Controlled failure under tension.(Ropes and cords)

A leading US rope manufacturer has developed a way of making systems that fail under tension in a controlled manner, with visible changes acting as a warning to replace the affected parts.

Samson Rope Technologies of Ferndale, Washington, makes these ropes from two materials with distinct failure characteristics. The first portion is designed to fail before the second and to provide a warning before the entire rope breaks, according to US Patent 7 127 878.

When a rope is subjected to excessive tension it fails over time in what is commonly called a tension fa