Cutting Wire Rope – Safely

Broadly speaking, there are two significantly different kinds of wire rope – ‘normal’ and non-rotating. The difference is explained elsewhere however the difference greatly affects how the wire rope should be cut.

Preparing Wire for Cutting

Many wire ropes are shipped with the ends seized as they are prepared for cutting. You can usually install seized ropes without further preparation. In some cases with minimal clearance tight openings special end preparation may be required. This delivers a usable end.

“Wire seizing” is simply the process of binding the cut end of a cable using a wrapping material ranging from PVC adhesive tape to soft compatible wire. This wrapping is used to keep the individual wire rope component ends bound together while cutting, preparing, and handling a wire rope.  Advantages are that it keeps the cable from opening up, helps maintain lay lengths, and lowers the chances of distortion at the ends when cut that could lead to usability issues.

Cutting Normal Wire Rope

Normal or Standard wire ropes generally require onlyone seizing covering at least one rope diameter length along the wire rope.

When cutting normal wire rope, care should be taken to protect the ends of the material from impact or damage.  To protect the immediate ends of the cable as it is cut, wrapping it tightly with several layers of stretchy vinyl electrical tape. Cut at the middle of the tape and both ends stay un-damaged. You then remove the tape or seizing wire to thread the cut end through crimp-sleeves (oval or hourglass) or end-stops.

For wire rope cutting tools, having the cutter suited to your material  (e.g. stainless steel vs copper) and using the proper style makes life easier and safer. Using a manual parrot beak cutter or ratchet cutter work adequately. Flat shears, nippers, or side-cutters are best avoided.  It is best to ensure that the length of arms of the cutter are matched to the diameter of wire rope you are cutting as well as your upper body strength.  This is necessary to get adequate leverage with either bench or portable tools. Ratchet cutters are a step up and act to further multiply your mechanical advantage.

When cutting ‘normal’ wire rope, a good, carefully used cutter will suffice without a lot of preparation

Cutting Rotation Resistant Wire Rope

When cutting non-rotating wire rope life is MUCH trickier. It is important to seize the cable with multiple wraps of safety wire (typically 0.032″ wire for 1/4″ cable). Do this on both sides of the cut point so the cable deformation is minimized. This will also keep the cable from fraying/un-ravelling after it is cut.

Rotation-resistant or Non-Rotating ropes, due to their unique design and operating characteristics, require seizing or taper-welding procedures that differ significantly from those for standard non-rotation-resistant ropes. ( Don’t try it on your own the first time.)

To achieve this, strands must be tightly held without increasing the rope diameter. In such
cases, the ends are often tapered and welded or fused.  This requires a great deal of preparation and specialized tooling. With the exception of category 1, rotation-resistant ropes, any end preparation that results in welding or fusing of the rope must be cut off in a manner that leaves the strands and
wires free to adjust before you clamp or seat it in an end termination.