Tech-Info 03: Structural stability or better spooling? The lay type you choose decides.
03 Lay direction of strands and ropes
Right or left hand lay is important for how you handle and use wire rope.
A distinction is made between right hand and left hand lay — both on strand level and rope level:
→ Left hand — wires/strands rotated counterclockwise, moving away from the beholder — small s for a left hand lay strand / capital S for a left hand lay rope (also referred to as LH)
→ Right hand — wires/strands rotated clockwise, moving away from the beholder — small z for a right hand lay strand / capital Z for a right hand lay rope (also referred to as RH)
Two lay types matter here:
→ Regular lay — the lay direction of the wires in the strands is opposite to the lay direction of the strands in the rope. 　
LHOL = Left Hand Ordinary Lay (right hand strand, left hand rope → zS)
RHOL = Right Hand Ordinary Lay (left hand strand, right hand rope → sZ)
→ Lang's lay — the lay direction of the wires in the strands equals the strands in the rope. 　
LHLL = Left Hand Lang's Lay (left hand strand, left hand rope → sS) 　
RHLL = Right Hand Lang's Lay (right hand strand, right hand rope → zZ)
Regular lay ropes offer better structural stability, allow a higher number of broken wires, and make broken wires easier to identify.
Lang's lay ropes offer better contact in the groove of the sheaves, superior resistance to wear, longer lifetime under high dead loads, and considerably better spooling behavior on a multi-layer drum.
A distinction is made between right hand and left hand lay — both on strand level and rope level:
→ Left hand — wires/strands rotated counterclockwise, moving away from the beholder — small s for a left hand lay strand / capital S for a left hand lay rope (also referred to as LH)
→ Right hand — wires/strands rotated clockwise, moving away from the beholder — small z for a right hand lay strand / capital Z for a right hand lay rope (also referred to as RH)
Two lay types matter here:
→ Regular lay — the lay direction of the wires in the strands is opposite to the lay direction of the strands in the rope. 　
LHOL = Left Hand Ordinary Lay (right hand strand, left hand rope → zS)
RHOL = Right Hand Ordinary Lay (left hand strand, right hand rope → sZ)
→ Lang's lay — the lay direction of the wires in the strands equals the strands in the rope. 　
LHLL = Left Hand Lang's Lay (left hand strand, left hand rope → sS) 　
RHLL = Right Hand Lang's Lay (right hand strand, right hand rope → zZ)
Regular lay ropes offer better structural stability, allow a higher number of broken wires, and make broken wires easier to identify.
Lang's lay ropes offer better contact in the groove of the sheaves, superior resistance to wear, longer lifetime under high dead loads, and considerably better spooling behavior on a multi-layer drum.