Breakage Of Wire Ropes.
To the Editor of the Colliery Guardian
Sir,-In your last week's issue I notice another
serious accident caused by the breaking of a wire rope at Garnant
Colliery, and also another on the 21st at Ince Hall Colliery.
I am sorry to say these accidents are becoming painfully frequent,
and must ultimately lead to a Government enquiry into the class
of material used in the manufacture of wire ropes, and the adoption
of a scale of tests similar to that used by the Government in
their own purchases of this manufacture. I have been a user
and buyer of wire ropes for some years, and having a fair knowledge
of what a rope should be, I have been much exercised of late
by the number of qualities and great difference of prices charged
by the different ropemakers for what after all must be practically
one and the same material. With the assistance of a friend of
great practical knowledge in the manufacture of steel, I have
been enabled to collect a few facts that may be of service to
my rope-buying brethren, subject to correction by any wire rope
manufacturer. From a price list before me I will take the different
qualities and quotations for a 3-in. circumference round wire
rope:-
| |
Per ton. |
| Charcoal wire of special quality................................ |
£20
|
| Homo, or Bessemer steel, special quality.................. |
19
|
| Crucible, steel wire.................................................. |
31
|
| Patent steel wire....................................................... |
35
|
| Improved patent steel wire....................................... |
41
|
| Patent plough wire................................................... |
66
|
| Improved patent plough wire................................... |
72
|
Rope to be made of six strands, seven wires
to each strand, and a hemp main heart.
At different times, I am favoured with calls by gentlemen
representing the different manufacturing houses, and taking
the above quoted prices as a stand-point, I find a difference
ranging from £10 to £20 per ton, no two firms
quoting alike. On expressing surprise I am given the most
extraordinary explanation, No.1 asserting that his house is
the only one that can make a reliable wire rope; No.2 claiming
a special lay or twist; No3 engages a special steel maker,
and a special wire drawer; No.4 a new and patented class of
machinery, and so on, ad infinitum; whereas the fact
is, there are no specialities claimed by one maker that cannnot
be obtained by another. I believe the entire trade is worked
by rule of thumb, and the order given to each representative
is to get the best price he can. Returning to the quotation:-First,
charcoal wire. I am told by most makers that charcoal wire
is scarcely ever used, mild Siemens-Martin steel taking its
place. Assuming this to be correct, I fancy the latter material
is by far the best; provided the wire is rolled and drawn
down from special ingots. A 3 in. circumference rope takes
a No.12 gauge wire. Siemens-Martin steel wire. Special quality
of this size can be bought at £16 per ton, and taking
the rope at £20 per ton we have as follows:-
|
Per
|
ton. |
| Cost of making rope, loss, rents, &c........................ |
40s. |
| Average carriage for delivering the rope................... |
25s. |
| Discount upon payment of account at 2½
p.c......... |
10s |
| Travelling expenses, &c., at 5 p.c............................ |
20s |
| Profit and loss account, at 10 p.c............................. |
40s. |
| |
____ |
|
20)
|
13,5 |
| |
____ |
|
£
|
6 15s. |
add this amount to the £16 charged for
the wire, and we have £22 15s. It will naturally be
asked, how is this difference made up? A scotch firm of manufacturers
advertise as follows:-"When you ask for Glenfield Starch,
see that you get it," but when a colliery owner asks
for a steel wire rope of a certain quality, is he certain
that he can get it? I have not the slightest doubt that the
rope is made of a certain number of steel wires standard quality
and a number of wires of a very much cheaper quality so as
to get the price right. I therefore conclude that a manufacturer
honest to himself and strictly honest to the buyer cannot
supply a rope of this quality for less than £22 to £23
per ton. In homo or Bessemer steel ropes, if makers will only
buy wire rolled and drawn from special ingots, £20 to
£21 per ton is a fair price.
Crucible steel wire. It is at this stage "see that you
get it" begins to be doubtful. Makers of rope wire charge
£31 to £32 per ton for their wire. Still the ropes
are sold at the same price as is paid for the wire, showing
a loss to the ropemaker of £6 15s. per ton. Patent steel
wire is worth £34 per ton. The rope is sold at £35,
showing a loss to the maker of £5 15s. per ton, unless
we are gammoned into taking improved patent, which is the
same thing, then a respectable profit is obtained. Plough
steel wire-prices for ropes range from £66 to £94
per ton, according to the gullibility of the buyer. The average
price of the wire being £56 per ton, I am not at all
surprised at rope makers being so eloquent in favour of plough
steel, as it seems to be the good fairy with the golden wand,
helping to make good losses incurred on the lower qualities.
What are the inferences to be deduced from the above, viz.,
that a very large amount of inferior material is used in the
manufacture; that imposition and deception are rampant; and
that this is brought about by reckless competition. The wonder
is that disaster is not one hundred-fold more than at present;
property, no doubt, suffers severely, but this is generally
hushed up-a golden salve curing numerous daily losses. I have
it on the best authority that the instructions given to many
representatives are to get the best price they can, but never
to miss an order. Whatever another firm offers, undercut it;
we can make up the difference with inferior material, and
chance it. In my next I will consider the means best adapted
to remedy this daily increasing evil.-Yours, &c.,
A PUZZLED MANAGER
|