Precision Castings of Tennessee’s home tie down system, Cable-Tite, is a prime example of the versatility of the investment casting process. Cable-Tite was developed as a response to the industry’s growing demand for high quality home tie-down solutions that can resist the high speed winds found along coastal regions.
Primary Customer Benefits:
For the home builder, the investment castings in the Cable-Tite system offer the strongest components parts in the market and greatly ease the time and labor cost for installation. The patented external cam locking design on the anchor casting guarantees the same cable pre-tensioning for each assembly with nothing more than a half turn of a wrench.
This assembly, using the investment castings, includes alignment notches around the anchor and cap castings for quick visual confirmation that the system is locked and in the pre-tensioned position. Additional, the knurling on the bottom of the top plate casting assures no slip contact with the wood in the homes. Furthermore, all three parts have been designed with additional ribbing and consideration for cross-sectional transitions in mind to maximize the strength of the castings.
These are all design considerations that the investment casting process inherently allows. While some of these unique designs are technically possible in other manufacturing processes, all of the value adding designs together in the same design would be nearly impossible outside of the investment casting process.
Unique Design Considerations:
Since the Cable-Tite system is installed in homes, there are several critical design limitations. First, the assembly has to easily fit inside a standard 2” x 4” door frame so that it is undetectable once the house is completed.
Second, the assembly had to be compatible with the existing parts that were used in the assembly to hold the high strength cables, also known as a mating strand vise. By creating a unique investment casting mold, PCT was able to develop channels in the casting that allowed the mating strand vise to slide freely.
In addition to meeting the design requirements the investment casting process allows for the parts in the assembly to have a modern, aesthetically pleasing look with extra features such as alignment guide lines, no-slip knurling, ribbing for strength, and company logos cast right into the parts.
The investment castings have standard yellow zinc plating applied for corrosion resistance and one of the casting has a tapped hole for attaching it to the house foundation. All secondary operations are performed by Precision Castings of Tennessee.
Name of part:
Cable-Tite tie down system
Size of part:
4”x4”x6” footprint, fits in 2”x4” walls of homes
Part is used in (product):
This assembly of parts is used in the Cable-Tite tie down system. It is a method for fixing the walls and roof of a home to its foundation to protect the structure of the home against high winds.
Function(s) of the part:
The Cable-Tite tie down system consist of 3 investment castings, the anchor, cap, and the top plate. These three casting are the primary means of attaching the cable to the house itself. The cable in the design runs vertically to tie the foundation of the home to the roofing system, but the castings do the work in the design by allowing for easy installation into any house and for consistent pre-tensioning of the cable.
Material used (composition of metal or alloy):
IC 4130
Additional Information:
Cable-Tite tie down systems is a building code certified product and can be purchased directly from the factory. More information about the design, applications of the product, testimonials, and installation videos can found at www.cabletite.com. Cable-Tite is being used in homes built by the Make It Right Foundation New Orleans.
More information about Make It Right can found at www.makeitrightnola.org. Cable-Tite was also featured on the radio talk show “The Cajun Contractor” based out of Mansfield, LA. Cable-Tite is not a product that can completely protect a house from a direct hit from a tornado or hurricane, as no product can, but should be considered by any home owner or home builder. For a fraction of the cost of a new home construction Cable-Tite can bring an extra level of security and can minimize or prevent catastrophic damage to your most important asset.