The planned or condition-based renewal of elevator suspension and governor ropes when wear, corrosion, broken wires, or loss of core diameter reaches the discard criteria defined in the applicable standard.
Full Definition
Suspension rope replacement is one of the highest-value maintenance operations in an elevator's lifecycle. Discard criteria for steel wire ropes used in elevators are defined in EN 81-20 (by reference to EN ISO 4344) and ISO 4309, which specify the maximum allowable number of broken wires per lay length, the minimum remaining diameter as a percentage of nominal (typically 90%), and the maximum permissible loss of metallic area (LMA %). Modern non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments using magnetic flux leakage (MFL) can detect and quantify internal wire breaks and corrosion that are invisible to visual inspection. Replacement intervals in practice range from 5 to 20 years depending on usage intensity, environment (humidity, chemical exposure), lubrication quality, and sheave groove condition. All ropes in a set must be replaced simultaneously to ensure equal load sharing. During replacement, the guide rails and buffer condition should also be inspected. A rope replacement record including rope specification, manufacturer, date, and technician signature must be retained in the elevator log under EN 13015 and LOLER requirements.
