The organization (North American Continental Section of the International Organization for Transportation by Rope) brings in speakers from all over the world every other year. This year there were presenters from Japan, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, England and France, in addition to several from the host country.
Among the highlights was a presentation by Jim Fletcher and Jamie Bunch, both of Jenlynn International, who regaled the group with the fascinating details of a project they did for the Department of Defense to design a cable system for carrying targets at transonic and supersonic speeds at the White Sands Missile Range.
Kevlar rope was used, offering as it did “the only feasible solution because of its tensile strength-to-weight ratio that is five times greater than wire rope.” It is also pricey at $43 per foot.
Fletcher had some enlightening and eye-popping things to say about how the taxpayer’s money is spent on projects like this.
Another highlight for many was the presentation by Ronald Tabler entitled “Innovations in Wind Protection.” Dr. Tabler presented the theories behind windscreen design as well as in advances made in the materials being used. He was also able to call on Tom Day, mountain manager at Waterville Valley, N.H., to describe the construction and operating impacts of the seven-meter-high windscreen Tabler had prescribed for that resort to protect their detachable quad.
Jan Kunczynski, of Lift Engineering, presented a paper on the wear pattern on the clamping surfaces of detachable grips. He described the very hard inserts he designed so that they would be easy and inexpensive to retrofit. He then showed how his work on these inserts had led him to conclusions on the geometry of the gripping surfaces. These design considerations are expected to be described in further detail in an upcoming issue of SAM.
Paul Durat, product manager of Trefilunion Wire Ropes (Trefilarbed in the U.S.), described the ISO 9000 Quality Assurance System, especially as it applied to wire rope design, construction and installation. He also reported on the development of the 242 Standard for lifts in Europe.
At the banquet, held at the top gondola station, OITAF/NACS president, Maynard Russell, announced that the board had decided the next symposium would be held in the Northeast, possibly in the White Mountains, accessible to the fabled old Mt. Washington cog railway. This will be a break from the previous five which have all been in the West, or western Canada.
Also at the banquet, the OITAF/NACS Award was presented by the 1990 recipient, Bob Ficker, to wire rope specialist and master rigger, Bob Diener, whose article on track rope was the cover story in the May ’92 issue of SAM.
