What is ISO 1346 about?
ISO 1346 specifies requirements for 3-strand hawser-laid and 4-strand shroud-laid ropes, 8-strand braided ropes, and 12-strand braided ropes for general service made of polypropylene, and gives rules for their designation.
NOTE-ISO 1346 does not cover all variations in the strength or product performance. The rope manufacturer is consulted to ensure the intended design meets the requirements of the application.
Who is ISO 1346 for?
ISO 1346 on polypropylene fibre ropes is useful for:
- Rope manufacturers and suppliers
- Polypropylene manufacturers and suppliers
Why should you use ISO 1346?
Polypropylene fibre ropes are made from fibres of varying lengths depending on their source. Polypropylene is a material used for manufacturing ropes that are general-purpose and can be used for a number of applications in the domestic, business, and leisure domain. ISO 1346 states the designation of different kinds of polypropylene ropes which can help you to manufacture high-performance ropes.
ISO 1346 specifies the designation of PP3: (polypropylene high-tenacity multifilament) High tenacity polypropylene is manufactured to a higher standard than regular polypropylene making it more consistent in diameter, colouring, and performance. This is a high-quality rope with higher strength, abrasion resistance, and UV resistance than standard polypropylene.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN ISO 1346:2021 supersedes BS EN ISO 1346:2012 which has been withdrawn. BS EN ISO 1346:2021 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN ISO 1346:2012. These include:
- In the Scope, a statement specifying that the document does not cover all variations in the strength or product performance has been added
- The term "minimum breaking strength" has been added
- The tolerances in linear density have been modified

