Samson's Synthetic Rope First Enters Crane Market on Grove RT Crane
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March 10, 2014 - Last week at ConExpo, the new Grove RT770E rough-terrain crane made its debut and included Samson’s KZ 100 synthetic hoist rope, which was designed specifically for mobile cranes.
Grove RT770E with Samson KZ 100 synthetic hoist rope.
KZ 100 was developed jointly between Samson and Manitowoc, is supported by fiber supplier DSM Dyneema, and is the first entry for Samson into the crane industry.
“Samson is very excited to be entering the crane industry by working in a close collaborative partnership with a company as innovative as Manitowoc,” said Michael Quinn, Samson’s director of new market development. “Together, we were able to leverage the experience and technical expertise of both research and development teams to bring the market something that is completely new and offers numerous benefits to the end user.”
KZ 100 is a lightweight alternative to traditional steel wire rope which provides multiple benefits for safe and easy handling. With the same load pull and load chart as wire, KZ 100 can be used with a 5:1 safety factor. It is 80% lighter than the wire it replaces, making for easy handling/reaving and installation. Synthetic KZ 100 does not rust and requires no lubing. The unique construction eliminates kinking, bird caging, and damage caused by diving on the winch drum. Because of its torque-neutral construction, KZ 100 eliminates load spin and cabling, making it a favorite among crane operators who have lifted loads with the rope.
Manitowoc and Samson conducted an extensive lab testing and field trial program to prove the viability of using synthetic rope as a crane hoist line. KZ 100 was tested in the lab to characterize tensile strength, tension fatigue, bend fatigue, and the effects of temperature on the rope’s performance.
These tests were performed at four different testing labs—two Samson labs and two third-party labs. The testing plan required more than 4,000 hours of machine and sample preparation time to complete. The total length of rope manufactured for testing and field trials pursued over the course of this project came to 24,500 feet, or more than 4.6 miles of rope.
In addition to Samson’s tests, Manitowoc conducted reliability tests over more than 280 hours and 14,000 cycles.
The RT770E is a new rough-terrain crane from Grove. The rope, sold exclusively through Manitowoc, will be available as an option on all Grove rough-terrain cranes in late 2014. The RT770E boasts a 138-foot, five-section, full-power boom that features single-cylinder technology to eliminate the need for a hydraulic hose reel, which lightens the boom and the entire crane. The design also eliminates the need to install boom inserts, which requires an assist crane.
