Unirope’s Brown Joins OIPEEC Board

Unirope Ltd. president Justin Brown has been nominated to the board of the International Organization for the Study of Ropes (OIPEEC).

Mississauga, Ontario-based Unirope is a specialist in the manufacture, distribution, testing, certification, and inspection of high-performance wire rope and rigging products. It has additional facilities in Quebec and Alberta; the three sites combine to deliver a service nationwide and to select customers in the U.S. and Europe.

OIPEEC, is a worldwide association of scientists, experts, researchers, manufacturers, and users dedicated to study properties and behavior of wire and fiber ropes. OIPEEC collects and disseminates studies related to a wide range of applications, such as, elevators, cranes, ropeways, rope for construction, large mooring lines, hoisting ropes for mines, deep-water lifting ropes, and industrial ropes. It promotes work covering all aspects of rope technology including design, selection, degradation, inspection, endurance, and discard. OIPEEC has over 100 members from more than 25 countries.

Brown has served as a co-opted member of the board since February 2023, and was elected as a full member at last month’s (April) OIPEEC conference in Bardolino, Italy. Also elected to the OIPEEC management board were Amy Jenkins, of Teijin Aramid; and Prof. Dr. Ing. Ulrich Briem, of OTH Regensburg. Other executive changes included Bill Putnam, of Yale Cordage, finishing his term as president; and Sven Winter, of Rotec GmbH, moving into the president role from vice president. Elizabeth Huntley, meanwhile, of Whitehill Manufacturing, was elected vice president.

Justin Brown (left), of Unirope, is welcomed to the OIPEEC management board by Bill Putnam, of Yale Cordage.

OIPEEC organizes conferences every second year to discuss issues of relevance to ropes. These conferences are open to members and non-members alike. Past conferences covered varied topics, such as ‘Simulating rope applications’, ‘The non-destructive testing of ropes’, ‘Rope terminations and fittings’, ‘Wire rope discard criteria’, ‘How to get the most out of your ropes’, ‘Trends for ropes’, ‘Innovative ropes and rope applications’, and ‘Challenging rope applications’.

The OIPEEC appointment adds to Brown’s ongoing industry work, including standards writing with the CSA Group’s tower (CSA Z248) and mobile crane (CSA Z150) committees (both as a member); and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B30.30 Ropes (alternate member), where he sits alongside colleague Knut Buschmann, engineered product development (member). Brown is also president of Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF).

He said: “We believe that it is not enough to participate in the fruits of an industry without giving an equal amount back. That is why we have taken the approach of being very active in our sector and contribute wherever we can. We sit on various boards and standards writing organizations and are involved with — and contribute to — many technical committees.”

Unirope Ltd. president Justin Brown (front row, three from left) will continue to give back to industry as elected member of the management board at OIPEEC.

Unirope is actively involved with the Association of Crane and Rigging Professionals (ACRP), where Scott Fleming, director and sales / rigging training manager, is chair of the board. Fleming is also secretary and treasurer, and technical committee member, at the Web Sling and Tie-Down Association (WSTDA). The company is a working member of the Cordage Institute, an international association of rope, twine, and related manufacturers, their suppliers, and affiliated industries; and Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), Ontario’s trusted health and safety resource.

• Unirope is a full member of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) and is certified to ISO 9001.