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Wire rope material selection guide

Choosing the right wire rope material for your aeromechanical conveyor is important for both rope life and regulatory compliance. This guide covers the options we supply and when to use each.

Most common choice

Galvanised carbon steel

Galvanised carbon steel is the standard wire rope material for the majority of aeromechanical conveyor installations. The wire strands are coated with zinc (galvanised) to provide corrosion resistance. The rope has a bright silver appearance with a slightly rough texture from the zinc coating.

Suited to

  • Standard industrial powder and granule handling
  • Non-food-grade environments
  • Chemical or plastics processing (non-corrosive)
  • Dry applications without washdown requirements
  • Applications prioritising service life and value

Not suited to

  • Food-grade or pharmaceutical environments
  • Wet, washdown or high-humidity environments
  • ATEX classified zones where stainless is specified
  • Applications handling corrosive products
Food-grade, chemical & marine

Stainless steel 316

We standardise on stainless steel 316 for all stainless rope assemblies. SS316 contains molybdenum, which gives it enhanced resistance to chloride corrosion compared to SS304 — making it appropriate for both standard food-grade applications and more aggressive environments such as marine, offshore, or intensive CIP cleaning regimes. If you currently run SS304 rope on your conveyor, our SS316 assembly is a direct compatible replacement with better corrosion performance.

Suited to

  • Food, beverage and dairy processing
  • Pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • Washdown environments
  • Applications with chemical or chloride exposure
  • Marine or coastal installations
  • ATEX classified zones where stainless is specified
  • Any application where SS304 would previously have been used

Considerations

  • Higher initial cost than galvanised carbon steel
  • FDA-approved polyurethane discs available for food-contact applications
Specialist option — seek advice first

Nylon coated rope

Nylon coated rope has an extruded polymer jacket over the wire strands, providing a smooth outer surface and additional chemical resistance. It is a specialist option suited to specific applications — not a general replacement for standard galvanised or stainless rope.

In most standard aeromechanical conveyor installations, uncoated rope outperforms nylon coated rope in terms of service life and overall performance. The nylon coating adds material that can degrade, and in some applications the coating can interfere with disc seating.

Our recommendation: If you currently run nylon coated rope on your conveyor, or believe your application requires it, please contact us before ordering. Our team will assess whether nylon coated rope is genuinely the right choice for your setup, or whether uncoated rope would perform better. We can supply coated rope where it is the correct solution — but we won't recommend it where it isn't.

Quick selection guide

Application / requirement Recommended material
Standard industrial / non-foodGalvanised carbon steel
Food processing / dairy / beverageStainless steel 316 with FDA-approved PU discs
Pharmaceutical manufacturingStainless steel 316
Marine / offshore / coastalStainless steel 316
Aggressive CIP or chloride cleaning regimesStainless steel 316
ATEX classified zone (dust)Consult your ATEX risk assessment — typically stainless steel 316 is specified
Chemical processing (mild)Galvanised or stainless steel 316 depending on chemical compatibility
Currently running SS304 ropeStainless steel 316 — directly compatible, with better corrosion performance
Nylon coated currently fittedContact us — our team will advise on the best replacement option for your application

Not sure which material you need?

Use the Rope Finder and our team will confirm the right material choice for your application at quote stage.

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