NOV Lock Wiring Guide

Document No ASP00019
 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 2

REVISION HISTORY

A 15/04/2011 SEE ECN C. SILVA T. GORMSEN T. GORMSEN

- 10/03/1995 First Issue KTK K DAW JES
Rev Date (dd.mm.yyyy) Reason for issue Prepared Checked Approved

CHANGE DESCRIPTION

Revision Change Description

- First Issue
A SEE ECN
 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 SCOPE.............................................................................................................................. 3
2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................... 4
3 REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................. 4
3.1 MATERIAL AND SIZE ............................................................................................ 4
3.2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................. 5
3.3 LOCK-WIRING METHODS .................................................................................... 6
3.4 OTHER APPLICATIONS ........................................................................................ 7
3.5 ILLUSTRATION OF TYPICAL LOCK-WIRE APPLICATION .................................. 8
4 QA PROVISIONS.............................................................................................................. 9
5 NOTES .............................................................................................................................. 9

1 SCOPE
 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 4

This procedure establishes the method for the selection and application of safety wire.
Lock wiring is the application of wire to prevent relative movement of structure or other
critical components subject to vibration, tension, torque, etc.

This procedure is intended to help eliminate the risk of dropped objects in

components or parts manufactured.

Bolts, Nuts and Screws are the common type of fasteners used on NOV
equipment. They need to be locked (secondary retention) against loss of torque / pre-
tension.

Use of safety wire to prevent rotation of fasteners is a safe and primarily

recommended secondary retention method for fasteners. It is the most preferred
method because it not only prevents fasteners from loosening but also keeps them from
falling in case of primary retention failure (bolt head Breaks off) and effectively prevents
dropped objects.

Note that the secondary retention will work only if the primary retention method is
properly in place, i.e. bolts and screws are tightened and torqued as per specifications,
and there is no play between the mating elements. Secondary retention methods aim in
preventing any compromise in primary retention, loss of pre-tension in assembled
fasteners, loosening and backing out.

Definitions:

Secondary Retention – The means of effectively retaining a fastener/joining component

such that the operating loads do not compromise the integrity of the primary fastening
component.

2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

DS00008-DES DESIGN TORQUE STANDARDS

Machinery’s Handbook 27th Edition

3 REQUIREMENTS

3.1 MATERIAL AND SIZE

3.1.1 Material
Lock wire must be aircraft quality stainless steel 302/304 condition A.

3.1.2 Lock-wire sizes

 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 5

a. 0.5080 mm (0.020 inch) diameter

b. 0.8128 mm (0.032 inch) diameter NOV P/N Z6000.8
c. 1.1938 mm (0.047 inch) diameter NOV P/N Z6000.9
d. 1.2950 mm (0.051 inch) diameter NOV P/N Z6001
e. 3.1750 mm (0.125 inch) diameter NOV P/N Z6002

3.2 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3.2.1 Safety wire shall be new upon each application.

3.2.2 Parts shall be lockwired in such a manner that the lockwire shall be put in tension
when the part tends to loosen.

3.2.3 The lockwire should always be installed and twisted so that the loop around the
head stays down and does not tend to come up over bolt head and leave a slack loop.

3.2.4 Care shall be exercised when installing lockwire to ensure that it is tight but not
over stressed.

3.2.5 Properly twisted lockwire will have 7-12 twists per inch for .032 wire and 6-8 turns
for .052 wire. More twists will over stress the wire and cause fatigue and breakage.

3.2.6 A pigtail should be ½” to 5/8” in length (4-8 twists) at the end of the wiring. This
pigtail shall be bent back or under to prevent it from becoming a snag.

3.2.7 As per the Machinery’s Handbook 27th edition the following rules apply:

a) No more than three (3) bolts may be tied together.

b) Bolt heads may be tied as shown only when the female thread receiver is
captive.(see figure 1)
c) Lockwire must fill a minimum of 50% of the drilled hole provided for the
use of lockwire.
d) Diameter of lockwire is determined by the thread size of the fastener to be
lockwired.
1) Thread sizes of 6 mm (0.25 inch) and smaller use 0.508mm (0.020
inch) wire.
2) Thread sizes of 6 mm (0.25 inch) to 12 mm (0.5 inch) use 0.8128 mm
(0.032 inch) wire.
3) Thread sizes > 12 mm (0.5 inch) use 1.1938 mm (0.047 inch) OR
1.295mm (0.051) wire.

