Loos & Company Technical Department: Preforming

Here at The Hotwire, we receive emails from inquisitive readers asking us all kinds of technical questions. With Loos & Company offering such specialized products, it is understandable that customers would want to know more about our wire, cable, and wire rope. So, the LoosCo.com staff has put our heads together to post some information about one of our frequently asked questions: What is Preformed Wire, Strand or Wire Rope?

When wires, strand, and wire rope is preformed, it is actually curved slightly during the manufacturing process (think of a wave). If you look at the picture to the left, we have traced the path of the strands through the performing head. In adding this curvature to the strands going into the wire rope, it lowers the propensity of the rope to rotate along its own axis. In layman’s terms: it holds the wires and strands together to prevent “flying,” which you can see when you cut a nylon or hemp rope.

So performing the wire rope helps keep everything together. This performing happens at every step of the process: Wire is preformed to make strand, strand preformed to make rope. No more split ends! Not only does preformed rope not fly apart on you, it will also give you longevity in applications where fatigue becomes a factor. Cool stuff, isn’t it?  So when someone asks you, “What on Earth is Preformed strand or Wire Rope,” you can tell them exactly what it is.