Sheaves

Firstly, what is a crane sheave?

A sheave is a grooved wheel that is used for guiding and holding wire rope. The sheave rotates on a bearing which allows the wire rope to move freely, minimizing the friction and wear on the rope as well as providing a smooth crane operation. 

What is the use of a sheave in a crane?

Sheaves ensures smooth, safe hoisting and lowering operations of loads as well as preventing premature damage of the wire rope. As sheaves main purpose is to redirect the wire rope, hold the lifted loads and to transmit power. By increasing the number of sheaves, the number of falls/loops of line can be increased, thus maximum lifting capacity can be achieved.

The durability of the sheave not only lies at the heart of the manufacturing process but also the hardness of the throat where the sheave is in contact with the wire rope. The hardness at the throat has to be properly controlled, too hard and it can wear the wire rope, too soft and the sheave will wear prematurely requiring constant replacement.

 It is also important to note that sheaves can come in two different types, welded sheaves and solid sheaves. Welded sheaves are manufactured from multiple pieces that are welded together to form a sheave, while solid sheaves are forged from a single piece and then heat treated and machined to the required dimensions. A solid sheave is always more beneficial as these are much more durable as they eliminate the possibility of weld failures when compared to welded sheaves.

Sheaves are an essential part of any crane as they are the lifting agent of crane operations. An average Ship-to-Shore crane has over 50 sheaves that guide the wire ropes and allow for container movement, trolley movement and boom movement. When it comes to sheaves, reliable and durable assemblies and materials are essential to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted operation of your crane. At Gantrex we pride ourselves on the high quality standards we bring to the industry, ensuring that we provide the most reliable products and innovative solutions to all our customers.   

Use Gantrex’s experience with Sheaves to your benefit by letting us analyze your drawings before we quote and suggest any improvements that can be made to increase the durability of this critical component of your cranes. If you cannot locate the drawings of your sheaves we can come on site with our state-of-the-art instruments to translate your wheels into 3D drawings, from which we can easily manufacture replacement sheaves.