Rope care
By observing the following care instructions, you can prolong your rope's service life, and you will be able to enjoy its first-rate characteristics for a longer time.
Storage
You should keep your rope in a clean and dry place. For longer storage periods, we recommend that you wash the rope in freshwater before storing it. Salt and dirt will shorten their life span. Furthermore, avoid permanent direct contact with sunlight and extreme temperatures (see "High temperatures"). Do not drag the rope over rough surfaces or dirty ground, as dirt can penetrate between the fibers and cause abrasion damage.
Coiling up a rope
A 3-strand rope can suffer damage when taken off a reel incorrectly. Be sure to always keep that in mind, and watch out for any kinks that can open the three strands and damage the rope. When taking a braided rope off a reel, make sure that it runs unimpededly on a central axle to avoid twisting and kinking. In order to achieve the best running characteristics when using the rope again and to avoid twisting, it is recommended to coil up braided ropes in a figure-eight sling.
Chemicals
Contact with chemicals can greatly decrease a fiber rope's strength. In addition, impregnating a rope with unauthorized products may alter the properties of such rope. Therefore, we recommend not using any conventional solvents or cleaning products and consulting your Robline® distributor instead.
High temperatures
As a rule, any contact with localized heat sources must be avoided. In this context, "high temperatures" are those above 40 °C. They can alter the characteristics of a rope temporarily, sometimes even permanently. Only in some cases, do high temperatures have a positive impact on a rope – for example, during the pre-stretching or heat-setting process.
Frictional heat
The heat generated by friction can cause the fibers of a rope to melt, which in turn may impair the rope's performance. This happens especially on winches. We have special cover designs developed for that specific purpose that withstand the generated heat. Your Robline® distributor will be happy to assist you in finding the best rope for your needs.
UV radiation
Ultraviolet rays may affect the quality and lifetime of synthetic fiber ropes. This applies to smaller-diameter ropes in particular. Therefore, it is essential to limit contact with sunlight.
Abrasion
Generally, one should avoid any situations where the rope is brought into contact with sand, dirt, and other abrasive particles. Sharp edges, cause general damage to the rope that may be also inflicted inside the rope and can be invisible from the outside, while still impairing the rope's strength. Therefore, be sure to avoid having ropes run across any type of non-movable surfaces, unless they were designed for this purpose (e.g. low friction rings).
Sheaves and blocks
Generally, the use of sheaves decreases the strength and service life of ropes. This holds true, especially for sheaves having a V-shaped profile. The use of such sheaves should be avoided entirely, as they compress the rope and cause local friction that will shorten the rope's service life even further. Where sheaves are used, we recommend using a sheave diameter that is ideally about 8-9 times the rope diameter.
Winches
A rope that runs across a winch needs a different cover design from a rope that is only used on cleats. This is important to know as the abrasive action of winch drums may quickly cause signs of wear on your rope.