Don’t Get Stranded with the Wrong Cable Construction!

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In providing custom cable solutions, Northwire evaluates the demands of the cable and connector end-application. When it comes to connectivity, proper material selection and stranding configuration aligned with your application affect different attributes such as flexibility, flex life, and termination to the connector to name a few.

 

When selecting copper stranding, ask:

 

  1. What is the primary end-application and use for this cable?
  2. What environmental factors will this cable need to perform in successfully?
  3. What approvals or agency certifications are required for the application?

The end application requirements will help determine the following:

  • Size of the stranding
  • Bare copper vs. coated
    • Tin
    • Silver
    • Nickel
    • Gold
  • Stranding configuration
    • Concentric
    • Unilay
    • Rope Lay
    • Bunched

Northwire cable engineers work closely with our customers to better understand the end application and its environment to determine the best configuration. For example, if the cable termination calls for soldering, it might be best to use tinned copper. When designing for high temperature environments, an engineer may recommend silver or nickel plated copper. If flexibility is the key requirement of the application, a rope lay configuration will be considered. To learn more about stranding and other custom options offered by Northwire, download our Extreme Materials White Paper.