Winching: Steel vs. Plasma

Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new winch are
available at our club web site at http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three months of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more remarkable, Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454 cu.-in. engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As near as I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350 lb-ft of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in. stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging about 1200 ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG bridle. Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July. Since then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All of our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since spooling on the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as covered by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were launching our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which point climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal acceleration for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration period was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed. Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was increased to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on average, I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp for both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at momentary full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak link. Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line breaks are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are supposed to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is actually seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

explain PLASMA mate,
I always thought plasma would be
the liquid part of blood or
highly ionised gas
is it kind of a rope?
nylon?
kevlar?
latex :-) ?
diameter?
how to repair?
.....

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new winch are
available at our club web site at http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three months of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more remarkable, Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454 cu.-in. engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As near as I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350 lb-ft of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in. stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging about 1200 ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG bridle. Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July. Since then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All of our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since spooling on the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as covered by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were launching our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which point climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal acceleration for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration period was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed. Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was increased to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on average, I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp for both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at momentary full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak link. Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line breaks are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are supposed to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is actually seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

Let me take this since Bob Johnson and I have been talking about his for a
long time.

"Plasma" is a US marketing name for Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly
Ethylene (UHMWPE). It is sold elsewhere as "Dyneema". (The use of the word
"Spectra" makes it hard for search engines to find the stuff.) Spectra has
a specific gravity of about .97 so it is very light. (it floats)

It is available as 12-strand braided cord in a range of diameters. 5mm
diameter seems a good choice for winch launching gliders since it has a
breaking strength of about 5500 pounds. For lighter single-seat gliders,
3mm might work very well. Since it is very strong, light, and has no
tendency whatever to tangle it seems the perfect winch line.

There are two drawbacks. The large one is cost which is three to four times
as much as steel but Plasma promises to last much longer than steel. (The
price seems to be coming down fast) The other is a low melting point of
about 287F with strength starting to diminish above 150F. Both these can be
managed by operational changes.

Splicing is very easy. Just a tuck splice like water ski rope works fine.

Bill Daniels

"CH" wrote in message
...
explain PLASMA mate,
I always thought plasma would be
the liquid part of blood or
highly ionised gas
is it kind of a rope?
nylon?
kevlar?
latex :-) ?
diameter?
how to repair?
....

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new winch are
available at our club web site at http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three months of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more remarkable, Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454 cu.-in. engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As near as I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350 lb-ft of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in. stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging about 1200 ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG bridle. Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July. Since then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All of our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since spooling on the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as covered by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were launching our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which point climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal acceleration for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration period was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed. Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was increased to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on average, I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp for both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at momentary full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak link. Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line breaks are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are supposed to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is actually seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

I saw at your web page, that you winch from a concrete runway.
Doing so with steel cables reduced the lifetime by a factor 10
compared to launching on gras.
How is the abrasive behaviour of this cable?
Do you have a the manufacturers address?
Chris Hostettler
Melbourne
Australia

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
...
Let me take this since Bob Johnson and I have been talking about his for a
long time.

"Plasma" is a US marketing name for Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly
Ethylene (UHMWPE). It is sold elsewhere as "Dyneema". (The use of the
word
"Spectra" makes it hard for search engines to find the stuff.) Spectra
has
a specific gravity of about .97 so it is very light. (it floats)

It is available as 12-strand braided cord in a range of diameters. 5mm
diameter seems a good choice for winch launching gliders since it has a
breaking strength of about 5500 pounds. For lighter single-seat gliders,
3mm might work very well. Since it is very strong, light, and has no
tendency whatever to tangle it seems the perfect winch line.

There are two drawbacks. The large one is cost which is three to four
times
as much as steel but Plasma promises to last much longer than steel. (The
price seems to be coming down fast) The other is a low melting point of
about 287F with strength starting to diminish above 150F. Both these can
be
managed by operational changes.

Splicing is very easy. Just a tuck splice like water ski rope works fine.

Bill Daniels

"CH" wrote in message
...
explain PLASMA mate,
I always thought plasma would be
the liquid part of blood or
highly ionised gas
is it kind of a rope?
nylon?
kevlar?
latex :-) ?
diameter?
how to repair?
....

