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NDT.net - August 1999, Vol. 4 No. 8

Magnetic NDT of Steel Wire Ropes

Kazimierz Zawada
Zawada NDT, Tatarkiewicza 8, 41-819 Zabrze, Poland
Email: zawada@silesia.top.pl Fax: ++48 32 2752167 http://www.zawada.z.pl
Kazimierz Zawada, MSc, 1978-1999 at Meraster S.A. (formerly named ZD CNPSS), designer
of wire rope testing equipment and recently director of NDT branch; 1999 founder of Zawada NDT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
Abstract Permanent magnet method
Limitations of magnetic method
Magnetic NDT of wire ropes has been in regular use in a number Equipment
of countries for inspection of hoisting ropes in deep mines and
inspection of ropeways. Recently used method is based on magnetisation of the rope with permanent magnets
and detection of the changes of magnetic field around the rope and total magnetic flux. Discontinuity in the rope,
such as broken wire or corrosion pit creates radial magnetic flux leakage and sensor detects it as the rope passes
trough the sensing head. Other sensor measures total axial magnetic flux in the rope. It provides information
about loss of steel due to missing wire, continuous corrosion or abrasion.

Using magnetic method a rope expert have a possibility to estimate the rope condition. In conjunction with
visual examination this method may be applied to determine the moment when the rope should be discarded.
Various equipment for different application ranges is available.

Permanent magnet method

Although magnetic NDT of wire ropes has been in regular use in a number of countries for 30 or more
years, it is still not commonly known NDT method. This method is well known and recognised in
application areas such as inspection of hoisting ropes in deep mines and inspection of ropeways.

Equipment recently used for non-destructive testing of steel wire ropes generally uses the same method,
"permanent magnet method". The method is based on magnetisation of the rope with permanent magnets
and detection of rope anomalies indirectly by magnetic sensors. This method is somewhere called "DC"

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magnetic method because of previously used Direct Current excitation coils, opposite to previously used
Alternating Current coils (out-dated AC method).

Since very first introduction in Poland (at AGH university), for latest over 20 years almost all
manufacturers supply sensing heads where permanent magnets longitudinally magnetise a length of rope
as it passes trough the head. A constant magnetic flux that magnetises the rope must be strong enough to
create condition near magnetic saturation of the rope length.

Various types of sensors have been applied by some manufacturers of instruments across the world.
Sensors provide different signals depending on the design of the magnetic concentrators and type, number
and location of sensing devices. Inductive coils and/or Hall generators are popularly used as sensing
devices. However generally, due to its application concept, sensors can be divided into two types:

i. LF sensors, i.e. Local Fault or Local Flow sensors;

ii. LMA sensors, i.e. Loss of Metallic cross-sectional Area.

LF type discontinuity in the rope, such as broken wire or corrosion pit creates radial magnetic flux leakage
and LF sensor detects it as the rope passes trough the sensor. LF sensor is placed coaxially around the
rope, centrally between magnetic poles of the magnetising circuit. Its signal is rather qualitative then
quantitative. However this signal provides information about presence of local fault and also more or less
information about its magnitude.

LMA sensor measures total axial magnetic flux in the rope as an absolute magnitude or variations in a
steady magnitude of the magnetic field. This signal is proportional to the volume of steel or the change in
steel cross-sectional area. It provides information about loss of steel due to missing wire, continuous
corrosion or abrasion. LMA sensors are located in various places, almost within magnetising circuit or
nearby it. When absolute value is displayed it is somewhere called TCMA, i.e. "total change of metallic
area".

If an NDT instrument is designed to detect primarily either LF or LMA, but not both, it is called "single
function" instrument. "Dual function" instrument detects both, separately.

Limitations of magnetic method

This method is limited to the testing of ferromagnetic steel ropes.

Although usefulness of magnetic NDT of wire ropes is inestimable, this method should be supplemented
with other examinations, especially with visual method.

Rope should be tested periodically since its installation date. Magnetic test gives basic information about
rope condition. Instrument indicates defected places on the rope length. Using magnetic method a rope
expert have a possibility to estimate the rope condition. However he should employs also other methods to
evaluate the condition of a rope when must say whether the rope should be discarded.

The user must take into consideration which way the instrument indicates loss of the rope area (LMA).
Usually the indications should be corrected by calculations, referred to rope construction type and
observed deterioration.

