ak industries:hydrovolt, a-size, locking sleeve

Please see the Technical Notes page for more information about galvanic corrosion. Locking sleeves are also available with a shoulder instead of a snap ring.

Shoulder style locking sleeves are stronger and have the advantage of not introducing an additional metal part because they do not require a snap ring. However, they cannot be installed after a bulkhead has been installed, nor can they be installed onto a double-ended cable assembly.

if you buy cable assemblies with locking sleeves, we recommend that you specify shoulder style locking sleeves with your order because they must be installed during manufacture. Then, if there is damage to the locking sleeve, a groove type locking sleeve can be installed anytime later.

A note about Stainless Steel (SS)
Series 300 stainless steels are the highest quality and most corrosion resistant to the stainless steels. They are much more corrosion resistant than the 400 series, for example: Why do we use 303 on the locking sleeves and 302 on the snap rings? Type 303 is easier to machine than other 300 series SS. There is a lot of machining to make a locking sleeve. However, 302 can be work hardened to have better spring properties needed for snap rings.

Locking sleeves are not necessary for the functionality of HydroVolt connectors. However, some customers prefer the assurance that the connectors will not become disengaged by pulling on a cable.

Locking sleeves are available in several different materials: Delrin, Aluminum 6061, and Stainless Steel 303. We manufacture our own locking sleeves on a Mori Seiki turning center and so we can easily make them with other materials specified by the customer.

Standard locking sleeves are available with the traditional snap ring groove. They are very convenient for adding a locking sleeve after a bulkhead has been installed, or anytime on a cable assembly. We have snap rings made from Stainless Steel 302, and also Aluminum 6061 (mostly for use with aluminum bulkheads). Aluminum snap rings are much better in contact with aluminum bulkheads for galvanic corrosion reasons.