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new winch
are
available at our club web site at http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three months of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more remarkable,
Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454 cu.-in.
engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As near as
I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350 lb-ft
of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in. stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging about 1200
ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG bridle. Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July. Since then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All of our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since spooling on
the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as covered by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were launching our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which point
climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal acceleration
for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration period was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed. Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was increased to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on average, I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp for both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and
towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at momentary
full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak link.
Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line breaks are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are supposed
to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is actually seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

thanks
I am digging on the net
found some interesting informations at
http://www.dsm.com/en_US/html/hpf/ropes.htm
http://www.thecortlandcompanies.com/...=1&categoryid=

HMPE (Plasma®, Spectra®, Dyneema®)
High modulus polyethylene fibers
produced by gel-spinning ultra-high
molecular weight polyethylene
(UHWPE)

Excellent strength-to-weight ratio
Highest abrasion resistance of any fiber
Excellent dynamic toughness
Very low elongation (3% - 5%)
Excellent flex fatigue resistance
Low resistance to heat
Susceptible to creep

5mm in Diameter
5400-ft 1800m
77-lb. 35kg

but for getting a quote I would need the yarn technical
name - something like SK50, Plasma......

Chris



"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
G'day, Chris and thanks, Bill --

Here's what the sticker on the shipping reel had written on it:

Cortland Cable Co, Inc
PO Box 330
Cortland, NY 13045
607 753 8276 Fax 607 753 3138

5400-ft 77-lb.

(The reel weighed 11-lb.)

Actually asphalt or tarmac, but you're correct about the wear.
Invariably, the steel would quickly develop waves or slight bends, and
these areas would receive the abrasion. Broken outer strands would soon
poke out with ugly "wickers" and any sorting out would soon teach you to
use gloves, which weren't always 100% effective. With Plasma, wickers
and sorting out have both gone away.

Given its cost we're devoutly hoping the Plasma has an exceptionally
long life.

BJ

CH wrote:

I saw at your web page, that you winch from a concrete runway.
Doing so with steel cables reduced the lifetime by a factor 10
compared to launching on gras.
How is the abrasive behaviour of this cable?
Do you have a the manufacturers address?
Chris Hostettler
Melbourne
Australia

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
...
Let me take this since Bob Johnson and I have been talking about his
for a
long time.

"Plasma" is a US marketing name for Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly
Ethylene (UHMWPE). It is sold elsewhere as "Dyneema". (The use of
the
word
"Spectra" makes it hard for search engines to find the stuff.)
Spectra
has
a specific gravity of about .97 so it is very light. (it floats)

It is available as 12-strand braided cord in a range of diameters.
5mm
diameter seems a good choice for winch launching gliders since it has
a
breaking strength of about 5500 pounds. For lighter single-seat
gliders,
3mm might work very well. Since it is very strong, light, and has no
tendency whatever to tangle it seems the perfect winch line.

There are two drawbacks. The large one is cost which is three to four
times
as much as steel but Plasma promises to last much longer than steel.
(The
price seems to be coming down fast) The other is a low melting point
of
about 287F with strength starting to diminish above 150F. Both these
can
be
managed by operational changes.

Splicing is very easy. Just a tuck splice like water ski rope works
fine.

Bill Daniels

"CH" wrote in message
...
explain PLASMA mate,
I always thought plasma would be
the liquid part of blood or
highly ionised gas
is it kind of a rope?
nylon?
kevlar?
latex :-) ?
diameter?
how to repair?
....

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new
winch
are
available at our club web site at http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three months
of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more remarkable,
Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454 cu.-in.
engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As near
as
I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350
lb-ft
of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in.
stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging about
1200
ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG bridle.
Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July. Since
then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All of
our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since spooling
on
the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as covered
by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were launching
our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which point
climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal
acceleration
for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration period
was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed.
Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was increased
to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on average,
I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp for
both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and
towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at momentary
full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were
initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak link.
Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line breaks
are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are
supposed
to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is actually
seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

I found that,
but shall I just ask that I need the same cable
that your gliding club is using?
There must be a name for the cable
or is it just "Plasma 5mm" ???
CHo


"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
http://www.thecortlandcompanies.com/...asp?width=1031

