Stainless Steel Wire Rope Cable

Product Overview

Drawmet Wires manufactures stainless steel wire rope cable for jobs where strength, flexibility and corrosion resistance all have to hold up at the same time. Our SS wire rope is drawn, stranded and closed in-house, then tested against ASTM A492 and EN 12385 before it ships, so what leaves our facility matches what's on the spec sheet.

The range covers 1x19, 7x7 and 7x19 constructions in SS304 and SS316 grades, from 1 mm control cable up to 12 mm heavy-duty rigging cable. Fabricators use it for cable railing and balustrades, riggers use it for sailboat standing rigging, and plant engineers use it for lifting slings and conveyor pulls. The same rope that holds a deck rail steady also has to survive salt spray on a boat deck or repeated flexing on a factory floor, and that's the range we build for.

Every coil is traceable to its heat number and mill certificate, which matters when a structural engineer or marine surveyor asks for documentation before sign-off.

Features

Available in 1x19 (non-flexible), 7x7 (semi-flexible) and 7x19 (flexible) constructions
SS304 and SS316/316L stainless steel wire rope grades
Diameters from 1 mm to 12 mm, with intermediate sizes on request
Consistent breaking strength batch to batch, verified by pull testing
Smooth, splice-friendly finish for swaging and mechanical fittings
Low stretch under load, which keeps tensioned railing and rigging from sagging over time
Mill test certificates supplied with every order
Custom lengths, spooling and cut-to-size service for project orders

Benefits

One supplier for both marine-grade wire rope and general industrial cable, so specs don't have to be split across vendors
Corrosion resistant wire rope means fewer replacement cycles in coastal or wash-down environments
Predictable load capacity simplifies engineering sign-off and safety factor calculations
Flexible 7x19 wire rope threads through tight radius sheaves without work-hardening as fast as stiffer constructions
Bulk and custom-cut options reduce offcut waste on large railing or rigging projects
Direct manufacturer pricing without the markup of a re-seller

Stainless Steel Grades

Grade selection is the single biggest factor in how long a stainless steel wire rope cable actually lasts in the field. Here's how our standard grades compare:

If salt water, pool chemicals or coastal air are anywhere in the picture, 316 stainless steel wire rope is worth the small price difference over 304. It's the grade most marine surveyors expect to see on standing rigging and dock hardware.

Manufacturing Process

Production starts with stainless steel rod that's cold-drawn down through a series of dies to the target wire diameter, work-hardening the wire and building tensile strength along the way. Individual wires are then stranded around a core, and the strands are closed into the final rope construction on our stranding and closing machines.

After closing, each production run goes through dimensional checks, a visual surface inspection for die marks or wire breaks, and sample breaking-load tests pulled to failure on a calibrated tensile rig. Finished rope is spooled, tagged with its heat number, and packed for dispatch. Nothing goes out without a matching mill certificate.

Technical Specifications

These figures are a general guide for rope selection. For a lifting application, always confirm final safe working load with the fitting manufacturer and applicable lifting regulations, since terminations can lower the rated capacity of the assembly below the rope's own breaking strength.

Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion resistance in stainless steel wire rope comes from a passive chromium oxide layer that reforms on the surface when scratched, which is why stainless outperforms galvanized wire rope in wet or chemically active environments. SS316's added molybdenum content gives it meaningfully better resistance to pitting from chloride exposure than SS304, which is the reason it's the default choice for marine wire rope and dockside hardware.

Even 316 isn't fully immune to staining in constant salt spray, and a light surface bloom is cosmetic rather than structural. Rinsing salt residue off periodically keeps both the finish and the fatigue life closer to what the mill certificate promises.

Marine Applications

Sailboat and yacht standing and running rigging
Dock lines, guardrails and safety netting supports
Anchor and mooring cable assemblies
Fishing and aquaculture cage cable
Marine railing and lifeline cable for cable railing systems on decks and walkways

Industrial Applications

Lifting slings and hoist cable for material handling
Conveyor pull cable and emergency stop cable runs
Machine guarding and safety barrier cable
Architectural cable railing and stair balustrades
Control cable and aircraft cable assemblies for mechanical linkages
Tensioned fencing and agricultural cable applications

Installation Guide

1. Measure the run length and add extra for terminations, thimbles or turnbacks before cutting.

2. Cut with a wire rope cutter rather than an angle grinder where possible, to avoid heat-affected zones that weaken the strands.

