calmontwireandcable

Custom wire and cable: Reducing your cost.

2012-02-09T08:55:00.001-08:00

With custom cable it is not uncommon to hear “Copper prices just dropped, why didn’t my cable price go down?” Copper prices are a major factor affecting custom wire and cable prices but not the sole factor. Custo

m cable is normally made to order and many times in smaller quantities which is affected by the prices of materials at the time of ordering. “Off the shelf” commodity wire is usually made continuously and in large volumes which absorb day to day cost fluctuations of copper/metals, compounds and labor/set up keeping the price more stable.

Here are just a few factors which affect the prices of custom wire and cable products

Petroleum prices- Which can range from transport and freight costs to the actual compounds which are made from petroleum products.beside copper:

Material shortages- An example is the fluoropolymer (FEP), earlier this year due to the earthquake in Japan affected production for Daikin and DuPont which are the only manufacturers of fluoropolymers in the world today. In addition with China cutting back on their fluorospar exports which happened at the same time resulted in an increase of 20-30% for the compounds.

Material minimums- Custom cable designs sometimes use conductors and compounds which are not commonly used and are subject to minimum buys which are factored into the per foot price of the cable.
Set up- Setting up equipment takes time and material, the higher the volume the less the set up costs affect final price.

There are ways to help keep your cost down, for example:

Plan ahead – Placing blanket orders, scheduling orders over multiple shipments over time. Buying higher volumes helps absorb minimums by amortizing material, set up and labor costs. Sometimes the overall cost for ordering 1000 feet is less than ordering 200- 500 feet. Ask for price breaks to evaluate your options.

Request samples – Custom wire is usually specialized to the design however you can check to see if your manufacture has a similar item they can sample you. This is helpful when you need prototype of proof of concept quantities. Many custom cable manufacturers have sample stock and overruns available which may be similar to what you need.

Wait for it- If you time to wait, ask your cable manufacture if they have any upcoming jobs using the same material. Running your order along with another may save you on set up costs and/or minimums. It's a long shot, but can be done if your material is a more common one.

Substitutions- Ask what is driving the price. If a material minimum is involved, find out if there is a substitute material which may be readily available you can use. Sometimes just changing the plating or strand count can make the difference.

Custom Cable-High Performance Custom Wire and Cable

2012-01-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

What makes a wire or cable a custom wire or cable? One would think it would have to be an elaborate cable design, but in reality something as simple as a unique color or printing can make the cable become a custom cable.

Custom wire and cable is not readily available or stocked by distributors or manufacturers. Simply put, custom wire and cable is anything that is made to order specifically for a customer. Hypothetically, let's say you have a commodity cable that you use regularly but now your product design has changed and you need one or two more conductors. You check with your distributor and the manufacture doesn't offer that construction. You now need to turn to a custom wire and cable manufacturer which is set up to run special construction cable with little or no minimums

.Yes you will pay a little higher per foot than you do with the commodity wire however, you get exactly what you need and the performance you require. Prices between custom and commodity cable can't be compared as the construction and materials are different and the quantity produced are much lower with the custom cable. In the end it's all about having choices available to make a better product.

A few benefits of using custom wire and cable include:

Engineered specifically for your application
Custom configurations
Custom colors and/or printing
Improved performance

You have choices! When having a custom wire or cable designed you a wide range of options to assist in building the right wire or cable for your needs. Some options include:

Gauge sizes, smaller gauges available
Insulation and jacket materials
Type of shielding and construction
Conductor stranding, plating and type

Reverse engineering is used in situations where the origin of a cable is unknown or there is no information about the wire or cable. Engineers in most cases will carefully dissect the wire or cable taking measurements and noting the construction of conductors, cable lay, shielding, fillers and other vital information. A series of tests are performed to determine the insulation and jacket materials. At this point if a customer would like to see improvements in the cable's performance such as a more flexible cable, or higher flex life it should be mentioned to the engineers so changes can be made to the design.

