Van's Air Force
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Is Using Zip Ties Safe?
- Thread starter PhatRV
- Start date
The other item in the image is the use of plastic cable clamps versus the metallic Adel clamps we have in our RVs. Maybe the rationale is to use plastic in composite structure. We use metal clamps because many people are used to see them and it always work. But the aerospace catalogs are full of plastic clamps, all derived from the automotive world in order to save weight, increasing gas mileage by reducing weight is important too
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I put rescue tape around things like the engine mount, first, to protect them, but other than that I have black zip ties from Harbor Freight that have lasted 10 years in the engine compartment and inside the fuselage. Probably not recommended, but they do work. I also have lacing, but I got lazy at some point. I found these at Airventure and they have their own protection, and seem to work well: https://griplockties.com/
Scott Hersha
Well Known Member
Really? How do you know that? The commercial jets I’ve flown - Boeings, MD’s, Locheed’s, Cessna jets, Falcons, have all had numerous zip ties in all normally inspected areas, including areas that are not visible in normally inspected areas. There were countless zip ties. Our maintenance department had these zip ties in large quantities for maintenance reasons, and they were high temp, and UV resistant, but so are many of the zip ties you can buy from many of the respected suppliers online. Zip ties are easier to install and replace, and they are as good as, or in many installs, better than lacing.
Nothing wrong with lacing, but it takes more time (not a pro, but I’ve done it), is also more time consuming to replace, and in most cases, buys you nothing (In my opinion).
Not arguing one way or the other on zip ties but the Environment (temperature variation for one), loads (GA has much smaller wire bundles to hold), and life cycles (Airbus/Boeing flies 12 hours a day and 10s of thousands of hours in a lifetime) all make a comparison irrelevant. With the difference I just listed, HF/Amazon/Lowes zip ties MAY be acceptable for many applications in GA. If you do use them (and I do) I suggest inspect and replace as a normal part of condition inspection, especially if they are near a heat source or they are in direct sunlight.
Scott Hersha
Well Known Member
Agreed - inspect and replace when needed. Almost all of mine are hidden from view, except when things are opened up for condition inspections, and don’t experience heat or sunshine. There are none inside my wings, and the ones used firewall forward are supposed to be able to handle heat, and are easy to frequently inspect.
Well….the very same commercial jets at the two major airlines that I’ve flown at also had zip ties.
And I even saw some in the military stuff I flew.
Pretty sure the airline maintenance department or airframe manufacturers did not buy them at HF or Amazon, or the local hardware store in Seattle, Long Beach or Toulouse.
It is experimental aviation. Any zip tie may be perfectly acceptable for our uses and I have no problem with that.
Totally agree regular inspection and replacement as required on those is necessary, at least that has been my experience on my Cessna.
YMMV
Dr_Dave_MT
Well Known Member
Come on Guys, it's not like we are building a Space Shuttle. Dassault uses all three methods. Adel clamps, lacing and zip ties. I can find out what the zip ties mounts are made of. This is in the nose cone.
David Paule
Well Known Member
Just a word of caution which doesn't really apply to the topic of zip ties here....
The various requirements for spacecraft don't overlap aircraft as much as a person might think. The vibration environment is often more severe but for a much shorter duration. There is less need for abrasion protection. But the thermal environment is usually wider than our airplanes experience. And there's sometimes less need for weather resistance.
Bottom line, just because a spacecraft uses or doesn't use something, that doesn't mean we can, too.
Dave
The various requirements for spacecraft don't overlap aircraft as much as a person might think. The vibration environment is often more severe but for a much shorter duration. There is less need for abrasion protection. But the thermal environment is usually wider than our airplanes experience. And there's sometimes less need for weather resistance.
Bottom line, just because a spacecraft uses or doesn't use something, that doesn't mean we can, too.
Dave
Dr_Dave_MT
Well Known Member
That was a play on the wording from "It's not like you're building an airplane!" when working on something mechanical that remains in contact with Terra Frima.
I use them all over the place. Just be aware that many are not UV stabilized, and will crumble like a dried up cookie if they are out in the sun much at all.
