In 1973 Sta-Lok launched the swageless terminal system for
wire rope
Steel wire rope (right hand lang lay)
Wire rope is several strands of metal wire twisted into a helix forming a composite
'' rope'', in a pattern known as ''laid rope''. Larger diameter wire rope consists of multiple strands of such laid rope in ...
at the
London Boat Show.
The swageless terminal can be fitted by using hand tools, unlike a
swage
Swaging () is a forging process in which the dimensions of an item are altered using dies into which the item is forced. Swaging is usually a cold working process, but also may be hot worked.
The term swage may apply to the process (verb) or ...
terminal which requires a special press, roller die or
rotary hammer
A rotary hammer, also called rotary hammer drill is a power tool that can perform heavy-duty tasks such as drilling and chiseling hard materials. It is similar to a hammer drill in that it also pounds the drill bit in and out while it is spin ...
machine to crimp it onto a wire. This makes them very useful if the wire assembly must be made-up on site. A swageless terminal will work under constant loading and variable shock loading, making it stronger than the wire rope.
Regardless of manufacturer the basic principle of operation is the same. The
cable has its outer layers wrapped around a metal cone, with the rope's core running through a hole in the middle of the cone. The assembly sits inside a conical outer body. When the cable is in
tension, the action is such that the cone and wire are drawn further into the conical bore of the outer body resulting in a large reaction load. This load grips the wire and prevents further movement.
As with swage terminals, swageless terminals are available with a variety of different attachment methods; fixed
clevis forks, toggling clevis forks, eyes and threaded studs (for insertion in a
turnbuckle
A turnbuckle, stretching screw or bottlescrew is a device for adjusting the tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed into each end of a small meta ...
barrel).
Swageless terminals can be used for terminating cables for applications in the construction, defense and marine industries.
A swageless terminal can be removed and re-used, unlike a swaged terminal. This makes them very popular in the
marine industry as they enable a quick repair to be made to a damaged cable while out at sea. Removing them from the wire end also allows anything which the cable has been threaded through (
headstay furler) to be removed for servicing, re-threaded and the fitting re-attached.
There are several manufacturers of swageless fittings including Sta-Lok (who invented the swageless system), Hi-MOD and Norseman-Gibb.
{{Sail Types
Sailing rigs and rigging