CH wrote:

thanks
I am digging on the net
found some interesting informations at
http://www.dsm.com/en_US/html/hpf/ropes.htm

http://www.thecortlandcompanies.com/...=1&categoryid=

HMPE (Plasma®, Spectra®, Dyneema®)
High modulus polyethylene fibers
produced by gel-spinning ultra-high
molecular weight polyethylene
(UHWPE)

Excellent strength-to-weight ratio
Highest abrasion resistance of any fiber
Excellent dynamic toughness
Very low elongation (3% - 5%)
Excellent flex fatigue resistance
Low resistance to heat
Susceptible to creep

5mm in Diameter
5400-ft 1800m
77-lb. 35kg

but for getting a quote I would need the yarn technical
name - something like SK50, Plasma......

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
G'day, Chris and thanks, Bill --

Here's what the sticker on the shipping reel had written on it:

Cortland Cable Co, Inc
PO Box 330
Cortland, NY 13045
607 753 8276 Fax 607 753 3138

5400-ft 77-lb.

(The reel weighed 11-lb.)

Actually asphalt or tarmac, but you're correct about the wear.
Invariably, the steel would quickly develop waves or slight bends, and
these areas would receive the abrasion. Broken outer strands would
soon
poke out with ugly "wickers" and any sorting out would soon teach you
to
use gloves, which weren't always 100% effective. With Plasma, wickers
and sorting out have both gone away.

Given its cost we're devoutly hoping the Plasma has an exceptionally
long life.

BJ

CH wrote:

I saw at your web page, that you winch from a concrete runway.
Doing so with steel cables reduced the lifetime by a factor 10
compared to launching on gras.
How is the abrasive behaviour of this cable?
Do you have a the manufacturers address?
Chris Hostettler
Melbourne
Australia

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message
...
Let me take this since Bob Johnson and I have been talking about
his
for a
long time.

"Plasma" is a US marketing name for Ultra High Molecular Weight
Poly
Ethylene (UHMWPE). It is sold elsewhere as "Dyneema". (The use
of
the
word
"Spectra" makes it hard for search engines to find the stuff.)
Spectra
has
a specific gravity of about .97 so it is very light. (it floats)

It is available as 12-strand braided cord in a range of diameters.
5mm
diameter seems a good choice for winch launching gliders since it
has
a
breaking strength of about 5500 pounds. For lighter single-seat
gliders,
3mm might work very well. Since it is very strong, light, and has
no
tendency whatever to tangle it seems the perfect winch line.

There are two drawbacks. The large one is cost which is three to
four
times
as much as steel but Plasma promises to last much longer than
steel.
(The
price seems to be coming down fast) The other is a low melting
point
of
about 287F with strength starting to diminish above 150F. Both
these
can
be
managed by operational changes.

Splicing is very easy. Just a tuck splice like water ski rope
works
fine.

Bill Daniels

"CH" wrote in message
...
explain PLASMA mate,
I always thought plasma would be
the liquid part of blood or
highly ionised gas
is it kind of a rope?
nylon?
kevlar?
latex :-) ?
diameter?
how to repair?
....

Chris

"Bob Johnson" wrote in message
...
Further to Craig Freeman's post of July 28, photos of our new
winch
are
available at our club web site at
http://www.permiansoaring.us/

The winch was conceived and built by Craig in about three
months
of
spare time work, which is surely remarkable. Even more
remarkable,
Craig
also wears additional hats as both club president and CFIG.

A short winch description includes a freshly shopped 454
cu.-in.
engine
turning a 48-inch by 6-inch drum at about 8.5/1 reduction. As
near
as
I
can learn, the stock 454 engine generates about 325 hp and 350
lb-ft
of
torque at 3500 rpm.

In June, we started our new winch operations using 3/16-in.
stranded
steel cable. With 5000-ft. of line out, we were averaging
about
1200
ft.
of launch height with our 1100-lb. Blanik, using the CG
bridle.
Craig
wanted to evaluate Plasma rope, so we re-equipped in July.
Since
then,
our launch heights have been running 1500-ft. or better. All
of
our
towing so far has been in light winds of 10-15 kt. Since
spooling
on
the
Plasma, we have also enjoyed zero line-handling hassle, as
covered
by
Craig and Bill Daniels in their recent ras posts.

