Motion Analysis of Wire Rope Maintenance Device

Abstract

This work outlines a design for a wire rope maintenance device that is based on commonly used, low-dropping point lubricating grease for wire rope lubrication and operates along the strand’s twist direction. Unlike similar existing devices, this device scrapes abrasives from the wire rope’s surface along the strand’s twist direction and applies lubricating grease in the same direction. It addresses issues related to the accumulation of old lubricating grease between strands, as well as the problems of a heavy weight, high traction force requirements, complex operation, unstable motion, potential surface damage to the wire rope, and the strong pollution found in existing products. The wheel system of this device was kinematically modeled and subjected to force analysis, and its accuracy was verified through simulations and experiments. Test results show that when this device is used for cleaning and lubricating wire ropes, it requires less than 150 N of traction force, maintains a stable speed of 0.6 m/s, and ensures coaxiality within ±0.1 mm, thus meeting the maintenance requirements of ropeway wire ropes. In future work, the effects of different factors, such as changes in scraper shape and size, lubricating grease application speed, and temperature and pressure inside the grease storage chamber can be studied to understand their influence on the application of grease to wire ropes.