Wire Rope Lays

This term is used to describe the direction of rotation of wires and strands in the rope:

RIGHT LAY - Clockwise
LEFT LAY - Counter-clockwise

REGULAR LAY:

Wires in strands are laid in the opposite direction of the strands and are parallel to the rope axis. Ropes with regular lay are easy to handle and have greater resistance to crushing than those with lang lay.

LANG LAY:

Wires are laid in the same direction as the strands of the rope, and in an angle to the rope axis. Longer lengths of the individual wires are exposed, creating greater resistance to wear and improved flexibility. Lang Lay ropes should only be used where both rope ends are "fixed" and, therefore, should not be used with a swivel type terminal.

Left Lay REGULAR LAY	Right Lay REGULAR LAY
Left Lay LANG LAY	Right Lay LANG LAY

LAY LENGTH:

The length of lay of the strands in wire ropes (the complete revolution of one strand around the rope axis) will have considerable impact on the ropes' performance and characteristics. While an increase in lay length will reduce the amount of stretch in a rope, a shorter lay length should be chosen nevertheless where shock-loading could be the primary cause of wire rope failure.