The Processes, Applications, and Benefits of Stainless Steel Lock Wire

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Stainless steel lock wire is a crucial safety tool used to ensure mechanical stability in machines and operations. Items such as bolts, screws, nuts, and other types of fasteners eventually loosen over time due to high vibration frequencies. Lock wire prevents the loosening of these fasteners by threading through two or more of the fasteners and tightening around them to lock them in place.

Industries that work on sports cars, aircraft turbines engines, and weaponry can benefit from the use of stainless steel lock wire to secure their mechanical operations. Braking mechanisms, throttle systems, and flight controls all depend on metal wires such as lock wire to prevent serious mechanical failures while keeping employees safe.

Stainless steel lock wire should be used for applications that involve excess chafing, tension, or fatigue outside of the wire’s intended function. Read more below about the processes and applications of stainless steel lock wire.

The installation of stainless steel lock wire can be performed with double-twist or single-wire methods. The double-twist method depends on the diameter of the wire and the types of fasteners that need to be threaded together. The single-wire or single-strand stainless steel lock wire method is more appropriate in situations with fasteners that are close together, such as electrical systems. The number of fasteners you can securely tighten with lock wire depends on how many fasteners are within 24 inches of the metal wire. The single-method stainless steel lock wire method also requires the use of the largest wire that can fit in the fastener’s opening.

If you need stainless steel lock wire for your industry, there are many different alloy types to choose from based on your mechanical system or project. Below are some of the most common standard alloys used for stainless steel lock wire.

• 302 stainless
• 321 stainless
• Ni 200
• Ni 205
• Monel 400
• Inconel 600
• Inconel 601
• Blk Inc 600
• Cadmium Plated Copper Wire
• Anodized Aluminum Wire

Working with an experienced wire drawing company ensures that the materials for your business and project will be high-quality. It takes patience and skill to maintain the exact sizing, temper, and packaging specifications every time for metal wire drawing capabilities. Wire drawing is the ideal process for manufacturing the highest quality wire solutions in the metal wire industry. Wire drawing consists of reducing metal rods and their cross sections by pulling them through a series of advanced drawing dies. The wire then increases in diameter and length while retaining its original volume.

• Refined surface finishing
• Mass production capabilites
• Control over demanding dimensions
• Quick turnaround

A stainless steel lock wire ensures safety in your industrial facility and its mechanical operations. The lock wire securely fasteners around nuts and bolts to keep them in their place and prevent loosening over time. Loose fasteners are dangerous because they can fly off during operations and cause a massive mechanical failure and possibly harm an employee. By investing in stainless steel lock wire in your facility, you will protect your employees and increase operational efficiency.