Best Material for Swage Sleeves?

Swage Sleeve Materials

The four most common materials are:

• Copper – either uncoated or chromium-nickel coated
• Aluminium – generally uncoated unless specialized
• Stainless Steel – uncoated and generally AISI G304 unless a food grade or medical application (then G316 or G316-L)
• Low Carbon Steel – either uncoated or galvanised/zinc coated

General Considerations

When choosing the material of a Swage Sleeve, you will need to consider what type of wire rope you are going to be using, the application/usage, and whether the sleeve will be used indoors or outdoors. The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that aluminum sleeves are not recommended for use with stainless steel wire ropes as these two materials can form a chemical/galvanic reaction together that causes corrosion. The more aggressive the environment (salt water, or acidic or proximity to large current flows) – the faster the corrosion. Otherwise, aluminum and copper are both the most economical choices for materials. When zinc or tin plating are added to a low carbon metal swage, it can prevent corrosion.

Features of Copper Swage Sleeves:

• Practical affordable Material
• Good for general Use
• Hold Up Well in Heavy Shock Loads
• Compatible and recommended for Stainless Steel Wire Rope
• Thin-walled variants recommended for synthetic fiber Rope
• Corrodes in aggressive environments (Green Oxide)
• Chromium and/or Nickel-Plating Increases Resistance to Corrosion
• Appropriate for non-aggressive environments (indoors, mild marine, mild chemical)
• Standard Duplex Swage Sleeve Material for Stainless Steel Wire Rope
• Works with  Galvanised Wire Rope.

Features of Aluminum Swage Sleeves:

• Most Economical Material
• Corrodes in an aggressive environment (White Oxide)
• Appropriate for non-aggressive environments (indoors, mild marine, mild chemical)
• Should Not Be Used with Stainless Steel Wire to avoid a galvanic reaction
• Compatible and recommended for Galvanised Steel Wire Rope
• Thin-walled variants recommended for synthetic fiber Rope

Features of Stainless Steel Swage Sleeves

• Non-Standard Exotic Material
• Highly resistant to corrosion
• Good for Indoor and Outdoor Use
• Appropriate for highly aggressive environments (all outdoors, intertidal, acid or alkaline chemical)
• May require annealing for effective use
• Expensive and challenging for casual use
• Premium material for use with Stainless Steel Wires
• Not recommended for synthetic fiber ropes