As increasing usage shows, modern fibre ropes, manufactured out of high-performance synthetic fibres, are starting to be a promising alternative to the prevalent steel wire ropes. FEM welcomes and supports the publication of the ISO technical specification on Safe use of high-performance fibre ropes in crane applications (ISO/TS 23624:2021). This new technical specification provides guidance for the safe use of high-performance fibre ropes (HPFR) in crane applications including winch applications. In response, the FEM Product Group Cranes and Lifting Equipment withdraws its guideline 5.024 Safe Use of High-Performance Synthetic Fibre Ropes on Mobile Cranes.
Gerhard Kaupert – FEM Chairman of the Mobile Crane Technical Committee – commented:
“The new ISO Technical Specification gives state-of-the art guidance on modern high-performance fibre ropes. It replaces the ground-breaking FEM document 5.024 Safe Use of High Performance Fibre Ropes in Mobile Crane Applications, issued in 2017. FEM 5.024 for the very first time provided guidance on design and discard criteria for high-performance synthetic fibre ropes.
The new ISO Technical Specification builds on the experience made with the FEM guidance document and expands the scope to cover different crane applications. It incorporates the knowledge of the worldwide crane industry of the ISO TC96 Cranes standardisation group. This is a further key step supporting the use of modern high-performance fibre ropes in cranes.”