The larger wire may be used in smaller bolts in cases of convenience, but smaller
wire must not be used in larger fastener sizes.
 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 6

Figure 1: Safety Wire / Lock Wire

3.3 LOCK-WIRING METHODS

3.3.1 The method involves threading a wire through holes in the fastener to lock it
against being rotated loose. The wire is twisted before being threaded and is locked to
next bolt. Safety wire should be placed in and around bolt head to maintain the pre-load.
The use of safety wire ties is illustrated in figure 1 above. The illustrations assume the
use of right-hand threaded fasteners.

3.3.2 The double-twist method:

The double-twist method of lock-wiring shall be used as the common method of
lock-wiring.

CAUTION: screws in closely spaced geometric which secure hydraulic or air seals, hold
hydraulic pressure, or used in critical areas of clutch mechanism should use double twist
method of lock-wiring. Make sure that the wire is so installed that it can easily be broken
when required in an emergency situation.

3.3.3 Lock-wiring widely spaced multiple groups by the double twist method.
a) When the multiple fasteners are from 4-6 inches apart, three (3) fasteners
shall be the maximum number in a series that can be safety wired
together.
b) When the multiple fasteners are spaced more than 6 inches apart, the
multiple fastener application specified in Figure 1 shall not be used unless
tie points are provided on adjacent parts to shorten the span of the wire to
less than 6 inches.
c) One end of the safety wire shall be inserted through one set of lockwire
holes in the head of the bolt. The other end of the safety wire shall be
looped around the bolt head in the tightening direction.
 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 7

d) The strands, while taut, shall be twisted until the twisted part is just short of
the nearest hole in the next bolt. The twisted portion shall be within 1/8” of
the holes in each bolt as shown in figure 1 above.
e) After wiring the last bolt, the wire shall be twisted to form a pigtail of 2-4
twists. The excess wire shall be cut off. The pigtail shall be bent back or
under the part to prevent it from becoming a snag.

3.3.4 Single wire method:

The single wire method may be used in a closely spaced, closed geometrical
pattern (triangle, square, circle, etc.) on parts in an electrical system, and in places that
would make the single-method more advisable as shown in figure 2 below. Closely
spaced shall be considered a maximum of two inches between centers. Maximum length
of wire shall not exceed 24” in total length.

Figure 2: Safety Wire / Lock Wire Single

3.4 OTHER APPLICATIONS

 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 8

3.4.1 Hollow head bolts are safety wired in the manner prescribed for regular bolts.

3.4.2 Drain plugs and cocks may be wired to a bolt, nut, or other part having a free lock
hole in accordance with the general instructions contained herein.

3.4.3 External snap rings may be locked if necessary in accordance with the general
locking principles contained herein.

3.4.4 Internal snap rings shall never be lockwired.

3.4.5 Bolts and hardware may be wired using SAFE-T-Cable. Follow procedure
D744000087-PRO-001.

Safe-T-Cable® can be used similar to Safety/Lock wire to secure Fasteners. The safety
cable installation procedure is shown in Figure. The safety cable comes in pre-cut
lengths with stubs on one end. After sewing through the holes in the fasteners they are
tightened and crimped using a ferrule cartridge and crimping tool.

They are more convenient to use and take only a fraction of the time to secure fasteners
as compared to safety wire as no wire twisting is required. However additional tools like
ferrule cartridge and crimping tool are required. For additional information refer Safe-T-
Cable® (website http://www.dmctools.com/Catalog/safe_t_cable.htm).

Figure 3: Safety Cable Installation Procedure

3.5 ILLUSTRATION OF TYPICAL LOCK-WIRE APPLICATION

 Document number ASP00019
Revision A
Page 9

4 QA PROVISIONS

5 NOTES