WHY WIRE?

WHY USE WIRE?

Early in the nineteenth century, visionary engineers discovered that when steel is drawn into wires its strength increases, meaning a flexible wrap of steel wires is stronger than a solid steel bar of the same diameter, thereby offering higher load capacity with considerably less material.

Zip-Clip Wire Suspension and Bracing Systems

The wire used in all Zip-Clip systems is a premium product with a tensile strength of 1960 N/mm². It is available in load ranges from 15 kg to 500 kg with all solutions designed to include a built-in safety factor.

This level of performance and accountability provides the confidence to use Zip-Clip wire in place of traditional threaded rod or chain-supported suspensions and is one of the principal reasons why today wire rope is being specified for an ever-increasing range of applications.

Wire rope systems offer increased installation flexibility and speed, reduced materials requirements and waste, and provide the installer with a suspension solution that helps meet the latest environmental needs of projects.

WHERE CAN YOU USE WIRE?

Zip-Clip wire rope systems can be utilised for suspension, bracing, and more, and are typically used within the construction industry, where they are utilised as an equivalent to systems such as threaded rod or chain.

Zip-Clip solutions are typically used for the suspension and/or bracing of:

• Electrical containment trays, baskets, or ladders
• Lighting
• HVAC and mechanical services
• Acoustic and radiant heating panels
• Signage, screens, and partitions

BE INSPIRED … With Zip-Clip wire rope suspension and bracing systems, applications are as varied as your imagination.

If you automatically think of using rigid threaded rod or chain to solve your suspension and bracing needs, you may want to think again and look at the advantages offered by wire.

OUR WIRE

Zip-Clip suspension and bracing systems utilise premium grade high strength wire rope made from Extra Improved Plow Steel (EIPS), which exhibits minimal permanent elongation under design load. The wire is manufactured in accordance with BS EN 12385. For seismic bracing applications, the effective modulus of elasticity of each wire rope size has been independently verified, and break strength has been tested to ASTM A931.

AVAILABLE SYSTEMS

Galvanised EIPS high-tensile steel electroplated wire rope:

G-SYSTEM WIRE – 15 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, 1,960 N/mm² tensile strength

S-SYSTEM WIRE – 50 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, 1,960 N/mm² tensile strength

Y-SYSTEM WIRE – 120 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, 1,960 N/mm² tensile strength

P-SYSTEM WIRE – 300 kg safe working load, 7 × 19 (6/1) RHRL construction, 1,960 N/mm² tensile strength

N-SYSTEM WIRE – 500 kg safe working load, 7 × 19 (6/1) RHRL construction, 1,960 N/mm² tensile strength

Stainless steel wire rope:

G/SS-SYSTEM WIRE – 12 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, AISI316 grade

S/SS-SYSTEM WIRE – 40 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, AISI316 grade

Y/SS-SYSTEM WIRE – 100 kg safe working load, 7 × 7 (6/1) RHRL construction, AISI316 grade

P/SS-SYSTEM WIRE – 250 kg safe working load, 7 × 19 (6/1) RHRL construction, AISI316 grade

N/SS-SYSTEM WIRE – 400 kg safe working load, 7 × 19 (6/1) RHRL construction, AISI316 grade

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

Wire rope suspensions do not swing about.

Though there is some flexibility designed into the systems, when loaded with the suspended services, wire rope systems offer a fixed, secure suspension solution.

Threaded rod suspension systems do not support more load.

Traditional rod-based systems are frequently over-engineered, using more materials than necessary. A 2 mm diameter wire rope performs to the same level as a 10 mm threaded rod. Zip-Clip systems are available with proven load-carrying capacities from 15 kg to 500 kg per wire support, plus all systems are designed with a built-in safety factor for complete peace of mind. Wire rope also allows longer drops to be installed without the need for additional couplers, saving both time and money.

Threaded rod-based suspension systems do not have to be installed to meet fire regulations.

Zip-Clip wire rope suspension and bracing systems are fully metallic and compliant under Edition 18 (Electrical Wiring Regulations). Zip-Clip offers suspension solutions that have been third-party tested for fire performance and test result data is available.

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF WIRE

Wire rope suspension and bracing systems offer a great number of advantages when compared to alternative systems such as threaded rod and chain.

These include:

• Reduced CO₂ production during manufacture
• Reduced materials usage
• Reduced waste
• Reduced transportation burden

Weight and CO₂ Reduction

The use of wire rope has a dramatic impact in reducing not only materials usage and weight of a suspension solution but also the volume of CO₂ produced during its manufacture.

For illustration, a typical retail store uses approx. 1,200 suspension drops of 2 m.*

M8 threaded rod would weigh 748.80 kg and produce 1,344 kg of CO₂ to manufacture the 2,400 metres required.

A Zip-Clip wire rope system would weigh 37.86 kg and produce 96 kg of CO₂ to manufacture the 2,400 m.

• Saving on weight: 710 kg
• Saving on CO₂: 1,248 kg

Therefore a 92.6% reduction in CO₂ emission can be realised by utilising a Zip-Clip wire rope suspension system and this major environmental benefit illustration does not take into account transportation!