.png)
Wire rope clips in U-bolt style are commonly used in rigging for both lifting and non-lifting applications due to their quick installation and wire rope adjustability. These clips can be utilized in various applications including winch lines, crane hoist lines, suspension cables, barrier cables, guy wires, and more. However, it is important to note the difference between a forged steel wire rope clip and a malleable cast iron clip.
The forged steel wire rope clip is composed of a U-bolt, two nuts, and a forged steel base or saddle. Meanwhile, the malleable cast iron wire rope clip has the same components except for the base, which is made of malleable cast iron instead of forged steel. This difference significantly affects the performance and reliability of the clip since malleable cast iron lacks the desirable material properties and beneficial grain structure of steel. Although malleable cast iron has its place in various applications, it is not the ideal manufacturing process for wire rope clip bases, especially in critical applications.
It is important to note that certain standards prohibit the use of malleable cast iron clips in critical applications. For instance, ASME B30.5 specifies that "Wire Rope Clips shall be drop-forged steel of single saddle (U-Bolt) or double saddle clip. Malleable cast iron clips shall not be used." ASME B30.26 also mandates that "Saddles shall be forged steel."
Furthermore, shortcuts taken in the production process of the clip bases could indicate other potential shortcomings of the product. Recent testing of malleable cast iron clips revealed that 2/3 of the assemblies tested had U-Bolts that fractured prior to reaching the recommended torque for forged U-Bolt clips.
Recent testing was conducted on both malleable cast iron clips and U-Bolt clips.
There are other important factors to take into account when considering wire rope clips. Malleable cast iron clip bases differ in size, shape, and appearance from forged bases. For example, below is a comparison of a Crosby forged clip base and a malleable cast iron clip, both designed for ½-inch diameter wire rope. Moreover, malleable cast iron bases can have hidden defects and are not consistent in strength, making them unsuitable for use in critical applications.
One type of clip base is manufactured through forging by Crosby, while the other is made of malleable cast iron.
Despite being designed for the same 1/2-inch diameter wire rope, there are noticeable distinctions in size, shape, and overall appearance between the two clips. Additionally, the Crosby clip meets or exceeds ASME B30.26 marking standards, while no visible markings were detected on the malleable cast iron clip.
Comments