Cables—often made with copper—act like the central nervous system in an automation system, serving as interconnects communicating data, power, or signals between two devices between A and B. When specifying a cable for industrial markets, it is critical to determine what elements exist between A and B. For example, in motion applications, several types of […]
Basics
Data Center Fiber Cabling – What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You
By Josh Taylor, senior product manager at CABLExpress Fiber optic cabling is widely used in data centers around the world, so it’s important to understand the basics. In fiber optic cables, data is transmitted through pulses of light and this digital signal is transmitted over a medium made of high-quality glass. When considering fiber optics […]
Cable and insulated wire safety requirements—Part 5: Reduce mechanical stress
Allowances should be made for all possible mechanical stresses that could occur during installation of a cable in order to minimize the risk of mechanical damage to the cables. Tension The following values for tension should not be exceeded by each conductor in use. This applies up to a maximum value of 1000 N for […]
Cable and insulated wire safety requirements—Part 4: Defining voltage and current capacities
Cables without a jacket may not be used as a substitute for a jacketed cable or as an extension cable. This also is the case for connecting Class 2 cables to equipment, unless the cables in the construction spec have been defined as cables for extra light duty in a fixed installation. The corresponding VDE […]
Cable and insulated wire safety requirements—Part 3: Fixed vs. flexible applications
When you are determining what type of cables to use in an application, you must consider whether that application is a fixed installation or a flexible application. Requirements for fixed installation Normally, cables for fixed installation have solid or stranded conductors. In certain circumstances, e.g. for greater ease of installation, the conductor may be Class […]
Cable and insulated wire safety requirements—Part 2: Selection tips
In a continuation of the safety discussion from last week, here are some guidelines on outside factors one should consider when selecting and installing cable and insulated wire. Cables and insulated wires should be selected based on the application’s operating conditions and other external influences, as well as how they comply with their respective protection […]
Cable and insulated wire safety requirements—Part 1: Fundamental requirements
Cables and insulated wires shall be constructed to the highest level of quality in order to be safely used for their intended purpose without the risk of causing damage to operators or property. Preventing harm to operators and property during usage or storage of operating equipment includes quality inspection to detect product defects, as well […]
Track cable installation guidelines
Track cables have an important task of supplying control and power to machines in various high-flex cable applications. The cables must flex simultaneously and stay synchronized to operate properly. Correct installation and placement of the cables in the track helps ensure the cables’ functionality and service life (measured in cycles). The following guidelines should be […]
