One of the most frequently asked questions is "When should I retire my rope?" The most obvious answer is before it breaks. but, without a thorough understanding of how to inspect it and knowing the load history, you are left making an educated guess. Unfortunately, there are no definitive rules nor industry guidelines to establish when a rope should be retired because there are so many variables that affect rope strength. Factors like load history, bending radius, abrasion, chemical exposure or some combination of those factors, make retirement decisions difficult. Inspecting your rope should be a continuous process of observation before, during and after each use. In synthetic fiber ropes the amount of strength loss due to abrasion and/or flexing is directly related to the amount of broken fiber in the rope's cross section. After each use, look and feel along every inch of the rope length inspecting for damage as listed below.

When the rope is first put into service the outer filaments of the rope will quickly fuzz up. This is the result of these filaments breaking and this roughened surface actually forms a protective cushion and shield for the fibers underneath. This condition should stabilize, not progress. If the surface roughness increases, excessive abrasion is taking place and strength is being lost. As a general rule for braided ropes, when there is 25% or more wear from abrasion the rope should be retired from service. In other words, if 25% or more of the fiber is broken or worn away the rope should be removed from service. With three-strand ropes, 10% or more wear is accepted as the retirement point.

Look closely at both the inner and outer fibers. When either is worn the rope is obviously weakened. Open the strands and look for powdered fiber which is one sign of internal wear. Estimate the internal wear to estimate total fiber abrasion. If total fiber loss is20%, then it is safe to assume that the rope has lost 20% of its strength as a result of abrasion.

When using rope, friction can be your best friend or worst enemy if it is not managed properly. By definition, friction creates heat, the greater the friction, the greater the heat buildup. Heat is an enemy to synthetic fiber and elevated temperatures can drastically reduce the strength and or cause rope melt-through.

High temperatures can be achieved when surging rope on a capstan, checking ropes on a cable, running over stuck or non-rolling sheaves or rollers. Each rope's construction and fiber type ill yield a different coefficient of friction (reluctance to slip) in a new and used state. It is important to understand the operational demands and ensure the size, rope construction and fiber type be taken into account to minimize heat buildup.

Never let ropes under tension rub together or move relative to one another. Enough heat to melt the fibers can buildup and cause the rope to fail as quickly as if it had been cut with a knife.

Always be aware of areas of heat buildup and take steps to minimize it; under no circumstances let any rope come in contact with an exhaust muffler or any other hot object.

The strength of a used rope can be determined by testing but the rope is destroyed in the process so the ability to determine the retirement point before it fails in service is essential. That ability is based on a combination of education in rope use and construction along with good judgment and experience. Remember, you almost always get what you pay for in the form of performance and reliability.