Life span

If all general instructions for safe use of static ropes are observed, the following tentative life span data may be recommended:

  • intensive – everyday use less than 1 year
  • regular year-round use 1 year to 2 years
  • regular seasonal use 2 to 3 years
  • occasional use (once a month) 3 to 5 years
  • sporadic use 5 to 7 years
  • unused rope 10 years maximum

Identification and marking of static ropes

There is an identification tape or marker thread inside the rope. The identification tape contains the following information repeatedly:

  • rope manufacturer: LANEX
  • rope made in accordance with EN 1891
  • rope type: type A or type B
  • rope material: (e.g., PA – polyamide, PP – polypropylene, aramid,…)
  • year of manufacture

The colour marker thread identifies the calendar year of manufacture of the rope:

  • 2002 red/green
  • 2003 red/black
  • 2004 green
  • 2005 blue
  • 2006 yellow
  • 2007 black
  • 2008 red/yellow
  • 2009 blue/yellow
  • 2010 green/yellow
  • 2011 black/yellow
  • 2012 red/blue

Adverse effects on the life span of static ropes

If a polyamide rope becomes wet or if a wet rope freezes up, its static and dynamic properties are significantly reduced.
Avoid leading the rope over sharp edges (both natural and artificial, e.g. progressive belaying with an extremely small diameter of the contact area of the belaying element). Do not use the rope if it has been mechanically or chemically damaged. Every knot in a rope reduces its strength – use recommended knots only.

UV radiation reduces the strength of materials from which the rope is made.

Do not use the rope if there is any doubt about conditions of its safe use or after the rope has arrested a hard fall (fall factor higher than f=1, see EN 1891). Such a product may be used again only if a competent person confirms in writing that it is acceptable to do so.

Warning:
Shrinkage is a natural property of polyamide fibres. Kernmantel ropes shrink as a result of effects of moisture (steam, raindrops, ...), external conditions (immersion of the rope in water, e.g. in canyoning, ...) and way of using the rope (top rope belaying, ...). The shrinkage of ropes may make up to 5-10% of the rope length in extreme cases.

Other reasons for rejection of the rope

Damaged fibres of the rope sheath in one place, hard spots under the rope sheath indicating the possibility of local damages to the core or local changes in rope diameter (bulges, narrow portions, etc.), clusters of fused fibres in the rope sheath, direct contact with open flame, rope exceeded the life span recommended by the manufacturer.

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