In addition to complying with a wide range of other military, OEM, and international specifications, Loos and Company is a qualified producer of MIL-DTL-6117 wire rope assemblies. The MIL-DTL-6117 specification outlines the requirements for swaging terminals to wire rope for the purpose of creating wire rope assemblies. To understand how the MIL-DTL-6117 specification combines wire rope requirements with hardware requirements, it is helpful to know some background information about other established MIL-Spec callouts.

• MIL-DTL-781 covers terminals, and wire rope swaging.
• MIL-DTL-5688 covers wire rope assemblies, aircraft cable, proof testing, and prestretching.
• MIL-DTL-18375 covers flexible, corrosion-resisting, and nonmagnetic wire rope for aircraft control.
• MIL-DTL-83420 covers flexible wire rope for aircraft control.
• MIL-DTL-6117 covers nonflexible wire strand for aircraft applications.

In order for a swaged assembly to meet MIL-DTL-6117 specification, the wire rope is required to conform to MIL-DTL-83420, MIL-DTL-18375, or MIL-DTL-87161 callouts. This means that before a wire rope can even become part of a military-compliant assembly, it must first meet military specification on its own. A wire rope that does not meet military specification prior to hardware assembly will not comply with MIL-DTL-6117 in the final assembly, even if it is swaged to a military compliant terminal.

Similar quality controls are in place for the terminal hardware, as well. Terminals are required to conform to MIL-DTL-781, SAE AS10081, and the applicable MS sheet before qualifying as part of a military specification assembly. As with wire rope, an unqualified terminal swaged to a qualified wire rope does not automatically become complaint. Both components must meet their individual specifications separately before they can join together in an assembly.

The swaging process itself must comply with SAE AS10081 standards, as well, which includes information about inserting the wire rope into the fitting, and directions for cold-working the terminal shank. Once assembled, the breaking strength of the wire rope assembly must meet the minimum breaking strength of the wire rope itself. The final product must also be proof load tested per MIL-DTL-5688 standards, and there cannot be any defects evident in the assembly. An array of tests and samples are required that verify the integrity, safety, and strength of the final assembly, too. These processes include mechanical tests, inspections, and random sampling.

For a complete explanation of MIL-DTL-6117 with exact military requirements, download a copy of the specification sheet from our resource library at https://www.loosco.com/resource-library/specifications/index.php.