Stainless Steel A2 304 Wire Rope Lifting Metal Cable Rigging 0.3mm 0.4mm to 20mm

7×7 rope consists of 7 strands each containing 7 individual wires (49 wires total). It is stiffer and better suited to straight static runs such as balustrade infill or trellis tensioning. 7×19 rope consists of 7 strands each containing 19 wires (133 wires total), making it significantly more flexible and better suited to applications where the cable bends around sheaves, pulleys, or curved paths, such as marine rigging or winch lines.

A2 304 stainless steel offers good corrosion resistance in most outdoor and moderate coastal environments. It performs well in freshwater, rain, and light salt-air exposure. For highly aggressive marine environments with direct and prolonged saltwater immersion — such as below-waterline fittings or offshore rigging — A4 316 grade stainless steel is generally recommended for superior chloride resistance. For deck-level balustrades and above-waterline rigging in coastal areas, 304 grade is widely used and accepted.

For residential cable balustrade infill, 3 mm and 4 mm diameters are the most common choices, providing the required tensile strength at typical post spacings of 1–1.5 m. For longer spans or commercial applications, 5 mm or 6 mm may be specified. Always consult your local building code for minimum breaking load requirements and maximum cable spacing. Swage terminal and tensioner bore sizes must match the selected cable diameter exactly.

This wire rope accepts standard metric-bore fittings sized to match the cable diameter, including swage (compression) terminals, Nicopress oval ferrules, wire rope clips (bulldog grips), eye bolts with thimbles, and turnbuckles. Always match the fitting bore to the exact cable diameter — for example, a 3 mm ferrule for 3 mm rope. Using an undersized or oversized fitting will reduce the joint's rated holding strength.

Yes. Stainless steel wire rope can be cut on-site using bolt cutters, angle grinder with a cutting disc, or a dedicated cable cutter. To prevent the cut end from fraying, apply a small amount of heat-shrink tubing, a ferrule, or a swage end cap immediately after cutting. For diameters above 6 mm, a purpose-made wire rope cutter is recommended to achieve a clean, square cut without distorting the strand geometry.

Lengths are available from 1 metre up to 100 metres per order. There is no minimum order quantity — you can order a single 1 m length for a repair or sample, or a 100 m length for a larger project. For balustrade projects, measure each cable run individually and add approximately 200–300 mm per end for termination allowance before selecting your length.

Working load limit varies by diameter and strand construction. As a general guide, a 3 mm 7×7 rope has a typical breaking load of approximately 700–900 kg, with a WLL of roughly 140–180 kg at a 5:1 safety factor. A 6 mm 7×19 rope has a typical breaking load of approximately 2,500–3,000 kg. For safety-critical lifting applications, always refer to the manufacturer's certified load data for the specific diameter and construction, and apply the appropriate safety factor required by your local regulations. Contact us to confirm load data for your selected variant.