Rope innovation redefined: Southern Ropes introduces advanced 160mm rope machine
SOUTHERN Ropes has recently commissioned its biggest rope braiding machine with the newest technology from Herzog, able to produce rope up to a whopping 160mm diameter. It is possibly the biggest rope machine in the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s a major step for Southern Ropes, whose biggest rope up until now was a 74mm diameter.
Cape Town-based Southern Ropes is one of South Africa’s top rope-making companies, with its main customers being in the commercial marine, offshore, and mining sectors, as well as playing a big part in the leisure market. Ropes as large as 160mm are used chiefly in mooring, offshore wind farms, and commercial marine applications and, with a sizeable chunk of its business being exports Southern Ropes made a bold move, stepping into the global “big rope” sector with confidence and ambition. The three biggest rope-making businesses are all based in the US and Southern Ropes is targeting the market outside of North America.
As with most of its machines, Southern Ropes purchased the system from Herzog of Germany, which has been building rope-making machinery since 1861.
The recent startup of the new machine was the culmination of an 18-month project, which included the restructuring of the site and the lifting of the roof at the plant in Woodstock.
Southern Ropes’ new machine crafts rope using ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre through a meticulously sequenced process. The journey begins with fine UHMWPE strands braided into smaller ropes that are then woven into progressively thicker ropes, passing through multiple stages until they culminate in the formidable 160mm final product. This intricate operation relies on a vast array of spinning looms and moving parts working in perfect synchronisation – success is only achieved when every component operates in flawless coordination.
Trials with the new line are underway and the first big rope is expected to roll off the production line soon.