Ropes

About Rope and Rope Distributors Including: Braided Rope, Cordage, Cotton Rope, Elastic Cords, Kevlar Rope, Manila Rope, Marine Rope, Nylon Rope, Polypropylene Rope, Rope Suppliers, Sisal Rope & Twine.

Ropes are the strongest type of cordage, behind cord, lines and string, and are simple and widely used products that help pull heavy objects, connect objects and bind them together. They have been used since prehistoric times, and are made out of many different materials. Ropes are composed of fibers which are twisted together to make yarn. Pieces of yarn are twisted together to make strands, which are then twisted or braided together to create rope. The direction that the yarn is twisted is often opposite of the direction in which the strands are twisted to cause internal friction, which reinforces the rope's strength. Rope suppliers offer many different types of rope, including twine, marine rope and elastic cords, which are made from either natural or synthetic fibers. Natural ropes, such as manila rope, sisal rope, linen rope, jute rope and cotton rope, are made from plant fibers. Synthetic ropes, such as nylon rope, polyester rope, polypropylene rope, polyethylene rope and Kevlar rope, are stronger and made from more advanced manufacturing processes. Many uses for rope suppliers and rope distributors exist throughout the world, especially in the marine, construction, sailing, industrial, arborist, recreational, outdoors, rigging, safety, sporting goods and military industries. Many different kinds of knots are used to fasten and tie ropes, and pulleys, which are simple machines used in conjunction with rope to redirect the rope's pulling force.

The two main types of rope construction are twisting and braiding. Twisting involves coiling 3 or more strands tightly in the same direction, although the yarn within the strands must be twisted in the opposite direction. This counter-twisting produces an all-around balanced rope that will stay together without kinking. Once twisting is complete, each end must be fused to prevent unraveling. Historically, twisting has been the most popular form of rope construction. However, in modern times most ropes are braided. Braided ropes are popular because they do not spin or untwist while holding a load. Braided rope falls into 3 categories-hollow diamond braids, which doesn't have a core and are manufactured by weaving strands over and under each other, diamond braids with cores, which contain a solid material in the middle, underneath the braid, to increase strength, and solid braided rope, which is tightly woven with a lock-stitch construction that won't unravel when cut. Solid braids and diamond braids with cores cannot be spliced. Splicing is a useful way to create a joint between two ropes or two ends of the same rope by interweaving the strands together. The strongest and most expensive type of rope is called a double braid, in which the rope and the core are braided.

Natural rope materials include manila, sisal, linen, jute and cotton. Manila is a very hard rope that is popular in construction because it is resistant to sunlight, stretches very little and will not melt when exposed to heat like some synthetic ropes. Its fibers are made from abaca leaves, which are very resistant to saltwater. Sisal has less strength than manila but has very good knot-holding abilities, and thus is used in applications such as gardening and bundling where high strength is not a requirement. Its fibers are taken from the agave plant. Cotton rope is very soft, pliable and easy to handle, but it is not as strong or durable as other natural and synthetic ropes. Synthetic ropes, such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, Kevlar and various co-polymer blends, tend to be stronger than natural ropes. Nylon is the strongest and longest lasting material that rope suppliers and rope distributors use, and has high elasticity, enabling it to return to its original shape after being stretched. Nylon rope also has very good shock absorption and is resistant to abrasion, sun and chemical damage. Applications for nylon rope include lifting and towing. Polyester rope, the most common rope used in the boating industry, does not stretch as well, absorb shock or last as long as nylon rope, but it has better resistance to abrasion and chemical damage. Another type, polypropylene rope, is the only rope that floats, and it is used in pools and water sports. However, it has the weakest UV resistance and the lowest melting point of all the ropes, and should not be left out in the sun. It is the most popular all-purpose rope because it is the least expensive. Kevlar rope is a brand name rope that is made from the Aramid fiber. It is light in weight, pound-for-pound stronger than steel, has a high chemical resistance, and is easy to splice.  However, it is easily damaged and has low elasticity. It is used in marine, mining, oil rigging, aircraft and construction applications.

