What is Lock Wire? Everything Worth Knowing about Lock Wire
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What is Lock Wire? Lock wire is a crucial safety tool for ensuring mechanical stability. Bolts, screws, nuts, and other types of fasteners will gradually loosen over time, especially in applications that produce high levels of vibrations.
Applications like sports cars, aircraft turbine engines, and even weaponry can benefit greatly from the implementation of safety wire. Braking mechanisms, throttle systems, and even flight controls depend on lockwire to prevent serious mechanical failures and keep people safe, hence the name “safety wire.”
Lock wire’s central purpose is to prevent the loosening of nuts, bolts, and other fasteners. To wire lock nuts and bolts, you thread it through two or more fasteners, ensuring they remain as secure as possible. Safety wiring prevents the loosening of fasteners by counteracting it with more tightening. The common application method for the installation of safety wire involves twisting two strands of wire together with a “Double Twist” configuration.
However, it is important to avoid using safety tie wire for applications that involve excess chafing, tension, or fatigue outside of the wire’s intended tightening function.
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Performing safety wire installation involves choosing one of two methods: double-twist or single-wire.
For the double-twist application method, the diameter of the wire depends on the type of fasteners. Parts with hole diameters exceeding .045 inches require wiring of .032 inches in diameter. Those with hole diameters between .045 and .062 inches and spacing of fewer than 2 inches between each part require wire double-strand wire of .020 inches in diameter.
The single-wire or single-strand safety wire installation method is more applicable in situations with closely spaced fasteners such as electrical systems. The number of fasteners you can securely wire lock depends on how many are within reach of 24 inches of wire. The single-wire method also requires the use of the largest wire that can fit in the fastener’s hole.
Additionally, aluminum wire of .031 inch diameter, copper wire of .020 inch diameter, and similar types of wire function as seals on specific forms of equipment. This includes portable fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, emergency valves, and equipment with similar construction.
Check out this video to learn more about how to lock wire bolts and other fasteners:
Tie wire is incredibly useful for tying reinforcing. During construction, tie wire is an ideal choice for short durations. For extended periods of reinforcing, safety lock wire is the better choice.
Steel tie wire is among the most common types of tie wire. The process of making a tie wire reel involves annealing the wire. Annealing wire means to heat a wire to a certain temperature and then cool it at a certain rate. The desired result of annealing wire is to increase the ability of the wire to change shape with ease.
Tie wire is commonly used in construction and other industrial sites to reinforce steel bars and as reinforcing mesh. Tie wire also has a strong resistance to the elements. Tie wire uses are also prevalent in agriculture, packaging, and mining.
Malin has a wide variety of safety lock wire options, most notably stainless steel lock wire. Contact Malin today, for any tie wire, safety lock wire, or any of our other wire options.
Malin Co. is a valuable resource for effective lock wiring products for various industries. Our products can maintain the security and tightness of fasteners in even the most intense applications. Malin Co. lockwire is a positive locking device, which helps maintain safety standards in aerospace, automotive, and many other applications.
We color code each of our lock wire products with recyclable, polyethylene containers:
Polyethylene safety wire canisters do not degrade like paper canisters, and Malin lock wire canisters will protect your wire from grease formation and corrosive materials.
In addition, we offer our safety wire products in spools, coils, and bulk purchase options to fulfill each customer’s packaging needs.
Stainless Steel Aerospace Safety Wire
Bulk Spools & Coils
Stainless Steel (302, 303, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 410, 430)Copper & Brass Breakaway Wire
Boxed Coils
Aluminum, Brass, Nickel
Inconel Aerospace Lock Wire
Bobbins
Nickel Silver, Nitinol, Phosphorous Bronze
Oxidized Inconel Aerospace Safety Wire
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Quarter-Pound Handi-Pak Coils
Copper, Chromel Carbon (Black, Galvanized)
Monel Aerospace Lockwire
Custom Spools
Inconel, Monel, Titanium
Standard materials: Stainless steel type 302/304 ASTM A 580, 305 and 316 stainless available upon request for the Aerospace Industry.