LF signals generated by internal broken wires and internal wear are sometimes disturbed by signals
generated by external non-uniform wear. Internal broken wires accumulated close to each other generate
complex signal which amplitude depends on its distribution and number. Sometimes, these relations are
greatly complex and precise identification is difficult to do.

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If a rope is tested periodically since its installation date using magnetic method the inspector is able to
observe successively increasing number of broken wires and other defects. This way results of non-
destructive test are easiest to interpretation then performed first time when the number of broken wires is
great and broken wires are accumulated.

Equipment
Two categories of equipment to test ropes have been supplied:

simplified auxiliary testers for detecting and indicating localised flaws or

i. loss of metallic cross-sectional area with a light flash or an acoustic
signal;
high-end instrumentation with strip chart and/or computer recording
which is capable of estimating loss of metallic cross-sectional area and
ii.
localised losses, and features the real aid to determine true deterioration
of the rope.

The first of the above categories is less expensive than the second category and the instruments are almost
simple tools, mostly hand-held. This kind of instruments makes visual examination of the rope more
convenient and reliable. Sometimes, like Meraster MD-20 Tester, they are equipped with a recording
signal output, which allows their application as sensing head for detailed inspection of the rope.

The second category of instrumentation is intended to perform detailed

tests. In conjunction with visual examination they may be applied to
determine the moment when the rope should be discarded. Generally this
instrumentation consists of two units: a sensing head; and a signal
processing/recording instrument. Sometimes the signal processing part
and a standard chart recorder are supplied as separate units. Now some
suppliers offer portable computers and software for use instead of chart
recording. Detectability of rope defects depends mainly on the sensing
head employed but readability of its signals and ease of operation depend
mainly on recording/processing instrument.

The sensing head brings the running sector of wire rope to the condition
close to magnetic saturation and senses magnetic fields. All reputable
manufacturers employ at least double-channel sensing system: one to Fig 1: MD-20 Wire Rope Tester
detect localised losses (LF), and the other one to detect the distributed
loss of metallic cross-sectional area (LMA or TCMA). Only some types of Polish-made and German heads
are equipped with additional channels to estimate the depth inside the rope of a localised loss position.

Detecting capabilities of sensing heads vary between manufacturers and rope constructions. They depend
on strong magnetisation capability, shape of magnetic concentrators in the sensor and operating principle
of the sensor. In order to measure running rope length (and speed of relative movement), some
manufacturers supply heads equipped with special transducer for indicating rope/head movement as an
electric signal. Some manufacturers use it to synchronise the strip chart feed with the rope/head travel.
This signal is also useful to compensate the speed influence on the inductive coil signal.

Processing electronics depends on the sensor types and equipment features. For example the Hall
generator sensor requires supply control and compensation of DC component of its signal, and the
inductive sensor signal needs rope speed compensation to achieve good performance of the
instrumentation. Some instruments have additional circuits that make them more convenient in use, e.g.
rope length/speed measuring circuits.

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A strip chart recorder seems to be indispensable in each fully functional

wire rope NDT instrument, as a third part of an instrumentation set, or
integrated with the electronic processing part of the equipment. Mostly,
manufacturers of these NDT instruments use standard, stand-alone or
OEM unit recorders. Almost, it is a two-channel digital thermal array
printer or sometime analogue pen recorder. A recorder appropriate for this
sort of application must be equipped with drive control to achieve good
correlation between the recording and the wire rope at any non-controlled
rope speed, within test speed range. The recording should be performed at
real time mode, instantly. Meraster MD120 Defectograph is an example Fig 2: GP-series sensing head
of extremely task dedicated recording instrument.

In addition, specialised computer software is supplied as an extension of the equipment capabilities.

However some manufacturers supply software and notebooks instead of chart recording instruments. This
way seems to be easier today but mainly for suppliers. Actually, most of NDT users prefer instant ease
readable strip chart recording then signal runs displayed on notebook screen.

Meraster MD120 Wire Rope Defectograph

Based on many years of previous experience, the first model of this instrument was introduced in 1994.
Since this date MD120 series has been supplied to rope experts in Poland and around the world and it has
been recognised as a valuable state-of-art instrument

Apart from the standard features of reliable instrumentation, mentioned

above, the unique features of the MD120 Defectograph are: capability of
determining the rope defect depth location inside the rope; running
integral method for easy read out of high density of defects; zoom replay
of recording; solid state memory (computer compatibility); automatic
printing of annotations; automatic set up after entering the specific rope
code ("settings + rope code" memory).

