Custom composite cable
What makes a wire or cable a custom wire or cable? One would think it would have to be an elaborate cable design, but in reality something as simple as a unique color or printing can make the cable become a custom cable.
Custom wire and cable is not readily available or stocked by distributors or manufacturers. Simply put custom wire and cable is anything that is made to order specifically for a customer. Hypothetically, let’s say you have a commodity cable that you use regularly but now your product design has changed and you need one or two more conductors. You check with your distributor and the manufacture doesn’t offer that construction. You now need to turn to a custom wire and cable manufacturer which is set up to run special construction cable with little or no minimums.
Yes you will pay a little higher per foot than you do with the commodity wire however, you get exactly what you need and the performance you require. Prices between custom and commodity cable can’t be compared as the construction and materials are different and the quantity produced are much lower with the custom cable. In the end it’s all about having choices available to make a better product.
A few benefits of using custom wire and cable include:
- Engineered specifically for your application
- Custom configurations
- Custom colors and/or printing
- Improved performance
You have choices! When having a custom wire or cable designed you a wide range of options to assist in building the right wire or cable for your needs. Some options include:
- Gauge sizes, smaller gauges available
- Insulation and jacket materials
- Type of shielding and construction
- Conductor stranding, plating and type
Reverse engineering is used in situations where the origin of a cable is unknown or there is no information about the wire or cable. Engineers in most cased will carefully dissect the wire or cable taking measurements and noting the construction of conductors, cable lay, shielding, fillers and other vital information. A series of tests are performed to determine the insulation and jacket materials. At this point if a customer would like to see improvements in the cable’s performance such as a more flexible cable, or higher flex life it should be mentioned to the engineers so changes can be made to the design.
Custom braided cable
So who uses custom cables? Just about every industry including medical, robotics, aerospace, music/audio and more. Building a better mousetrap often means designing a product that will exceed it’s expected performance and the wire and cable needs to be considered as well.
If you do not know much about wire and cable properties, don’t be alarmed. Custom cable manufacturers have engineering resources to assist you with every step of the way starting with determining the right materials and construction based on your application and requirements.
If you have questions about custom wire and cable or a project that you need assistance with, contact Calmont Wire & Cable for assistance. Feel free to post any questions or comments you may have. If you enjoyed this article please feel free to share it.
