear contact. The performance of wire ropes with linear contact is significantly improved compared to those with point contact, which is why they are widely used. ③Sealed steel wire rope: A type of rope with surface-contacted strands, its outer layer is made of E-shaped steel wires; it has a smooth surface and good wear resistance. Compared to other types of steel wire ropes of the same diameter, it possesses higher tensile strength and can withstand lateral pressures. However, it has poor flexibility, a more complex manufacturing process, and higher production costs. It is commonly used as a load-carrying cable, such as in cable cranes and aerial cableways. 　　In addition to round strands, there are also special-shaped strands such as triangular strands, elliptical strands, and flat strands. Compared to round strands, they have higher strength, better contact performance with the grooves in drums or pulleys, and a longer service life, but their manufacturing is more complex. 　The wire is made of high-quality carbon steel, and can achieve very high strength after multiple rounds of cold drawing and heat treatment. In work environments such as humid or outdoor areas, wire ropes made of galvanized steel wires can be used to improve rust resistance. 　　Steel wire ropes are standard products in various industries; their diameter, number of strands, number of wires per strand, tensile strength, and appropriate safety factor can be selected according to the requirements of the application. Their specifications can be found in relevant manuals. Apart from the wear of the outer wires, steel ropes gradually break due to metal fatigue caused by repeated bending as they pass over pulleys and drums; therefore, the ratio of the diameter of the pulley or drum to that of the steel rope is an important factor determining its lifespan. A high ratio results in lower bending stress on the steel wire, longer service life, but a larger mechanism. The appropriate ratio must be determined based on the usage scenario. The wire rope shall be scrapped if the wear and corrosion degree of its surface layer, or the number of broken wires per twist length, exceeds the specified values. Steel wire ropes are mainly used in lifting, pulling, and other types of transportation that require high-strength ropes.

A steel wire rope is formed by twisting multiple layers of steel wires into strands, which are then twisted around a core in a spiral pattern to create the rope. That is, it is composed of steel wires and a rope core.

The post on floor 7 explains it very clearly; please take a close look

Yes, a steel wire rope is composed of steel wires and a rope core. But the processing technique is not that simple.