The Defectograph equipped with a suitable sensing head with a three-

channel sensor, records test signals in four measurement channels. Two
channels of inductive sensors (inner and outer coils) are intended for
detecting "localised losses". Relation between recorded values in both Fig 3: MD120 chart recorder
these channels indicates depth of the defect position inside the rope.
Channel of Hall-effect sensor signal is provided for detecting of "distributed loss of metallic cross-
sectional area"; Fourth channel, integral of the main inductive sensor (inner coil) signal is intended for
indicating the totalled "localised losses" along a rope sector. This last channel needs some explanation to
understand its unique role. There are two advantages of this recording, particularly for mining hoist ropes,
where broken wires are concentrated. First, more readable indication of a real damage resulting from
broken wires, located close to each other, than in "localised losses" channel. Second, set-up of integration
range in instrument according to rope discard criteria "number of broken wires in any x diameter length"
allows indicating total losses in appropriate rope sectors lengths.

The instrument operates continuously, in the "running integration" mode, where integration is being
performed on a length in the next rope sector. The instrument is recording current values of the integral
(total of losses) of previous rope sector, last "x" metres length. If the length of integration range is set
appropriate to discard criteria, it gives direct readable indications of rope sectors in which the number of
broken wires probably exceeds value of the discard criteria.

During the rope NDT procedure performed in-situ, audio-alarm and "Zoom Replay" capabilities are
useful. The Defectograph generates the audio-signal when the pulse value in the "localised losses" channel
has exceeded pre-set alarm level. When a significant rope defect has been observed during recording, the
user can stop the rope (or head) movement and recording of signalss, and then may replay a previous

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recording in the zoom mode. Defect position may be read out precisely
and found in the rope. Visual examination of the rope sector in question
should then be made, additionally.

Solid state memory is an option. This is a credit card size SRAM IC

Memory Card conforming to the PCMCIA (PC Card) standard. PCMCIA
cards are compatible with almost notebook computers. Also PCMCIA
slots can be added to most of personal computer systems. In certain rope
NDT conditions, for instance subject to magnetism, this method of data
transfer has many advantages. With this option, the Defectograph may
store additionally an all-rope test record in the memory card. Capacity of
the recording depends on the card version, e.g. 1 MB card can storage test
of a rope of 600 m in length and 4 MB - 2400 m. Then data may be sent
easily and quickly to a computer via the PCMCIA slot. This way, the user
can archive many test records for further comparative analysis and can
employ software to help him in his work on rope test results. Also data
from Memory Card may be replayed on a strip chart with an MD120
Defectograph, including old test records from computer storage memory.

The recorder prints automatically the number of annotations on strip

Fig 4: Example of a Wire rope test
chart, e.g. rope length in metres, a rope code set by the operator; recorder chart
settings, direction of movement, date and time. Before a rope test, the
user can enter into the instrument a specific identification code, which will be printed on the chart, and test
settings like channel sensitivities will be stored with this identification code in non-volatile memory in the
instrument. If the same codes are entered in future, the same settings may be applied automatically.

The recorder may operate in one of two main modes: chart feed synchronous to rope movement; or chart
feed at constant selectable speed. Recording is done by means of a thermal array line printing on thermal
paper. All of the instrument settings and measured values are displayed on a liquid crystal display. Any
instrument setting may be changed with one only knob-push-button.

The instrument is designed for field service. Built in aluminium covered case with handle, the MD120
Defectograph is easy to carry. MD120 operates from a built-in rechargeable battery or various external
power sources, AC or DC. Automatically microprocessor controlled recharging while external power is
connected is provided.

Field service and user-friendly oriented functionality of the MD120 in conjunction with its capability of
computer aided post-testing analysis make this instrument useful as well as every-day tool for rope expert
and as a source of data for researchers and developers of methods. Easy access to the test records with
computer software tools seems to be a real aid to make faster progress in the development of rope
evaluation methods.

References
1. Zawada NDT Homepage http://www.zawada.z.pl
2. MD120 B WIRE ROPE DEFECTOGRAPH
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