Will the Wire Rope Break or the Winch Motor Stall First?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the mechanical analysis of a winch system lifting a 25kg load using a 2mm diameter wire rope with a breaking load of 230kg. The primary concern is whether the wire rope will break before the winch motor stalls if the load cell fails and the load becomes snagged. To determine this, it is essential to calculate the tension in the cable using the locked-rotor torque of the motor divided by the drum radius, specifically at the closest wrap point. This tension must remain below the breaking strength of the wire rope to ensure safety.

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  • Understanding of mechanical torque and tension calculations
  • Familiarity with winch systems and their components
  • Knowledge of wire rope specifications and breaking loads
  • Basic principles of load cell functionality
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  • Research the calculation of locked-rotor torque for electric motors
  • Learn about winch drum radius and its impact on tension calculations
  • Investigate the safety factors in wire rope applications
  • Explore load cell specifications and their role in load monitoring
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Mechanical engineers, winch system designers, safety engineers, and anyone involved in load lifting operations will benefit from this discussion.

DJT1967
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We have a winch that lifts a load weighing 25kg up a shaft 30m deep. A 2mm Dia wire rope goes up the shaft over a guide pulley and down to the winch reeling drum. There is a load cell on the guide pulley.

The question is this. "If the load cell fails and the load being lifted gets snagged on the steel work as it is lifted will the wire rope break before the motor gearbox on the winch stalls / trips out?"

Wire Rope 2mm Diameter with a Breaking Load of 230kg

Winch Drum 300mm Diameter.

I'm still trying to get the information on the Motor / Gearbox but if someone could point us in the right direction as to what formula we could use to calculate this and also what specific information we would require for the Motor / Gearbox. Thanks in advance for the any help provided.
 
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DJT1967 said:
We have a winch that lifts a load weighing 25kg up a shaft 30m deep. A 2mm Dia wire rope goes up the shaft over a guide pulley and down to the winch reeling drum. There is a load cell on the guide pulley.

The question is this. "If the load cell fails and the load being lifted gets snagged on the steel work as it is lifted will the wire rope break before the motor gearbox on the winch stalls / trips out?"

Wire Rope 2mm Diameter with a Breaking Load of 230kg

Winch Drum 300mm Diameter.

I'm still trying to get the information on the Motor / Gearbox but if someone could point us in the right direction as to what formula we could use to calculate this and also what specific information we would require for the Motor / Gearbox. Thanks in advance for the any help provided.

A sketch of the system would be nice for clarity.

Assuming my visualization of what you are describing is correct, you'll also need the locked-rotor torque for the motor (I presume it is electric). That torque divided by the drum radius will approximate the tension in the cable. Specifically, you'll need the distance from the axis of rotation of the drum to the point where the cable leaves the drum. The closest wrap will give the maximum value since the radius will be the smallest there.

Thus, as long as that value is less than the breaking strength of the cable, you should be fine. Of course this assumes you are not concerned with the load on the guide pulley.

Hope that helps.

CS
 

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