Dynamic cable design for industrial automation

With the ongoing industrial networking of production facilities and robotics, the demands on cable design are also increasing. For continuous cabling from the drag chain to the robot arm, the cables must have dynamic properties that conventional drag chain cables cannot meet. That is why specialty cable manufacturer SAB Bröckskes has developed a new low-capacitance cable generation with high bending and torsion resistance.

Product innovations for drag chain applications

The polyurethane-coated data cables and drag chain-compatible control cables of the S200 series are considered classics in the SABdynamic portfolio. The series has excellent mechanical properties, is particularly flexible, abrasion-resistant, notch-resistant, oil-resistant, and chemically resistant. The cut-resistant and low-adhesion PUR outer jacket guarantees a long service life and economic efficiency. S200 cables are therefore ideal for continuous use in multi-shift operation with millions of bending cycles and are used, for example, in energy chains, as control or data cables on industrial robots, in production lines, in handling devices, and in automation systems. The S99 ECO is a particularly economical alternative, a cable series with polypropylene core insulation and a polyurethane sheath in a ThinWall design, which is suitable for permanent flexible use with moderate mechanical stress. New to the portfolio is the SABorganic S1000, a climate-friendly cable variant with an outer jacket made of 45% bio-based polyurethane.

Torsion-resistant robot cables

Unlike drag chain cables, permanently flexible control and data cables for industrial robot, plant, and machine tool construction also require outstanding torsion resistance. In addition to frequent bending cycles, the cables must also withstand severe twisting, caused, for example, by the swiveling and rotating movements of production robots. The torsion cables of the RT113, RT113D, RT123, and RT123D series, marketed under the SAB Robot brand, are designed in terms of material, cable design, and stranding for high torsion angles between ± 270° and ± 450° over 0.5 m. The torsion cables withstand mechanical stresses, in particular abrasion and grinding, as well as simultaneous continuous flexible torsion and bending stresses with free movement without tensile stress. They are suitable for dry, damp, and wet locations as well as low ambient temperatures down to -50°C.

New dynamics in cable management

We are now introducing our latest innovation, the new CSA and UL/cUL-approved SABdynamic 900 and 910 cable generation in Control and Data versions. With the 910 series, we are offering a tested standard solution for the first time that can be used in virtually all dynamic applications, from drag chain use to robot cables. The extended range of applications already covers functions that previously required specially designed cables. Combining a highly robust cable design with the tight bending radii and fast bending changes required for drag chains required optimal coordination of material properties and thicknesses from the sheath to the core insulation and stranding. Extensive tests in the SAB test center, which has been expanded with two new testing machines, have confirmed the bending, shearing, and torsion resistance in continuous operation. The special PUR sheath material ensures high robustness of the sheathing even with reduced cable diameters and reduced sheath thickness. Pair or bundle stranding ensures that the cores can withstand millions of bending stresses without distortion or core breakage.

Signal integrity over the entire length

Another advantage of the new cable generation is the reduced line capacity. As the line length increases, capacitive effects intensify, which can lead to unwanted coupling and higher leakage currents. Low-capacitance control cables are therefore particularly advantageous for sensitive control and automation systems. They minimize these undesirable effects and also improve electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). In data cables, the reduced line capacities have a particularly positive effect on signal integrity, which is required for real-time data communication. Thanks to the reduced material thickness of the SABIX-based insulation sheath, the SABdynamic 900 and 910 in the Data version achieve very high signal integrity and therefore guarantee interference-free and loss-free data transmission for real-time applications even with cable lengths exceeding 20 m. In addition, the halogen-free model series has a flame-retardant, self-extinguishing PUR jacket and is therefore also approved for the North American market in accordance with UL and CSA.

For more information visit: sab-cable.com

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