3. Seize or tape both sides of the cut point before cutting to stop the strands unwinding.

4. Fit swage terminals, thimbles or mechanical fittings following the fitting manufacturer's rated crimp force and die size.

5. Tension cable railing runs to the hardware manufacturer's spec, usually checked with a tension gauge rather than by feel.

6. Inspect swaged terminations for full, even collar deformation before loading the assembly.

Maintenance Tips

Rinse salt, dust or chemical residue off the cable on a regular schedule in coastal or industrial settings
Check terminations and thimbles for movement or wear at each inspection interval
Look along the rope length for broken wires, kinks or flattened sections, especially near sheaves and terminations
Re-tension cable railing periodically, since stainless rope has a small amount of constructional stretch when new
Avoid dragging rope over abrasive surfaces or sharp edges that can nick individual wires
Keep a spare length and matching fittings on hand for high-cycle rigging applications

Why Choose Drawmet Wires

Drawmet Wires has been drawing and fabricating stainless steel wire rope for marine, architectural and industrial customers for years, and that manufacturing background is the difference between a supplier that stocks wire rope and one that actually understands how it's made. Our lines run mill-certified stainless rod through in-house drawing, stranding and closing, with sample breaking-load tests on every production batch, so specifiers get documentation that holds up to a marine surveyor's or structural engineer's review.

We ship standard coil lengths as well as custom cut-to-size and spooled orders, support both retail and bulk project quantities, and work directly with fabricators, riggers and OEMs rather than through multiple layers of distribution. If you need a construction or grade that isn't listed here, our technical team can advise on the right specification for your load and environment before you order.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What's the difference between SS304 and SS316 wire rope?

SS316 contains molybdenum, which gives it stronger resistance to pitting and chloride corrosion than SS304. SS316 is the better choice for marine and coastal use; SS304 is generally fine for indoor or general atmospheric applications.

2. What construction should I use for cable railing?

1x19 is the most common choice for cable railing because it has the least stretch and holds tension well over long spans. 7x19 is used where more flexibility is needed, such as around curves.

3. Does stainless steel wire rope rust?

It resists rust far better than carbon steel or galvanized wire rope, but it isn't entirely immune to surface staining, especially SS304 in salt-heavy environments. SS316 holds up noticeably better in those conditions.

4. What is the safe working load of stainless steel wire rope?

Safe working load is typically calculated using a 5:1 safety factor against the rope's rated breaking strength, though the actual rating for a given assembly should also account for the fitting and termination used.

5. Can stainless steel wire rope be used for lifting applications?

Yes, provided the rope, fittings and rated capacity meet the relevant lifting standards and the assembly is inspected regularly. Always confirm compliance with local lifting regulations for the specific application.

6. What sizes of stainless steel wire rope cable do you supply?

Standard stock runs from 1 mm to 12 mm diameter in 1x19, 7x7 and 7x19 constructions, with custom sizes and lengths available on request.

7. How do I terminate stainless steel wire rope?

Common methods include swage terminals, mechanical fittings, thimbles with clamps, or hand splicing for larger diameters. The fitting manufacturer's rated crimp force and die size should always be followed.

8. Is SS316 wire rope suitable for swimming pool fencing?

Yes, SS316 is the standard recommendation for pool fencing and other chlorinated environments because of its higher resistance to chloride-driven corrosion compared to SS304.

9. How much does stainless steel wire rope stretch under load?

New wire rope has a small amount of constructional stretch as the strands bed in under initial load. After that, elastic stretch is minimal, which is why re-tensioning shortly after installation is recommended for cable railing.

10. Do you provide mill certificates with wire rope orders?

Yes, every order ships with a mill test certificate referencing the coil's heat number, which is often required for structural, marine or compliance documentation.

Get a Quote

Need stainless steel wire rope cable cut, spooled or fabricated to a specific job spec? Send us your diameter, construction, grade and length, and Drawmet Wires will get back to you with pricing and lead time. Contact our team today to request a quote.