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Wire Rope / Cable Assembly Equipment |
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Information CABLE ASSEMBLY QUALITY CONTROL WARNING! Creating a safe and proper wire rope fitting attachment, whether by swaging or other techniques, including the use of U.S. Product Mechanization Co. (PROMEC) equipment and or dies requires skills, techniques and quality control procedures that must be supplied by the operator. PROMEC does not imply that using PROMEC provided equipment or dies and following any instructions provided will result in a safe and proper attachment. Creating a safe and proper wire rope fitting attachment is the sole responsibility of the operator of PROMEC machines or dies. Purchasing of dies and or machines from PROMEC and use of any instructions, whether written, verbal or electronically transmitted, in no way assures a safe or proper attachment has been achieved. Testing of assemblies: PROMEC highly recommends that every part assembled (100 % test sample size) using PROMEC or other equipment or dies is tested to a degree that assures a safe and proper attachment has been achieved (pull testing is the most common practice). Sampling or random testing techniques should not be used. Testing techniques and methods are the sole responsibility of the operator, and should be established and developed by persons trained, qualified and experienced in quality control methods and techniques. Quality of components: Attaching a fitting to wire rope (cable) is a mechanical operation that causes a deformation of the fitting and cable commonly refered to as “swaging”. The final strength of the swaged attachment is based on a combination of factors that can only be controlled by the operator. Included in these factors are the quality of the materials, both cable and fitting, the dimensional characteristics of the components (before and after swage), the swaging method and technique, and the final “after swage dimension”. The quality of the component parts must be assured through vigilant quality control procedures that are well documented throughout the manufacturing community. Assuming that the components are of appropriate quality and properly selected, achieving a proper attachment requires that the parts are “swaged” to a finished configuration and dimension that has been pre-determined by the component part supplier (fitting supplier) as “proper” to assure an adequate connection (as noted above, PROMEC highly recommends 100% pull testing of every swaged part). After Swage Dimensions: “After swage Dimension” refers to the final configuration of the portion of the end fitting that is being swaged, and is the only portion of the end fitting connection that can be controlled by the swaging operation. After swage dimensions are provided by the fitting suppliers, are based on significant engineering and development efforts, and must be adhered to under all conditions. All other factors relating to the quality of the connection are controlled by the quality of the components (i.e.: cable and fitting dimensions and material quality). The actual feature being swaged varies depending upon fitting type. For example, a Mil Spec (Military Specification MS20664G) Ball end, single shank fitting will have both the “ball” and the “shank” sections swaged. The mil spec defines the specific “after swage dimension” of each section as a “diameter” with tolerances relating to both the diameter and the “roundness” of the sections. Aluminum oval sleeve fittings (very common commercial style fitting) require either a series of “rings” (number, width and after swage diameter specified by the fitting supplier) or the entire fitting is swaged to a fitting supplier specified “after swage dimension”. It is common practice for fittings of this type to be swaged using a hand held tool to impart the specified grooves, or when a higher quality finish is desired, a hydraulic (or other ) swager is used to reduce the entire fitting to the specified after swage dimension. Custom fittings that do not have an established after swage dimension require proper and appropriate engineering development, testing and evaluation in order to determine the after swage dimension required to provided the appropriate end fitting connection strength. In all cases, in order to achieve the design goals of the specific end fitting connection, it is critical that the swaging operation produces a finished part that meets the fitting suppliers specified after swage dimensions. Appropriate quality control procedures should be established to measure every end fitting connection “after swage dimension” prior to pull testing and any other quality control procedures that are being used to assure that the connection meets the design intent or requirements. SWAGING SAFETY W A R N I N G ! Improper use of PROMEC or any other swaging machine may be dangerous! It is imperative that all safety instructions and information are fully discussed and understood by all personnel involved in the running or use of any swaging or other wire rope and cable assembly equipment. Never place fingers or any part of your body between the jaws of PROMEC or any other machine. Never remove or adjust any screw or fastener that has “torque seal” applied to it!! Operator must read and understand the safety instructional MANUAL supplied with PROMEC or any other machines prior to use. If the operator is not confident or has any questions relating to the safety of the subject machine, he / she should not operate the machine until he / she is fully trained and confident that the conditions are safe. Swaging equipment (machines) must be “set up” and operated by personnel who are trained in and understand the operation of the machine. P o i n t o f o p e r a t i o n g u a r d s Due to the vast variety of possible cable assembly configurations, swaging machines, including the PROMEC machines are often shipped from the manufacturer without point of operation guards. Point of operation guards are those guards that prevent anything other than the actual work piece from fitting between the swaging dies, including the operator’s fingers. It is the operator’s responsibility to assure that any devices (point of operation guards) that are required to assure the operators safety are installed on the machine prior to initial power up and any time the machine is in use. Point of operation guards must be designed and installed for specific applications. There is no “standard” point of operation guards. Good safety practices commonly understood throughout manufacturing operations must be used to determine the level and intent of the required guarding for the specific application. Prior to operation As a summary to good and safe swaging operations, the following six (6) point check list should be adhered to:
Do’s and Don’ts The following is a list of do’s and don’ts, some of which may appear obvious, but all are worthy of very serious consideration for the safe operation of any machine, including PROMEC machines.
PROMEC Manuals PROMEC Model 438 Safety and Instruction Manual (pdf) PROMEC Model Q6000 Safety and Instruction Manual (pdf) PROMEC Portable swager Safety and Instruction Manual (pdf) PROMEC Bench Swager Safety and Instruction Manual (pdf) FITTING SPECIFICATIONS Specifications, including after swage dimensions for various fittings are provided by the individual fitting suppliers. Some fittings are “controlled” by Military Specifications (Mil Spec). The following information and links are intended to assist you in determining the necessary specifications. After swage dimensions should always be dictated by the fitting supplier, or in the case of Mil spec fittings, the current revision of the applicable mil spec. Mil Specs (may not be current revision)
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