Safety Wire

Safety wire or lockwire is common in the aircraft and racing industries as an extra precaution to keep vital fasteners from unintentionally loosening and parts from falling off due to vibration or other forces. The use of safety wire is a type of positive locking device. It also allows rapid and easy visual inspection of fasteners to ensure that they have been tightened. Safety wiring of fasteners is often a requirement to pass technical safety inspections in motorsport racing. Safety wire itself is available in multiple gauges and different materials, depending on the application. In consumer aircraft and racing applications, stainless steel wire is used, most commonly in .032" diameter, although other gauges are used for specific circumstances. Typically, safety wire is threaded through a hole drilled into a fastener or part, then twisted and anchored to a second fastener or part, then twisted again, usually with the aid of safety wire pliers.