(Blue Canister)Order Now
** Other sizes and packaging options available.
Inconel lockwire/safety wire for the aerospace industry(Yellow Canister) Order Now
Part Number Nominal Diameter NASM / MS20995N20 ASTM B166 .020 NASM / MS20995N25 ASTM B166 .025 NASM / MS20995N32 ASTM B166 .032 NASM / MS20995N40 ASTM B166 .040 NASM / MS20995N51 ASTM B166 .051** Other sizes and packaging options available.
Inconel wire oxidized for the aerospace industry (Orange Canister) Order Now
Part Number Nominal Diameter NASM / MS9226-01 AMS 5687 .016 NASM / MS9226-02 AMS 5687 .020 NASM / MS9226-03 AMS 5687 .025 NASM / MS9226-04 AMS 5687 .032 NASM / MS9226-05 AMS 5687 .040 NASM / MS9226-06 AMS 5687 .051 NASM / MS9226-07 AMS 5687 .063 NASM / MS9226-08 AMS 5687 .091** Other sizes and packaging options available.
Monel safety wire for the aerospace industry (Red Canister) Order Now
Part Number Nominal Diameter NASM/MS20995NC20 ASTM B164 .020 NASM/MS20995NC25 ASTM B164 .025 NASM/MS20995NC32 ASTM B164 .032 NASM/MS20995NC40 ASTM B164 .040 NASM/MS20995NC51 ASTM B164 .051** Other sizes and packaging options available.
Malin’s tie wire brings a versatile and reliable solution to wire applications across various industries. The process of creating tie wire fortifies its strength, which is why it is so commonly used in construction projects. If you need a wire to bind objects together, create a fencing from, and even more, you can count on Malin’s tie wire products.
Malin Co. is a wire manufacturing company with ISO 9001:2015 certification, so you can trust us to meet the quality and performance standards of your project. If you are looking for safety wire in an alloy that is not listed here, we are capable of quoting for other materials. If you are unsure of what materials you are looking for, get in touch with Malin Co. today, and our team can answer any questions you have to ensure you get the best product for the job.
Safety wiring is used to secure components in aircraft to prevent sometimes fatal accidents. Also known as positive wire locking, safety wiring is a device that holds down parts such as nuts, bolt heads, screws, studs, and more.
Parts, such as screws, can become dislodged over time due to the vibration of the aircraft. In addition, even the smallest parts can create catastrophic results if not safety-wired and torqued into place. It is an important lesson for each aircraft maintenance technician to learn, as the safety of the passengers on an aircraft is the most crucial part of their job.
Flight causes many stresses on an aircraft. For example, take-offs, landings, turbulence, and more constantly vibrate parts. Holding the aircraft together are many parts like screws, bolts, and other devices. Over time, these parts can become worn-down and sometimes become dislodged. Every single one of these components is important to the structure of the aircraft! Furthermore, just one loose screw can pose a problem for the safety of passengers and crew.
Additionally, to ensure that parts remain in place during all those stresses on aircraft, fail-safe devices, like safety wire, are installed. Aviation maintenance technicians are responsible for inspecting and ensuring that these parts and fail-safe devices, such as safety wire, are secure for each flight!
In aircraft, stainless steel wire is threaded through a hole drilled into a fastener or part, then twisted and anchored to a second fastener or part, then twisted again. With the tension of the wire, it remains in place by being twisted around itself. Additionally, the wire retains its shape after being bent to create a force against the loosening of fasteners such as screws.
Note that safety wire isn’t used just to be a replacement for tightening fasteners. Instead, think of safety wiring as a failsafe against the vibration of the aircraft. After each application, safety wire must be disposed of and replaced.
In addition, The most common sizes for safety wire are 0.032-inch and 0.041-inch, but wire also comes in various types for different jobs! For example, thicker wiring may be used to hold larger screws in place. Additionally, the wiring must be tight and even, but not under such tension that the wire is broken after normal handling or vibration.
Installing safety wire is something that should be practiced until it becomes second nature. Moreover, that’s why training is such an important factor in aviation maintenance!
National Aviation Academy trains the future generation of aviation maintenance technicians. That includes learning how to properly install and secure safety wire! As common as installing safety wire is, it is important to practice and train efficiently.
Our industry-veteran instructors provide a wealth of knowledge to tackle projects, including safety wiring! If you would like to learn more about the aviation industry and how you can be a part of keeping aircraft safe to fly, please fill out the form below!
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