Wire rope sheaves · Hot-rolled, cast, forged and MC nylon sheaves from Φ150 to Φ3,000 mm for cranes, hoists, drilling rigs and port equipment, with CNC-machined grooves hardened to HB 350–370 and bearing assemblies
A rope sheave is a grooved wheel that guides and supports a wire rope where it changes direction — in a crane hook block, a hoist, a drilling rig's crown and travelling blocks or a port machine — turning on bearings on a pin. Ask three things first: what rope diameter and construction the groove must fit, what pitch diameter, load and duty the sheave sees, and what material, groove hardening, bearings and inspection the application requires.
Wire rope sheaves for lifting and hoisting equipment — crane, hoist, port, drilling and offshore sheaves in hot-rolled welded, cast, forged or nylon construction, with their bearings — and snatch blocks and pulley blocks where compared. Belt conveyor drum pulleys (see pulleys), V-belt and timing pulleys, crown blocks as complete assemblies (see crown block) and hook blocks (see hook block) are outside this page.
01
Baoxin lists three steel constructions. Hot-rolled, welded sheaves cover Φ250–1,500 mm in 45, Q345B, Q345D or Q345E (the last for −40 °C) and are welded to a WPS/WPQR with MT and UT of the welds; cast sheaves cover Φ250–3,000 mm in 45, Q345D, Q345E, 35CrMo or 42CrMo; forged sheaves, as full or ring forgings, cover Φ150–2,500 mm in Q345B/D/E, 45 (S45C), 60, 65Mn or 42CrMo. It offers bearing assemblies in more than one arrangement. [2]
Henan Zhongzao lists crane sheaves including forged sheaves for hook groups, elevator deflector sheaves, MC nylon wire rope sheaves with bearings and replacement pulley wheels for hoists, lifting blocks, winches and rope guides. [3]
Editorial calculation: across Baoxin's three ranges, the smallest listed sheave is Φ150 mm (forged) and the largest Φ3,000 mm (cast), a twentyfold spread in diameter. [2]
Give the supplier the equipment and duty, rope diameter and construction, pitch diameter, outside diameter, groove profile and depth, hub width and bore, bearing type and arrangement, pin and lubrication, material and minimum service temperature, groove hardening, inspection (MT, UT) and certificates, drawings, and quantity.
02
Baoxin machines groove profiles by CNC to the customer's profile and induction-hardens them to at least HB 350–370 with a hardened depth of about 2.5 mm or more, depending on material, followed by magnetic-particle testing of the groove. [2]
OSHA's overhead and gantry crane rule, 29 CFR 1910.179, requires sheave grooves to be smooth and free from surface defects that could damage the rope; sheaves carrying ropes that can be momentarily unloaded to have close-fitting guards or other devices to guide the rope back into the groove; bottom-block sheaves to have close-fitting guards so ropes cannot foul when the block lies on the ground; and all running sheaves to have means of lubrication, which permanently lubricated, sealed or shielded bearings satisfy. It defines a running sheave as one that rotates as the load block is raised or lowered, and lists cracked or worn sheaves among items for inspection. [1]
Editorial calculation: a 2.5 mm hardened depth is 0.5 % of a Φ500 mm sheave's diameter. [2]
03
For personnel hoisting at US metal and nonmetal underground mines, MSHA's rules in 30 CFR 57 subpart R set five requirements that involve sheaves. Sheaves in operating shafts must be inspected weekly and kept properly lubricated (§ 57.19134), and platforms with toeboards and handrails must be provided around elevated head sheaves (§ 57.19038). Fleet angles on hoists installed after November 15, 1979 must not exceed 1.5 degrees for smooth drums or 2 degrees for grooved drums (§ 57.19037). Wire rope in service must be visually examined where it rests on sheaves, and at least once every six months nondestructive tests or diameter measurements must be made where the hoist rope rests on sheaves at regular stopping points; a rope must be retired when wear reduces its diameter by more than six percent of the baseline measurement (§§ 57.19023–57.19024). [4]
These mine rules add inspection and alignment duties to the crane sheave rules and the groove hardness and construction data above; for a mine hoist, ask the sheave supplier how groove profile and alignment support the fleet-angle limit. [1] [2] [3]
Editorial calculation: a fleet angle of 1.5° corresponds to a lateral rope offset of about 26 mm per metre of distance between drum and sheave (tan 1.5° ≈ 0.026); 2° allows about 35 mm per metre.
| 30 CFR 57 subpart R rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| § 57.19134 Sheaves | Inspect weekly; keep properly lubricated |
| § 57.19038 Head sheaves | Platforms with toeboards and handrails |
| § 57.19037 Fleet angle | ≤ 1.5° smooth drum; ≤ 2° grooved drum (hoists after 15 Nov 1979) |
| § 57.19023 Rope tests | Every 6 months where rope rests on sheaves at regular stops |
| § 57.19024(g) Retirement | Diameter loss from wear > 6% of baseline |
For mine hoists, give the supplier the drum type, drum-to-sheave distance and rope size, and ask for the sheave groove profile, bearing arrangement and lubrication points that support weekly inspection.