The physics of the two types of launch cable together with
winch
operation are kind of interesting. With steel, we were
launching
our
Blanik in about four seconds to a speed of 50 kt., at which
point
climb
was initiated and maintained at about 55 kt. Horizontal
acceleration
for
the period was about 0.7 G. Total power draw from the engine
was
calculated at about 135 hp. With Plasma, the acceleration
period
was
reduced to about three seconds to reach the same airspeed.
Required
engine power was reduced slightly, and acceleration was
increased
to
about 0.9 G.

During climb to release, which takes about 45 seconds on
average,
I'm
estimating engine power required is reduced to about 110 hp
for
both
steel and Plasma, including aerodynamic drag of the glider and
towline.

In my calculations, the force accelerating the glider at
momentary
full
throttle was estimated at 1000-lb. I backed into this figure
by
observing the regular acceleration-phase line breaks we were
initially
experiencing using certified 1000-lb. poly rope for the weak
link.
Since
switching to Plasma and 1320-lb. Tost weak links, any line
breaks
are
occurring in the release area of the launch, where they are
supposed
to
take place. As Bill Daniels has previously mentioned, it might
be
interesting to learn just how much force the glider is
actually
seeing
during acceleration and climb.

Bob Johnson

Do any changes have to be made to the pay-on rollers, to avoid the
lighter rope slipping and potentially overheating locally? On our
winch, the rollers are heavily scored where generations of steel cable
have slipped a bit and cut into the surface.

These rollers are now about 40 years old, maybe older. While they could
perhaps be renewed with a good surface, they do have considerable
inertia, and a free-running cable suddenly coming into contact with one
of them is bound to take some time to whirl it up to speed. Steel
stands up to that - would Spectra/Dyneema?

Chris N.

Following this thread with interest and I have spoken
to the UK importers.

Some experimental work has been done in the UK. One
identified problem is that the standard winch guillotines
do not cut the plasma cable as efficiently as they
do steel cable and that a strand or strands remain.


Can any user comment on this please.

Dave Martin


At 09:24 12 August 2003, Chris Nicholas wrote:
Do any changes have to be made to the pay-on rollers,
to avoid the
lighter rope slipping and potentially overheating locally?
On our
winch, the rollers are heavily scored where generations
of steel cable
have slipped a bit and cut into the surface.

These rollers are now about 40 years old, maybe older.
While they could
perhaps be renewed with a good surface, they do have
considerable
inertia, and a free-running cable suddenly coming into
contact with one
of them is bound to take some time to whirl it up to
speed. Steel
stands up to that - would Spectra/Dyneema?

Chris N.

"Chris Nicholas" wrote in message
...
Do any changes have to be made to the pay-on rollers, to avoid the
lighter rope slipping and potentially overheating locally? On our
winch, the rollers are heavily scored where generations of steel cable
have slipped a bit and cut into the surface.

These rollers are now about 40 years old, maybe older. While they could
perhaps be renewed with a good surface, they do have considerable
inertia, and a free-running cable suddenly coming into contact with one
of them is bound to take some time to whirl it up to speed. Steel
stands up to that - would Spectra/Dyneema?

Chris N.

Yes, I would think you should make some changes.

Swiveling pulleys with smooth surfaces where the Spectra rope contacts the
metal should extend the life of the rope considerably.

Bill Daniels

"Dave Martin" wrote in message
...
Following this thread with interest and I have spoken
to the UK importers.

Some experimental work has been done in the UK. One
identified problem is that the standard winch guillotines
do not cut the plasma cable as efficiently as they
do steel cable and that a strand or strands remain.


UHMWPE rope is very resistant to cuts - which is a good thing except when
you want the guillotine to cut it fast. Spectra is used in body armor that
protects against cutting weapons.

Taking advantage of the low melting point with a hot-blade guillotine seems
the way to go. Just make a steel blade and mount it solidly next to the
rope path. Use a rubber block to push the rope into the hot blade. Heat
the blade with current from the starting battery. A direct shunt across the
battery should heat the blade to 500C in a second or two.

Bill Daniels