What are the Different Types of Flexible Cables?

The cable's level of flexibility should be considered when choosing a specification for a cable that will work for your application.

This is a crucial and frequently forgotten component. Some cables are genuinely designed to be installed in flexing applications with various forms of motion, whereas some cables are physically flexible, which helps simplify routing difficulties during installation.

Without considering the kind of flexibility you require from your cable, you risk selecting a model with a shorter life span.

Making the appropriate decision up front will spare you the hassle of having to quickly find the correct cable in case your system crashes.

What physical properties make a cable more flexible?

In this equation, variables include the conductor's stranding, the kind of insulating material employed, and whether a shield, wrap, or filler is present.

Along with this, it's crucial to consider the cable's bend radius, weight, the variety of flexing motions it can wire coupler execute, and the amount of flex cycles it can tolerate.

The bend radius of a cable indicates how tightly it can bend without breaking, but it does not indicate whether it can be utilized in a motion application where there is constant movement at that bent angle.

Types of Cable Flexibility

Although there is no official, accepted scale or nomenclature to designate various types of cable flexibility, below we outline the most common types of cable flex and the applications in which each is the best choice.

Torsional Flex - This kind of flexible cable twists, typically in a circular motion around an axis. Torsional Flex Cables are frequently used in industrial applications and robotic pick-and-place machinery.

Rolling Flex - A cable track resembling a pulley system is typically used to pull this flexible cable. Rolling flex applications require abrasion-resistant cables because rolling flex cables frequently encounter continuous movement.

Bending Flex (Tic-Toc Flex) - The flex cable, also known as Tic-Toc Flex cable, repeatedly bends in a backward and forward direction. These applications require cables with robust insulation and a jacket designed to endure the strain of frequent lateral movements.

Variable Flex (Random Flex) - This kind of flexible cable travels freely, frequently at random. Several robotic applications and automated devices use variable flex.

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