As a member of the Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) and with the Fall 2014 General Meeting coming up, we wanted to focus our blog this week on our ability to manufacture wire rope to meet all domestic standards. For the past 50 years, Loos and Company has been manufacturing and stocking wire rope to meet standards such as Domestic Wire Rope, Buy American, 100% Domestic, Military Specification (Mil-Spec).

We are able to meet any of the aforementioned specifications, but thought it may help to clarify what they each may mean. Keep in mind that as a manufacturer, we are able to draw, strand, and close wire rope up to 1 ¼” in diameter here at our facility and can provide custom products, configurations, and processes when you require them.

• Domestic Wire Rope: In order to be called “domestic wire rope”, the rope must be stranded and closed in the USA, with components (wire) that may have been made outside of the USA.

• Buy American: These standards call for wire rope to be manufactured in the USA and that the cost of domestic components must exceed 50% of the total cost.

• 100% Domestic: When a requirement calls for 100% domestic, they are looking for wire rope product which is manufactured in the USA from components that are also manufactured in the USA—including the steel mill products of billet and rod used to make the wire.

• Mil-Spec: Mil-Spec standards are a set of product specifications established by the Department of Defense. These specifications dictate the requirements that wire, cable, or wire rope meet by manufacturers who are qualified to produce the product. A manufacturer interested in making a product to these specifications must be on the Qualified Producers List (QPL), as is Loos and Company. Many of our products are made and stocked to these exact specifications.

In our experience, we have found that many government-contracted jobs will call for any one of the above requirements. If you find yourself in that situation, keep Loos and Company in mind to deliver the product(s) you need. In addition to meeting any of the above specifications, we will provide you with the certifications necessary to prove the origin of all components.

Please contact a product manager if you have any additional questions or submit a wire rope quote below and we will get back to you immediately.