Wire Rope & Aircraft Cable

Wire Rope

Our extensive inventory of quality products makes it easy to find the ideal wire rope for your application.

Wire rope is technically defined as multiple wire strands laid geometrically around a core. It is also a general term encompassing various product families such as aircraft cable, coated aircraft cable, general-purpose wire rope, strand, rotation-resistant wire rope, compacted/swaged wire rope, and cable-laid wire rope.

Galvanized Wire Rope

Wire rope can be galvanized using three processes: electro-galvanizing, hot-dip galvanizing, and drawn-galvanizing, listed from least to most corrosion-resistant. Drawn-galvanized wire rope not only offers the highest corrosion resistance but also maintains the same breaking strength as bright wire rope. In contrast, electro-galvanized and hot-dip galvanized wire ropes have approximately 10% lower breaking strengths.

Wire Rope Specifications

Wire rope is specified by the number of strands, the number of wires in each strand, and the material of the core. For example, "6x7 FC" indicates a rope with six strands, each containing seven wires, and a fiber core. Common core designations include FC (fiber core), IWRC (independent wire rope core), WSC (wire strand core), and PC (poly core).

Wire Rope Lubrication

Wire rope lubrication involves both the core and the outer strands. IWRC wire rope always has a lubricated core unless specified otherwise. Bright wire rope always has lubricated outer strands. Galvanized wire rope can be manufactured with either a dry finish or lubricated outer strands. Typically, stainless steel wire rope is made with a lubricated IWRC and dry finish outer strands.

Aircraft Cable

Aircraft Cable Materials

Commercial quality "aircraft grade" cable is made from galvanized steel wire or stainless steel wire.

Stainless Steel Aircraft Cable

Our stainless-steel aircraft cable consists of thin steel wires that are stranded together to give the cable a combination of flexibility and strength. Although the largest diameter of aircraft cable available at Tyler Madison maxes out at a ¼”, it is lightweight and strong enough to meet special airline safety standards.

Galvanized Aircraft Cable

Galvanized aircraft cable provides high tensile strength and adequate corrosion resistance for most commercial applications. Stainless steel avionics cable provides slightly lower tensile strength, but greater resistance to corrosion. We also offer aircraft cable fitting services.

Aircraft Cable Fabrication

Cable or wire rope is fabricated from individual wires put together in a uniform helical arrangement to form what is called a strand. A strand typically contains 7 wires (1 x 7) or 19 wires (1 x 19), although others are available. Cable or wire rope contains a varying number of these strands such as 7 x 7 and 7 x 19 (number of strands x wire per strand). The more strands and more wires per strand, the more flexible the cable and the higher the cost. The greater the cable diameter, the greater the diameter of each wire and the greater the breaking strength.

Aircraft Cable Available Coatings

Our aircraft cable for sale can be coated with a number of different plastics such as vinyl (PVC) or nylon in various colors. Black, clear and white are typical stock colors, other colors can be ordered. Also, other polymers are available for braided steel cable.

Military Specifications-Cable also available to Mil-W-83420.

Aircraft Cable Applications

Airplane cable is used for more than just aircraft applications. It’s strength and flexibility make aircraft braided steel cable perfect for numerous commercial and industrial uses. Stainless steel aircraft cable is typically used in areas where the components are exposed to oxidative chemicals such as salt, and the ability to resist corrosion is crucial. Galvanized aircraft cable is a more affordable solution, but it does not resist corrosion as well.

The Difference Between Wire Rope & Aircraft Cable

Aircraft cable doesn't strictly fit the definition of wire rope as it lacks an independent core. Instead, it has a strand core, where the center is one of the strands laid with the outer strand layers. Aircraft cable is available in diameters of 3/8" or less, with breaking strengths comparable to equal diameter independent wire rope core (IWRC), and comes in stainless steel and galvanized steel options.

About Us
At Tyler Madison Inc., aircraft cable assemblies are just one of the many quality wire rope products that we manufacture for our industrial and commercial customers. We have the ability to create fully customized cable assemblies with standard or custom aircraft cable fittings. With skilled labor and precise advanced equipment, we are able to manufacture quality aircraft wire ropes and high-strength cables at an affordable price. Along the way, we can help you design and engineer aircraft cable fittings for your application. If you have an idea of what kind of aviation cable assembly or wire rope you need, but aren't sure how to make it a reality, just contact Tyler Madison today and we will be ready to help!

Value Added Services
We are committed to providing our customers maximum value when they choose to do business with us, whether it's custom aircraft cables, metal cables or standard braided steel cable. That’s why we go above and beyond with our customer service and offer value-added services to ensure the quality of our products and the satisfaction of our customers. These services include:

• Design Assistance
• Coiling and Packaging
• Hot stamping part numbers
• Pull testing for cable strength
• Fuse Cutting

• Cable Rewinding
• Lean Manufacturing
• Kitting
• Just-in-time (JIT) Programs
• Kanban Programs

No matter how customized the cable, wire rope or aircraft cable fittings for your application needs to be, we are more than capable of helping you get the job done!