04
Baoxin and Henan Zhongzao are also the sources for the construction, steel and nylon-sheave details above; Hilifting's listing is marine and light-duty snatch blocks rather than crane sheaves, so match the card to the equipment.
Ask any supplier for construction and material with mill certificates, pitch and outside diameters, groove profile drawing for your rope, groove hardness and depth with test reports, weld procedure and NDT reports, bearing make and arrangement, lubrication, balance and run-out, weight, and load rating or design basis.
05
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Rim and groove | Supports and guides the rope. [2] [1] | Profile; hardness. |
| Web or plate | Carries load to the hub. [2] | Rolled, cast, forged. |
| Hub and bearings | Lets the sheave turn on its pin. [2] [3] | Bearing type; bore. |
| Lubrication | Required for running sheaves. [1] | Grease or sealed. |
| Rope guard | Keeps slack rope in the groove. [1] | Guard design. |
06
Baoxin publishes the size range, groove hardness and steel grades; rope diameter, groove angle, load and pitch-diameter tolerance are not published and have to come from your rope and the supplier's drawing.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Rope Diameter (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Rope size; construction. |
| Groove Diameter (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. Profiles are cut to the buyer's specification. [2] | Groove drawing. |
| Groove Angle (°) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Flare angle. |
| Pitch Diameter (mm) | Not stated as pitch diameter; Baoxin's sheave size range is Φ150–3,000 mm across constructions. [2] | Pitch and OD. |
| Tensile Strength (MPa) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. Steels include Q345, 45 and 42CrMo. [2] | Mill certificate. |
| Groove hardness (HB) | e.g. groove min. HB 350–370, about 2.5 mm deep. [2] | Hardness report. |
| Surface Roughness (μm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. Grooves must be smooth and defect-free. [1] | Ra. |
| Maximum Load (kN) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Design load. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | e.g. Q345E specified for −40 °C. [2] | Range. |
| Tolerance (Pitch Diameter) (mm) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Tolerance. |
| Weight (kg) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Weight. |
| Fleet angle and inspection | Mine hoists: fleet angle ≤ 1.5° (smooth) / 2° (grooved); sheaves inspected weekly (30 CFR 57.19037, 57.19134). [4] | Drum-to-sheave geometry. |
07
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Equipment: [crane; hoist; rig; port] Rope: [diameter; construction] Sheave: [pitch dia.; OD; groove profile] Construction: [rolled; cast; forged; nylon] Material: [grade; min temperature] Groove: [hardness; depth] Bearings: [type; bore; lubrication] Inspection: [MT; UT; certificates]
Baoxin lists hot-rolled, cast and forged sheaves and sheave blocks; Henan Zhongzao lists forged, MC nylon and deflector sheaves; BVEE and Dafang Crane list crane and wire rope sheaves, and Hilifting lists snatch blocks and wire rope pulleys.
Lists hot-rolled, cast and forged wire rope sheaves and sheave blocks.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists crane sheaves, including forged, MC nylon and deflector sheaves.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists crane sheaves, wire rope sheaves and sheave pulley blocks.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists crane and wire rope sheaves among crane parts.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists snatch blocks and wire rope pulleys.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
Smooth, defect-free grooves, guards where ropes can go slack and in bottom blocks, and lubrication for running sheaves. [1]
Baoxin induction-hardens grooves to at least HB 350–370 with about 2.5 mm hardened depth. [2]
Baoxin offers all three, from Φ150 mm forged to Φ3,000 mm cast, in Q345, 45 and 42CrMo steels. [2]
MSHA's 30 CFR 57.19134 requires sheaves in operating shafts to be inspected weekly and kept properly lubricated; fleet angles are limited to 1.5° on smooth drums and 2° on grooved drums. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. OSHA sets crane sheave requirements; Baoxin and Henan Zhongzao make sheaves.
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