In a first embodiment, the invention relates to a stranding machine for wires having two wrap-around rollers having wrap-around tracks arranged on the circumference thereof, whereby the wire can be guided in such a way that the wire runs through the first and second wrap-around tracks preferably in alternation in preferably 8-shaped or 0-shaped wraps. In a second embodiment, the stranding machine has a winding device for winding the wire onto a reel having a laying device that can be moved along a movement axis parallel to the reel axis and having a plurality of rotatably supported deflecting rollers, whereby the wire can be guided in such a way that the wire runs onto and/or from each of the deflecting rollers substantially in the plane of rotation of the deflecting roller. In this way, the produced wire has lower twist and lower torsional stresses, which makes the further processing of the wire, in particular the winding, assembly, crimping, and extrusion of a plastic insulation around the wire easier and which increases the number of possible bending reversal cycles.

A hybrid strand includes a core and outer wires arranged around the core, wherein at least a part of the outer wires is compressed, wherein the compressed outer wires include a flattened cross-sectional shape, the outer wires are composed of steel, and the core is a fiber core. A corresponding production method produces such a hybrid strand.

Hybrid rope (20) comprising a core element (22) containing high modulus fibers surrounded by at least one outer layer (24) containing wirelike metallic members (26). The core element (22) is coated (23) with a thermoplastic polyurethane or a copolyester elastomer, preferably the copolyester elastomer containing soft blocks in the range of 10 to 70 wt %. The coated material (23) on the inner core element (22) is inhibited to be pressed out in-between the wirelike members (26) of the hybrid rope (20) and the hybrid rope (20) has decreased elongation and diameter reduction after being in use.

A method for producing a rope, wherein fiber bundles are applied with a liquefied matrix material upstream of and/or at a twisting point to form fiber strands, and are embedded into the liquefied matrix material during stranding, by which fiber strands a fiber core of the rope is formed and wires or wire strands are wound about the fiber core. The matrix material of the fiber strands is hardened after the stranding, and the fiber strands are subsequently stranded directly with one another without further application to form the fiber core. Preferably the fiber strands are heated, during or after the stranding thereof to form the fiber core, so that the matrix material softens at least individual fiber strands, preferably all the fiber strands, another of the fiber strands is connected with the matrix material, and is subsequently hardened, forming an integral bond with one another.

A hybrid rope (40) or a hybrid strand (50) comprising a core element (42, 52), a first (44, 54) and a second (46, 56) metallic closed layer surrounding said core element (42, 52). The core element (42, 52) includes a bundle of synthetic yarns. The first metallic closed layer (44, 54) includes a plurality of first strands of wires helically twisted together with the core element (42, 52) in a first direction. The second metallic closed layer (46, 56) includes a plurality of second wires or strands helically twisted together with said core element (42, 52) and said first metallic closed layer (44, 54) in a second direction. The cross-sectional area of the core element (42, 52) is larger than the total cross-sectional area of the first (44, 54) and second (46, 56) metallic closed layers. A corresponding method of producing such a hybrid rope or hybrid strand is also disclosed.

A steel cord for tire belt ply reinforcement includes a cord formed by periodically twisting n wires, wherein the n wires are compressed by rolling, and at least one of the n wires is compressed into a non-circular shape, when n is an odd number, a cross-section of one wire from among the n wires is circular due to rolling, and cross-sections of n1 wires from among the n wires are non-circular, and when n is an even number, cross-sections of two wires from among the n wires are circular due to rolling, and cross-sections of n2 wires from among the n wires are non-circular due to rolling.

A wire rope for face shovels or draglines, comprising: a core, said core is made from a plurality of core strands a plurality of outer strands laid on said core, a plurality of separator strands located in the interstices between said core strands and said outer strands, a plastic jacket around said plurality of outer strands, said plurality of separator strands and said core strands, wherein said plurality of separator strands extend from said core strands and in-between each pair of said plurality of outer strands so as to produce and maintain gaps between said pair of said plurality of outer strands; wherein said core strands are compacted, and the gap between said core strands is less than 0.4% of the diameter of the core strand.

A wire rope for face shovels or draglines, comprising: a core, said core is made from a plurality of core strands a plurality of outer strands laid on said core, a plurality of separator strands located in the interstices between said core strands and said outer strands, a plastic jacket around said plurality of outer strands, said plurality of separator strands and said core strands, wherein said plurality of separator strands extend from said core strands and in-between each pair of said plurality of outer strands so as to produce and maintain gaps between said pair of said plurality of outer strands; wherein said core strands are compacted, and the gap between said core strands is less than 0.4% of the diameter of the core strand.