Be sure to use the correct rope lay direction for the drum. This applies to smooth, as well as to grooved drums.

Many crane models have a two sided grooved drum, one part of it is left, the other right lay grooved. Some wire ropes are more sensitive to this type of design than others; it depends on lifting height, frequency of use, and even the rope diameter as to the type of wire rope most suitable for that application.

In some applications it may be advisable to select the rope lay direction according to the most frequently used drum layers. If the first rope layer on a drum is used as a ‘guide layer’ only, it may be advisable to select the rope lay direction according to the second layer.

Left Lay
Rope		 Right Lay
Rope
Right Hand Grooved:
Use Left Hand Rope		 Left Hand Grooved:
Use Right Hand Rope
Right Lay
Rope		 Left Lay
Rope
Left Hand Grooved:
Use Right Hand Rope		 Right Hand Grooved:
Use Left Hand Rope
Left Lay Rope Right Lay Rope
Right Hand Grooved:
Use Left Hand Rope		 Left Hand Grooved:
Use Right Hand Rope
The easiest way to identify correct match between rope and drum is to look alongside the drum axis and the rope axis: the direction of lay/drum groove must be opposite to each other.
Overwind from left to right: Use Right Hand Rope Underwind from right to left: Use Right Hand Rope
Overwind from right to left: Use Left Hand Rope Underwind from left to right: Use Left Hand Rope