With the rapid development of Industry 4.0, robotics, and intelligent manufacturing, traditional power and signal transmission solutions can no longer meet the needs of mechanical motion . Ultraflex cable (also known as highly flexible cables or motion cables) have emerged to address this need. They are not only “flexible,” but also possess fatigue resistance, bending resistance, and torsion resistance.
What is a Ultraflex cable?
Ultraflex cable is a special type of cable manufactured using special processes that can withstand millions or even tens of millions of continuous bending, twisting, and stretching without breaking its core .
Unlike ordinary household or fixed installation cables, the core value of Ultraflex Cable lies in its resistance to bending and torsion .
Why is it “super soft”?
There are three main reasons :
- The Conductor: While ordinary cables use coarse copper wire, Ultraflex cable uses high-purity oxygen-free copper wire with an extremely fine diameter (typically 0.05mm to 0.10mm). Thousands of these fine wires are “bundled” together, giving the conductor exceptional flexibility .
- Special cabling pitch: By using an extremely short twist pitch, the stress caused by compression on the inside and tension on the outside during bending is offset, preventing the cable from developing a “snake-like” deformation during frequent movement.
- High-strength, wear-resistant sheath (The Jacket): Made of specially modified PVC, PUR (polyurethane), or TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). The cable has a small bending radius and is also resistant to low temperatures, oil, and abrasion .
How to select Ultraflex cable
Step 1: Determine how the cable should be moved?
Before selecting a model, first consider how your equipment operates:
Linear reciprocating motion (drag chain application): moving horizontally left and right like a tank chain.
Key points for selection: Choose a bend-resistant drag chain cable. Pay attention to the “cycle count”. They are available in grades such as 5 million, 10 million, and 20 million cycles.
Rotational/torsional motion (robotic arm): When the equipment is running, the cable will be twisted like a towel being wrung out.
Key points for selection: Select “Robot Twisting Cable”. Ordinary drag chain cables, once used for twisting, will quickly break apart like shredded paper.
Vertical lifting (elevator or suspension): The cable is subjected to vertical force.
Key selection criteria: The cable must have reinforcing ribs (such as Kevlar fiber or steel wire) to prevent it from being stretched and deformed due to its own weight.
Step 2: Calculate the cable bending radius
After determining how the cable will move, the bending radius must be calculated.
Calculation formula: R=7.5*D
R: Bending radius
D: Cable outer diameter
Step 3: Determine the material of the cable outer sheath
The material can be determined based on the following standards :
| Scene | Recommended materials | Pitfall Avoidance Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary drying room | PVC | It is the cheapest, but it is not resistant to oil or low temperatures. |
| There are cutting oils and lubricating oils. | PUR (Polyurethane) | PUR must be selected. Ordinary PVC becomes brittle when exposed to oil, making the cable less durable. |
| Outdoors or extreme cold | TPE/TPU | It can maintain the flexibility of the cable even at temperatures as low as -40°C , ensuring it will not freeze and crack. |
Have you ever encountered these problems?
- Frequent core breakage: After the machine operates tens of thousands of times, the copper wires inside the cable break, causing the production line to stop and resulting in huge losses.
- “Spinning” or twisting: The cable gets tangled in the cable chain, the sheath deforms like a twisted rope, and eventually wears out and becomes unusable.
- Sheath cracking/swelling: In the presence of oil, cutting fluid, or low temperature environments, the sheath of ordinary cables may harden and crack or soften like a biscuit soaked in water.
- Signal interference: When power cables and signal cables are close together, the high flexibility required makes the shielding layer prone to breakage, leading to packet loss in data transmission.
- Not enough space: Small equipment requires cables with extremely small bending radii, but ordinary cables simply cannot be bent in that direction, or they will break if bent.
If you have encountered any of the above problems, please feel free to contact us, and we will provide you with the perfect solution.