Wire Rope Drum

Introduction to Wire Rope Drum

1. Function of the Wire Rope Drum
   The Wire Rope Drum plays a crucial role in lifting machinery. It helps manage the wire rope and ensures smooth operation of the lifting system.

2. Structure of the Wire Rope Drum
   The drum assembly consists of several components: the drum, drum shaft, gear plate coupler (or large gear), drum hub, bearing body, and bearings. Each part contributes to the overall functionality and efficiency of the drum.

3. Materials Used for Manufacturing the Drum
   Manufacturers typically use welded Q235B or Q345B steel plates, or seamless steel pipes to produce the drum. These materials ensure durability and strength under heavy load conditions.

Manufacturing Process of  the Crane Drum

The manufacturing process involves the following steps:

• Material Cutting: Begin by cutting Q235B or Q345B steel plates to the required dimensions.

• Rolling the Drum Body: The body is rolled and welded, forming longitudinal seams for structural integrity.

• Inspection: Inspect the longitudinal weld seams and check geometric dimensions, including diameter, length, and inner diameter ovality tolerance. For larger diameter drums, reinforce with additional ribs as per process specifications.

• Machining: Machine the drum body, creating ring-shaped grooves. For drums requiring rough machining of the outer circle, process the outer circle as well.

• Welding the Body: Extend the drum body by welding the circumferential seams.

• Reinforcement Welding: If necessary, add reinforcement ribs to the ends of the drum. Weld and inspect the circumferential seams and machining allowances as per process requirements.

• Final Machining: Finalize the machining process by cutting the drum to the specified length and shaping the ends with stop grooves or bevels.

• Welding: Weld the flange plate, shaft, and inner supporting rings to the ends of the drum.

Precautions

When working with cranes that have a larger lifting height, using a surface with a guide spiral groove or a smooth drum allows for multi-layer winding, helping to reduce the drum’s size. However, this method may cause faster wire rope wear, making it suitable for slow-speed, light-duty cranes with lower tonnage.

For high-performance lifting machinery and large-tonnage cranes, steel plate drum assemblies are typically the preferred option due to their robustness and reliability.

Wire Rope Replacement in the Drum Assembly

To replace the wire rope in the drum assembly, first, loosen the steel rope clamping plate at one end of the drum. This action allows one end of the rope to drop to the ground. Then, connect the new wire rope end to the old one to ensure the joint smoothly passes through the pulley slot during installation.

Wire Rope Drum Parameters and Selection:

WZL type drum                                                         C type drum