Ropes
Up-and-over garage doors: galvanized or stainless steel wire ropes, with rotation-resistant options
Blutref Srl, an Italy-based company specializing in flexible mechanical power transmission solutions, offers a range of steel wire ropes designed for up-and-over garage doors and industrial door systems. These are among the many applications featured in its catalog, alongside the automotive and marine industries, lifeline systems, and lifting equipment.
More specifically, Blutref supplies galvanized and stainless steel wire ropes for winches, elevators, freight elevators, overhead cranes, derrick cranes and tower cranes, balancers for zero-gravity lifting equipment, hail protection net systems, and industrial manipulators across a wide range of industries.
The standard wire rope: 2.00 mm, 49-wire construction, galvanized or stainless steel
The standard wire rope for up-and-over garage doors has a diameter of 2.00 mm and consists of 49 wires in the conventional 7x7 construction: seven strands, each comprising seven wires. This construction is widely used in applications requiring sufficient flexibility to run over one or more pulleys while providing excellent wear resistance. Every production batch undergoes testing on Blutref's dedicated test rig (see cover image) to verify consistent product quality over time.
Galvanized or stainless steel: how to choose
The wire rope is available in both galvanized and stainless steel. The galvanized version is the most common choice for dry environments with limited exposure to weather conditions. Stainless steel is preferable in humid environments or wherever corrosion could compromise safety and appearance over time. For stainless steel applications, the most suitable alloy grade should always be selected in consultation with the manufacturer, based on the installation environment.
Diameters up to 6.00 mm and beyond for large garage, warehouse, and hangar doors
The standard diameter is designed for conventional up-and-over garage doors, but diameters of up to 6.00 mm and beyond are available upon request. These larger wire ropes are suitable for oversized industrial doors, such as aircraft hangar doors, where loads and mechanical stresses are significantly higher. Increasing the rope diameter also changes the operating conditions at the pulley, an aspect that must be evaluated with the customer during the design phase.
The rotation-resistant version
The wire ropes are also available in rotation-resistant constructions, in either galvanized or stainless steel. Rotation-resistant wire ropes are designed to minimize the tendency to rotate about their longitudinal axis under load, a behavior that can cause twisting and irregular movement in conventional wire ropes. Blutref's catalog also includes rotation-resistant wire ropes with Ercole-type constructions and eight- or nine-strand configurations, available in compacted or swaged versions.
Pulley fatigue testing
A distinguishing feature of Blutref's offering is its pulley testing procedure, designed to assess wire rope performance under repeated bending loads. The point where the wire rope passes over the pulley is subjected to repeated flexural stresses, making it one of the most critical areas affecting service life. Testing wire rope performance under actual operating conditions before delivery helps validate the selection of the appropriate diameter, construction, and material for each application.
The company also manufactures custom solutions based on customer samples or technical drawings and holds ISO 9001 certification issued by RINA.
For further information and to work with the Blutref team on designing the most suitable wire rope for your application, please contact the company using the contact details provided.
