Getting to know cable and wire manufacturers at MD&M East

As we embark on this new adventure of covering cable and wire technologies more in-depth, I was glad to visit a few different manufacturers of cables, assemblies and accessories at MD&M East this past week.

More will come from these new relationships, but I just wanted to introduce the few I did get a chance to talk with at the medical show in Philadelphia.

First was a quick stop at Lynn Products, of Torrance, Calif., which was a new name to me. I am looking forward to learning more about the cable assemblies, wire harnesses, and over-molded components that Lynn manufactures. Apparently, the company provides both custom and standard solutions.

A brochure picked up from American Cable & Electronics Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wis., shows that it specializes in manufacturing low-volume, highly-complex electromechanical assemblies, such as simple wire harnesses, completely finished assemblies and overmolded cables.

I also stopped in briefly at the Turck booth, which I know from my days writing about a variety of motion control topics, offers industrial cables, connectors, and cordsets.

I was pleasantly surprised when I stopped in at Lubrizol to learn more about its life sciences developments that the Wickliffe, Ohio-based company also supplies its thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for use in power transmission cables in wind turbines as well. According to Eric Rohr, Global Market Development Manager for the LifeScience Polymers div. of Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., the TPUs can withstand the cold temperatures and harsh conditions, including the continuous twisting, of wind turbines.

Finally, a quick chat with igus inc.’s Stephan Bowman, District Manager of the Southeast refreshed my memory on the company’s energy chain cable carriers and chainflex electrical cables, which are used in everything from industrial packaging machinery to offshore cranes. I even got to bring a few samples home, much to the chagrin of the TSA folks at BWI airport. Check back here soon for more on those components, including some product videos.