UNITRONIC® LiYCY (TP) 12-Core 0.14mm² Flexible Shielded Twisted Pair Cable – German Quality for Servo Motors & Cable Chains

Is Your Machine Stopping Because of Bad Cables?

You know the feeling. Your production line is running fast. Then, suddenly, the servo motor stops working. The encoder signal gets lost. Or maybe you see “noise” in the data, and the machine makes a mistake. This is a huge headache.Most people blame the software or the motor. But often, the problem is the cable. Cheap cables break inside the cable chain (drag chain). They get stiff in the cold. Electrical noise from other machines messes up the signal. If the cable is not flexible enough, it snaps after a few million moves. If the shielding is weak, your data gets corrupted.You need a cable that moves like a snake but protects the signal like a fortress. You need a cable built for the real world, not just a lab.

The Solution: German-Engineered UNITRONIC® LiYCY (TP)

This is not a generic wire. This is a high-end data cable imported from Germany. It is part of the famous UNITRONIC® family made by LAPP. It is designed specifically for flexible servo machine tool encoder applications.The “TP” in the name stands for Twisted Pair. This is critical. Inside the gray PVC jacket, you have 12 pairs of wires. Each pair is twisted together. Why? Because twisting cancels out electrical noise. If a big motor next to you turns on, it creates magnetic waves. These waves hit the cable. But because the wires are twisted, the noise hits both wires equally. The receiver cancels it out. Your signal stays clean.This cable is built for cable chains. It is very flexible. It can bend and twist millions of times without breaking the copper inside. It is the perfect choice for CNC machines, robotics, and automated assembly lines.

Key Technical Specifications (The Numbers That Matter)

Let’s look at the hard data. We are looking at the 12-core 0.14 square millimeter version.

• Conductor Material: Bare copper, fine-wire stranded. This means the copper is made of many tiny wires, not one thick one. This makes it super flexible.
• Cross-Section: 0.14 mm² (approx. 26 AWG). This is the sweet spot. It is thick enough to carry the signal far, but thin enough to be very flexible.
• Number of Cores: 12 cores, arranged as 6 pairs (12 x 2 x 0.14). Or it can be 12 individual cores if you need it. We focus on the twisted pair setup for encoders.
• Shielding: Tinned copper braid. This is a mesh of copper wires wrapped around the pairs. It acts as a shield against RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference).
• Jacket Material: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). It is gray (RAL 7032 or pebble grey). It is flame-retardant (IEC 60332-1-2). It resists oil and coolants, which is vital for machine tools.
• Outer Diameter: Approx. 8.9 mm to 9.5 mm (depending on the exact twist rate). This is slim, so it fits in tight cable chains.
• Weight: Approx. 59 kg/km to 66 kg/km. Light weight means less stress on the cable chain.
• Voltage Rating: 250 Volts (Nominal). Test voltage is up to 1500 Volts. It is safe for low-voltage control signals (like 24V DC).
• Temperature Range:
  • Fixed installation: -40°C to +80°C.
  • Flexing (moving): -5°C to +70°C.
  • This means it works in freezing warehouses and hot factory floors.

Why “Twisted Pair” and “Shielding” Are Non-Negotiable

You might ask, “Why do I need shielding and twisted pairs? Can’t I just use cheap wire?”If you use unshielded wire in a factory, you are asking for trouble. Imagine a welding machine starting up nearby. It creates a massive spark of electricity in the air. This spark is radio noise.If your encoder cable has no shield, that noise travels into the wire. The servo drive thinks the noise is a signal. It might think the motor has moved 100 steps when it hasn’t moved at all. This causes crashes. It ruins expensive parts.The UNITRONIC® LiYCY (TP) solves this in two ways:

1. Twisted Pairs: As explained, this cancels out magnetic interference.
2. Braided Shield: The tinned copper braid catches electric noise and sends it to the ground. It stops the noise from touching the data wires inside.

This is why this cable is the industry standard for RS-232, data buses, and process control. It follows the DIN 47100 color code. This means the wire colors are standard across Europe and the world. Your electricians will know exactly which wire is which. No guessing games.

Real-World Use Cases: Where This Cable Shines

This cable is not for your house. It is for heavy industry. Here is where you will see it:

• CNC Machine Tools: Connecting the spindle encoder to the controller. The cable moves back and forth constantly.
• Robotic Arms: The cables inside the robot wrist need to bend thousands of times a day. This cable handles the stress.
• Servo Motors: High-precision motion control. If the signal lags, the robot arm shakes. This cable ensures zero lag.
• Conveyor Systems: In big warehouses, conveyors use encoders to track speed. Long runs of cable need good shielding to avoid noise from the big conveyor motors.
• Printing Machines: High-speed printers need precise timing signals. Noise causes bad prints. This cable keeps the signal clean.

It is also UL/CSA recognized in some versions (like the “LiYCY (TP) A”). This means if you are exporting your machine to the USA or Canada, this cable helps you get certified. It meets the safety standards for North America.

Installation Tips: Bending and Routing

You bought a great cable. Now you have to install it right. If you install it wrong, it will fail.Bend Radius is King:The most important rule is the minimum bend radius. Do not bend the cable too sharp.

• For fixed installation (not moving): You can bend it to 4 times the cable diameter.
• For flexible use (in a cable chain): You must keep it to 6 times the diameter (or 15x for occasional flexing).
• For this 0.14mm² cable, the diameter is about 9mm. So, the bend radius should be at least 54mm (6 x 9mm) when moving. If you bend it tighter than this, you will damage the shield and break the conductors.

Cable Chain (Drag Chain) Setup:

• Make sure the cable is not twisted inside the chain.
• Give it some “slack” (a little extra length) so it can move freely without being pulled tight.
• Use proper strain relief (like SKINTOP® connectors) where the cable enters the machine box. This stops the weight of the cable from pulling on the connections.

Oil and Chemical Resistance:The PVC jacket is good against oil and coolant. But if you are in a place with very aggressive chemicals (like strong solvents), you might need a special TPE or PUR jacket. However, for 95% of machine shops, this PVC jacket is tough enough.

Comparison: Why This Beats Generic “Flexible Cable”

Let’s compare this German import to a generic cable you find on a discount site.

Yes, the upfront cost of the UNITRONIC® is higher. But the cost of downtime is much higher. One hour of a production line stopping costs more than the price of a whole roll of this cable. Buying quality is buying insurance for your production.

Get Your Quote Today

We are a factory specializing in high-quality control cables. We understand the pain of signal loss and mechanical failure. We supply the UNITRONIC® LiYCY (TP) 12-core 0.14mm² cable, cut to your length, or in full drums (305 meters).We can also provide the specific UL/CSA AWM Style 2464 version if you need to ship your machinery to the United States.Don’t risk your machine’s performance with cheap wire. Use the cable that the top German engineers designed for the toughest factories in the world.Ready to order? Send us an email with your requirements.

• Need 100 meters? 500 meters? 1 drum?
• Need special connectors (like EPIC® or Maxi TERMI-POINT®)?
• Need a custom print on the jacket?

Contact us now for the best price and fastest delivery. Let’s keep your machines running smoothly.