What is Unicore?

I've been reading many webpages and watching videos about Unicore. I know it is a "permanent” bond between the sheath and core,… but what is it? Chemical or mechanical? I doubt it is a trade secret as there are 3 companies now using it.(Edelweiss, Beal, PMI) Probably a patent, but I couldn’t find any patent info on it despite many searches on different sites and with different keywords.
Some info - edelweiss-ropes.com/unicore…
Just really curious.

BTW – Maxim now has a core bonded dynamic rope with the sheath and core stitched together. They call it Platinum Technology. Previously this was only on their static lines.
teufelberger.com/en/product…

They use glue strips that once heated up lightly melt the core and sheath together. Unless I am mistaken.

jon jugenheimer wrote:They use glue strips that once heated up lightly melt the core and sheath together. Unless I am mistaken.

Sounds legit.

David Gibbs wrote: Sounds legit.

So does a flat 8 to join ropes for a rappel. Yet, it is a killer. My farts sound legit. But, that doesn't mean they are safe.

Why not email Beal and just ask them? My understanding was that it was mechanical based on the marketing drawings I've seen, but I dont really know.

I have a Trango Catalyst 9.0 that's also Unicore. It's a workhorse of a rope for a 9.0. I don't know who makes Trango ropes, I thought Roca did but not sure.

20 kN wrote:Why not email Beal and just ask them?

That would be the reasonable and logical thing... but I have not had much luck at all corresponding with ANY large companies, so that thought generally doesn't enter my mind. Most times I just get added to their email list.
I did, however, take that suggestion and emailed them this morning.

jon jugenheimer wrote:They use glue strips that once heated up lightly melt the core and sheath together. Unless I am mistaken.

If so and even if not, I wonder what the long term stability of the bond is. Would a rope in a hot car remelt the bond? What about degradation over time?

I know this is all nit-picky because core bonded ropes look a heck of a lot safer in the event of severe sheath damage.

brian n wrote:I've been reading many webpages and watching videos about Unicore. I know it is a "permanent” bond between the sheath and core,… but what is it? Chemical or mechanical? I doubt it is a trade secret as there are 3 companies now using it.(Edelweiss, Beal, PMI) Probably a patent, but I couldn’t find any patent info on it despite many searches on different sites and with different keywords. Some info - edelweiss-ropes.com/unicore… Just really curious. BTW – Maxim now has a core bonded dynamic rope with the sheath and core stitched together. They call it Platinum Technology. Previously this was only on their static lines. teufelberger.com/en/product…

Beal and Edelweiss ropes come out of the same factory (owned by Beal) if I'm not mistaken. No idea about PMI, although I wouldn't be shocked if they're also coming out of the same place. The number of folks making climbing ropes is far lower than the number selling them (true for most gear).

Here is an account my very negative experience with a Unicore rope from Edelweiss. Granted this was over two years ago so things may be very different now, but thought I would share.

mountainproject.com/v/edelw…

JK- I believe you mean the number making climbing gear is far lower than the number selling climbing gear

Jay Samuelson wrote: JK- I believe you mean the number making climbing gear is far lower than the number selling climbing gear

Yes. Nice catch. Fixed.

Jay Samuelson wrote:Here is an account my very negative experience with a Unicore rope from Edelweiss. Granted this was over two years ago so things may be very different now, but thought I would share.

Odd. I have two Unicore ropes from about the same time frame that are still holding up great, and I've put them through the wringer. neither are the curve, though. One is the Beal Diablo, and the other is the Edelwiess Element. The Beal has held up astonishingly well.

If you got into a vicious boxcutter fight with the person on the route next to you and they hit your rope, it appears the Unicore does slightly better. I'm not sure what running a blade through a cord really tells me in a climbing context...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtURlhPssQI

Ty Morrison-Heath wrote:If you got into a vicious boxcutter fight with the person on the route next to you and they hit your rope, it appears the Unicore does slightly better. I'm not sure what running a blade through a cord really tells me in a climbing context... youtube.com/watch?v=CtURlhP…

really? you see no parallels with falling while the rope is running over a sharp edge?

