Safety and Innovation Made in Germany

Ropes - Made in Germany

For years, EDELRID ropes have stood for quality, safety, and optimum handling ‘Made in Germany’. In our in-house rope production facilities, we combine 160 years of tradition with innovation and research. We use great care to create high-end products for our work safety segment where people who work at height, arborists, and rescue teams can find suitable ropes and lifelines for all uses.

Our selection of kernmantle ropes ranges from ropes made from 100 % polyamide or polyester to specialist products with aramid or Dyneema® fibers.

Kernmantle ropes

Developed by EDELRID in 1953, the concept of the kernmantle rope has become an integral part of modern rope technology. The principle is based on a two-part construction comprising a load-bearing core and a protective sheath. The main advantage of kernmantle ropes is their high energy absorption capacity. In other words, their ability to absorb the energy that occurs during a fall by elongating. The dynamic and static properties of kernmantle ropes can be specifically influenced by appropriate design and finishing processes. Such ropes are essentially divided into two types:

  • Dynamic ropes according to EN 892: high energy absorption capacity and low impact forces

  • Low-stretch kernmantle ropes according to EN 1891: high tensile strength and low elongation

Static ropes

The term ‘static rope’ is not always used consistently. In most cases, people use it to refer to semi-static ropes and low-stretch kernmantle ropes. Contrary to what the term may indicate, semi-static ropes actually have thoroughly dynamic properties, even if these are far less pronounced than those of a dynamic rope. Semi-static ropes have a working elongation of less than 5% (sport climbing ropes have between 7% and 10%). As such, they could theoretically arrest a fall but this is not recommended as the impact would be far harder than with a dynamic rope and could have unpleasant consequences. In view of the above, semi-static ropes are primarily used for work positioning and rope-supported work where no major dynamic loads are expected.
 

There are also static ropes in the proper sense of the word. These mainly have braided designs and are made of Kevlar, Dyneema®, or steel. They have only minimal elongation and no dynamic energy absorption capacity. As a result, they are only allowed to be used as PPE with additional damping systems. In addition, such constructions are used in the heavy-duty field for lifting loads as well as for rope structures and rope hoists where minimal elongation is beneficial.

Accessory cords

Accessory cords are static kernmantle constructions with a diameter of 4 to 8 mm. They are used as auxiliary lines for hoisting light loads, anchor points, or prusik slings. Standard EN 564 specifies a minimum breaking strength for each diameter:

Nominal diameter (d) [mm] Minimum breaking strength (F) [kN]
4 3,2
5 5,0
6 7,2
7 9,8
8 12,8

Special rope types

A number of special designs exist within the field of static ropes:

Canyoning ropes

Type A and B static ropes are sold as canyoning ropes. They are made from various different materials. Some ropes have a polyamide sheath to increase their abrasion resistance and a polypropylene core to make them light and enable them to float. With other ropes, both the sheath and core are made of polyamide. These are heavier and do not float but have a significantly higher breaking strength than ropes with a polypropylene core. Canyoning ropes often come in bright colors to increase their visibility in the water.

Tree climbing ropes

The construction of static ropes for tree climbing differs from that of other static ropes. Here, the primary requirements are high abrasion resistance, low working elongation, and good handling properties. Tree climbing ropes have a comparatively large diameter and a high sheath proportion. A particularly easy-to-grip sheath structure makes ascending the rope easier and bright colors increase the visibility. Core braids are often used so that tree climbing ropes can be easily spliced.

How is a static rope structured?

Core (inner layer)

The core is the actual load-bearing component of the rope. It is made up of the finest multifilaments, which undergo a multi-stage procedure to create a core yarn or braid.

Sheath

The sheath protects the core from external influences such as abrasion, UV radiation, etc. and prevents the penetration of dirt. It also acts as a good indicator when inspecting kernmantle ropes. If the sheath is damaged to an extent to which the inner core is visible, this is a clear sign that the rope is no longer fit for use. Depending on the area of use and requirements, we use various different sheath constructions here at EDELRID.


 

Identification tape

The identification tape is a thin strip of tape made of polypropylene. It has to display the following information by law: manufacturer's name, legal standard, rope type, year of manufacture, and the material from which the static rope is made.

Color-coded year thread

The color-coded year thread is a colored indicator thread made of polyamide that is woven into the core of the rope. It uses color coding to indicate the rope’s year of manufacture, with the colors repeated every ten years. The color-coded year thread makes it possible to determine the year of manufacture throughout the rope’s service life.


 

Termination labels

The termination label indicates the most important information, e.g. rope type, diameter, year of production, batch number, length, and norm.

Want to know how a fiber becomes a rope? The answer to this and other questions about ropes can be found in our Knowledge Base.

What rope constructions are there?

EDELRID uses various core and sheath constructions depending on requirements. The secret lies in striking the perfect balance between the individual components.

 

Core (inner layer)

  • Twined

    This is the standard method of core construction. Depending on the type of rope being produced, 3, 5, or 6 basic yarns are twisted to form a core yarn. In a static rope, the load-bearing core is constructed from 13 to 22 of these core yarns.

  • Braided

    In this complex method, the raw material is braided to form 1, 2, or 3 layers depending on the type of rope being produced. This results in a particularly compact structure. Ropes with a braided core have better dimensional stability and higher edge stability than ropes with a twined core. They are also easier to splice and have higher breaking strength with sewn terminations.

Sheath

  • Twined

    In the twining process, 2, 3, 4, or 5 single sheath yarns are twisted together at a defined tension and rotation speed. The twisting of the yarns increases the surface area of the sheath and thus improves abrasion resistance.

  • Twined and cabled

    In this method, the yarns are wound onto the spools in parallel without being twisted. This guarantees maximum utilization of the fibers and ensures the highest possible breaking strength. The one minor disadvantage of these ropes is that they are slightly less abrasion resistant than twined ropes.

  • Twined and shrunk

    In this method, the yarns are shrunk in an autoclave after being twined. This shrinking process ensures that the rope remains supple and easy to handle throughout its working life and does not re-shrink, even after heavy use. The twined sheath construction also guarantees maximum abrasion resistance.

  • Parallel-wound twines (= multiple-wound twines)

    This method combines the advantages of the twined and the multiple-wound sheath constructions to produce the highest quality ropes on the market. The sheath yarns are first twined and then wound in parallel onto the spools. We use this complex construction exclusively for our high-end ropes that require the highest breaking strength and maximum abrasion resistance in equal measure.