Drums are another major component in winches and are responsible for collecting the wire rope. The drum consists of three parts; the drum tube section, wire rope clamps, and drive flanges. Drum. Grooves are cut on the drum that matches the shape and dimensions of the wire rope. Drums are structurally divided into two categories: Standard winch drums and Open winch drums. Grooves on the drum are cut in two ways: right-handed and left-handed grooves. In some cases, especially in Open winches, the drum is grooved in a double-sided combination. The materials used in drums are from the family of seamless pipes, alloy steels, low-carbon steels, and cast irons.