Jay Samuelson wrote:Here is an account my very negative experience with a Unicore rope from Edelweiss. Granted this was over two years ago so things may be very different now, but thought I would share. mountainproject.com/v/edelw… JK- I believe you mean the number making climbing gear is far lower than the number selling climbing gear

I dont think that's a unicore problem, I think it's a problem with the batch of those ropes. Consider two things we know are fact. 1. Many thousands of Unicore ropes have been whiped on to all hell without anything resembling what's seen in your post. 2. Many climbers have bought the exact model of rope you bought, whiped on it tons and never had a problem. That leads me to believe it's a quality control issue, not an engineering defect with the technology.

You are also not alone in the problems you witnessed. Several other models of rope from several other companies have had problems in the past. The Petzl Zephyr, specifically the red model, had similar issues where several climbers on this forum made a post showing the sheath dissolved in only a few climbs. The problem only seemed to impact the red colored model. There was also an issue with the orange colored Dragonfly ropes as well as a red colored Sterling rope. There have also been issues with other ropes as well.

I dont know that anyone ever actually figured what happened to any of these ropes.

Here are some examples:

mountainproject.com/v/edelw…

mountainproject.com/v/dont-…

rockclimbing.com/forum/Clim…

20 kN wrote: I dont think that's a unicore problem, I think it's a problem with the batch of those ropes. Consider two things we know are fact. 1. Many thousands of Unicore ropes have been whiped on to all hell without anything resembling what's seen in your post. 2. Many climbers have bought the exact model of rope you bought, whiped on it tons and never had a problem. That leads me to believe it's a quality control issue, not an engineering defect with the technology. You are also not alone in the problems you witnessed. Several other models of rope from several other companies have had problems in the past. The Petzl Zephyr, specifically the red model, had similar issues where several climbers on this forum made a post showing the sheath dissolved in only a few climbs. The problem only seemed to impact the red colored model. There was also an issue with the orange colored Dragonfly ropes as well as a red colored Sterling rope. There have also been issues with other ropes as well. I dont know that anyone ever actually figured what happened to any of these ropes. Here are some examples: mountainproject.com/v/edelw… mountainproject.com/v/dont-… rockclimbing.com/forum/Clim…

If my memory serves me, it was a QC problem with the red yarns. Also, to the OP I'm pretty sure it is mechanically bonded via some kind of weaving or braiding or something like that.

youtu.be/oxiY27zM-Dc

"...Chemically bonded..."
"...Since the polyester sheath is glued to the nylon core..."

JK- wrote: Beal and Edelweiss ropes come out of the same factory (owned by Beal) if I'm not mistaken. No idea about PMI, although I wouldn't be shocked if they're also coming out of the same place.

As far as I know, the folks at Pigeon Mountain Industries are still making all their own ropes, in house, in Lafayette, GA. PMI has been one of this country's premiere rope manufacturers since 1976, I'd be surprised (and a little disappointed) to find out they were outsourcing any production of their life lines.

batguano wrote:"...Chemically bonded..." "...Since the polyester sheath is glued to the nylon core..."

Thanks for posting that video. That answers my original question.

brian n wrote: Thanks for posting that video. That answers my original question.

Beals unicore is slightly different and appears to be bonded mechanically. "bonds the core to the sheath via a thin, lightweight filament that’s woven between the two"

Also, Maxim Ropes has their own version of Unicore they call Platinum and it's mechanical.

"Available now, the Protect PA is the first static rope that has no sheath slippage thanks to Platinum(R) technology. New England ropes is using a new braiding method to keep the core and the sheath together. Instead of gluing or taping the sheath to the core, New England Ropes has developed the technology to weave the sheath and the core together every 60cm."

blog.weighmyrack.com/no-she…