Technora Rope
The 5.5mm rope is constructed from 100% Technora which is an aramid fibre that gives high level of protection from both ambient and direct heat up to 500 degrees Celsius. The aramid fibres are also far more abrasion and cut resistant than the nylon or polyester fibres used in most descent ropes. Aramid has minimal elongation under load which facilitates the ability to descend smoothly and minimises the danger of ropes being damaged by movement when loaded across edges.
The end of the rope contains a spliced termination that avoids the need to tie a knot whilst increasing the effective strength of the rope (knots can decrease strength up to 40% as they create stress points). The end of the rope is encased in shrink tube that is one meter long. This extended length of shrink tube provides an additional element of protection from abrasion.
Rope Controller
A handled, load limiting, auto-blocking rope controller that incorporates a dual anti-panic function. The rope controller is pre-installed onto the rope ready to deploy. The rope controller allows the user to pay rope through the device easily after connecting to the anchor system so that they can move quickly to the egress point.
The auto-locking feature allows users to let go of the handle of the device at any time and the rope will stop moving through the device. This allows the user to gain immediate access to equipment or to use both hands to manoeuvre through windows or past obstacles. The device also auto-locks if the operator fully engages the handle. The load limiting function means that if a heavy fall does occur, the rope controller will slip at 3.75kN which limits the loads that are transmitted to both the user and to the anchors, thus increasing safety. The descent system has a tensile strength of more than 15kN when new.
Standards
The system is certified to the European standard for Personal Fall Protection Equipment: Descender Devices EN 341D:2011 for loads up to 120kg on descents up to 160m. The system is also certified to ANSI Z359.4-2013.
The system has also passed the additional testing that allow the EN 341D certification to be extended for use in both cold weather (-30°C) and wet conditions.
The weight of a fully loaded operator often exceeds 120kg thus the descent system was tested to the criteria of EN 341D:2011 with a mass of 160kg. The system passed all aspects of the testing using both dynamic and static loads. The
descender device could be operated normally and held all of the test loads without damage to any part of the system.
The system can be re-used under the EN 341D certification subject to inspection by a suitably qualified person. The descent device can be used for up to 1250m of descent and the rope can be used for up to 20 descents subject to a suitably qualified person continually inspecting the condition of the system, accounting for it's use and monitoring the ropes employment with regards to the specific location being used and the environmental conditions.