Rope Grips

Narrow or Cylindrical Cord

Rope Grips are designed for tensile testing of cordage - ropes, strands, twine, thread, and wire. The smaller rope grips can be used for testing monofilaments used for sutures in biomedical applications. The sample string is wound around the drum several times before being secured with a type of vise fixture. Along with our standard mechanical product line covering 0 - 100kN, UGC also offers pneumatic versions of these grips which are opened and closed using air pressure. 

The working principle for these grips involves the coefficient of friction of the underlying material. By winding the rope around itself several times, the frictional area is increased. This technique spreads the testing stress over a larger section of the rope which reduces the chance of failed tests due to bad sample breaks or slippage. The drum is sized appropriately based on the anticipated force of the test (kN or lbs).