In Episode 13 of No Dumb Questions, we explain how to select and design cables for harsh environments and what factors matter most when matching a custom wire construction to an application.
Environmental stresses—such as abrasion, crush, and torque—heavily influence cable design. These conditions dictate which materials are utilized for the outer jacket and internal components to ensure durability and performance in real-world scenarios. Key performance requirements like mechanical strength, flexibility, and operating temperature range also play critical roles in material selection.
For extreme cold environments, such as outdoor grounding in sub-zero climates (down to -40°C), specialized materials like TPE or New England Wire’s COLDflex™ line maintain critical flexibility. Conversely, high-temperature applications, such as motor windings, require specialized heat-resistant materials. The final cable design is tailored through direct consultation with our engineering team to meet exact application specifications.
Key Technical Takeaways
- Environmental Stresses: Cable design is dictated by external physical factors like abrasion, crush, and torque resistance.
- Material Selection: Operating environments determine the optimal polymers used for jacket and insulation layers.
- Extreme Cold Flexibility: TPE materials, like the COLDflex™ line, ensure flexibility and durability in sub-zero environments down to -40°C.
- High-Temperature Demands: Applications such as motor windings require specialized heat-resistant conductor insulation.
- Custom Engineering: Final constructions are optimized based on a balance of mechanical properties and specific environmental demands.
Watch the next in our series, Episode 14: Flex-life v. flexibility?
Episode 13 Transcript – Design Considerations for Harsh Environments
Welcome to No Dumb Questions
Welcome back to No Dumb Questions here at New England Wire. I’m your host, Garron. Today we’re going to talk about cables used in harsh environments and what considerations might be important.
Designing for Environmental Stresses
The cable’s environment is important to consider. You might have factors such as abrasion resistance, crush resistance, torque resistance. So how the cable is going to be used in these certain environments might dictate certain materials being used to optimize the performance in your application.
Temperature Extremes: Cold vs. Heat
Another important thing to consider is the mechanical properties of the cable, and how you need it to perform for your specific application, as well as temperature requirements. This could go into the cold side where you could be using a cable in, say, rural Canada for grounding. You might need something extremely flexible up to -40 C we have TPEs that offer that under our COLDflex™ line.
You may also have some high temp considerations, in a motor winding or another application that’s heat specific. So that’s an important factor to consider.
Custom Engineering and Consultation
But don’t worry, all of these materials can be discussed with our engineering team in further detail, and we can figure out the correct construction that meets your specific applications needs.
If you have any follow up questions or any concerns, please feel free to reach out and you’ll be matched with a great representative like myself. See the link below.