Swage terminals are principally used to terminate 1 x 19 stainless steel wire strand and Dyform. They may also be used on flexible wire ropes with a wire core. All swaging machines work by firmly squeezing the material of the terminal into the interstices of the wire. In the Wire Teknik roller swaging machine the terminal is drawn through passive rollers. All types of machine can produce a swage as strong as the wire when adjusted and used correctly. Other acceptable methods of swaging include hydraulic presses with suitable die sets and rotary hammer swaging.
Gibb swage terminals are manufactured from 316 stainless steel. Lesser grades do not have sufficient corrosion resistance, particularly in tropical waters. Material hardness is controlled to ensure ease of swaging. Gibb swage terminal dimensions comply with the US military standard that has been used exclusively for many years in the USA, UK and Australia. All terminals are compatible with current UK and US practice as regards pin sizes and fork widths.
Gibb swage terminals are available in several different forms.