Rope manufacturers supply a few specific types of rope that are unique and application-specific. Twine is thinner twisted rope usually made from natural fibers such as cotton or linen. It is most often used in kitchen applications to tie stuffed poultry together. It is also used in the home as a clothesline or a method of binding parcels together. Twine is also used to make sporting goods such as hockey goal nets and basketball nets. Elastic cords contain a multi-strand rubber core, and is able to stretch up to 125% of its original length. The core coverings are braided and made of synthetic fibers such as nylon, plastic or natural cotton. Its most common use is as bungee cords in rock climbing and bungee jumping applications. Marine rope is rope that is often used on boats, barge crafts, or in docking. It must be made of material that fares well in water and saltwater. Rope materials that are used in marine and sailing applications are polypropylene because they float in water, manila because it is resistant to saltwater damage, and sisal and polyester, which are used to tie sails, because they are able to hold knots well.

Proper storage and care are important in order to extend the life of a rope and ensure its continued safety. Ropes need to be manually checked for deformations and damage before and after each use. If damage has occurred, such as fraying or a visible core, the rope should not be used. In the case of unraveling, a quick fix is to melt wax on the rope end, or, for a synthetic rope with a low melting point, to melt the end of the rope itself. The ends of natural fiber ropes can be tied together with twine to prevent further unraveling. It is important to keep ropes clean, because dirt, sand and small stones that get into a rope's interior can cause abrasion. If a rope is dirty, wash it with clear water and dry it out of the sunlight. When rope is not being used, it should be stored in a place of moderate temperature and low humidity. While in storage, keep ropes out of direct sunlight, to prevent melting, and away from corrosive chemicals.

Rope and Rope Distributors Image Provided by Ropes R Us, Inc.

Rope and Rope Distributors Images Provided by Cancord Inc.

Rope Types 

• Braided rope is made of three or more interwoven yarns.
• Cordage is the general term used to refer to any length of fibers, including ropes, cord, lines, and strings.
• Cotton rope is soft and pliable, but it does not have the strength of other rope.
  
• Kevlar rope is the brand name of the synthetic rope made by the DuPont company. Kevlar rope has more strength pound-for-pound than steel.
• Manila rope is a hard, natural fiber rope that is used for public utility construction. Manila rope will not melt under high temperatures like synthetic rope.
  
• Nylon rope is the strongest of all rope, and is useful in applications that require high shock absorption. When stretched, it "remembers" and returns to its original shape.
  
• Polyester rope is almost as strong as nylon rope, but it does not stretch as well. Polyester rope is popular in the boating industry.
  
• Polypropylene rope is an inexpensive, light-weight, popular all-purpose rope, but it is less strong than nylon and polyester rope, and will deteriorate the most quickly in sunlight.
  
• Sisal rope is a hard, natural fiber rope with less strength than manila rope. Common uses include applications in which strength is not a necessity, such as gardening.

Rope Terms

Abrasion Resistance - A rope's ability to hold up under internal and external wearing.

Acceleration Stress - Extra stress placed on rope due to increasing load velocity.

Bend - A knot that joins two ends together, from a single or two separate ropes.

Bight - A loop in any part of a rope.

Bitter End - When splicing or tying knots, the end opposite the end that is in use.

Blend - A rope's composition of various synthetic fibers.

Bonding - A liquid coating on rope that prevents absorption of water and provides abrasion resistance.

Capstan - A rotating cylinder used to wind rope.

Cordage - A term that refers to rope, line or string with a small width.

Creep - The gradual increase of a synthetic rope's length over time while under high temperature or load stress.

Elastic Recovery - The degree to which a rope will return to its original shape after being stretched.

Elongation - A rope's deformation in the direction of the load.

End - The end of the rope that is in use.

Fiber - Natural or synthetic material that can be spun into yarn.

Flexibility - A rope's agility and ease of handle under working conditions.

Hand - A rope's feel, determined by touch.

Rigging - The ropes and apparatuses used on sailboats which transfer wind to the ship, moving it forward through the water.

Sliver - A continuous strand of overlapping parallel natural fibers that is ready for twisting.

Splice - The joining of two ropes by interweaving different strands and braids.

Strand - Yarn that is twisted together. A rope is made from strands that are twisted or braided together.

Strength - A measure of a rope's ability to lift the load or do the work.

Tensile Strength - The load amount at which a rope will break under tension.

U.V. Resistance - A rope's ability to resist damage from the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Water Repellency - A rope's ability to keep from absorbing water and swelling.

Yarn - Fibers that are twisted together.