So who uses custom cables? Just about every industry including medical, robotics, aerospace, music/audio, and more. Building a better mousetrap often means designing a product that will exceed its expected performance and the wire and cable needs to be considered as well.

If you do not know much about wire and cable properties, don't be alarmed. Custom cable manufacturers have engineering resources to assist you with every step of the way starting with deermining the right materials and construction based on your application and requirements.

If you have questions about custom wire and cable or a project that you need assistance with, contact Calmont for assistance. Feel free to post any questions or comments you may have. If you enjoyed this article please feel free to share it.

Medical Wire and Cable-Applications of Medical Wire

2012-01-27T05:20:00.000-08:00

Medical wire and cable is different than wire and cable

used in other applications. Design engineers need to keep this in mind when specifying their cable. Often time custom medical cables are needed due to bio-compatibility, sterilization and possibly smaller sized device requirements.

When specifying a medical cable one needs to keep in mind several factors such as:

Sterilization techniques autoclave, gamma, alcohol?
Will this be a disposable cable?
Will the cable come in contact with the patient? Bio compatibility.
Flexibility requirements.
How will the device be used day to day?

Due to time constraints many times engineers will sometimes settle for a readily available off the shelf cable for prototypes or proof of concept, which is fine for the short term. When it comes to field and clinical trials a prototype should be made with wire or cable specifically designed for the application to better measure longevity and functionality. Medical cable applications fall into several categories; handheld medical devices are a large segment of medical cable applications.

Medical Hand Piece Cables

Cables for medical hand pieces must carry the power, control, sensor and data to and from the hand piece. The cable may be as simple as a two-conductor cable, providing power to a cut & cauterize scalpel or a multi-conductor power, control and sensor cable used on an orthopedic surgery device. Cables for handheld medical lasers likely contain lumens for cooling. Ablating hand piece cables can also contain lumens for irrigation and suction removal.

The design of medical hand pieces falls into two categories: re-useable and disposable. See below for information on Disposable Medical Cables and Re-useable Medical Cables.

Disposable Medical Cables

Disposable medical cables are made from the lowest cost materials that will meet the design needs of the device. Conductor cost is dictated more by the number of strands used to make the conductor. The higher the strand count the more flexible the wire becomes. A marketing trade-off is often made for disposable cables, i.e. increase stiffness can be tolerated by the need to hold cost down. 7 or 19 strand conductors can be used, where in re-useable cables the strand count can be well over 50. The use of plating is reviewed and bare copper is the most often used. Tin plating is used only to enhance solder ability. Crimping the wires is often the cheapest means of terminating the conductor. Silver plating is rarely used for disposable cables. Conductor sizes are determined by the current needs of the device.

Insulation and jacket materials are chosen by cost. Low cost materials such as Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) or Thermo Plastic Elastomers such as poly urethane are often used. Polyethylene can be used as insulation. Insulation and jacket thickness are determined by the voltage ratings of the signals in the cable.

Shields, when required, are usually of a spiral type rather than braid to hold the cost down. Spiral shields may lose shield effectiveness during repeated flexing, but the number of flexes for disposable cables is limited.

Jacket colors usually are chosen by the program. The need for gamma sterilization may limit the color shades available. Colors can change during gamma sterilization and are usually required to be stable for less than 10 cycles to allow for re-sterilization when repackaging is needed.

Re-useable Medical Cables.

Medical cables designed for re-useable devices have to use materials that will withstand several cycles of sterilization by alcohol based agents or autoclaves.

Conductors are made from high strand count conductors for maximum flexibility and often they are made from high strength copper alloys. The size of the conductors is determined by the current they must carry to the device. To withstand the rigors of sterilization, plating’s of tin or silver plating may be required.

Insulation must also withstand the rigors of sterilization and are often either Teflon’s such as FEP, PFA or Tefzel® or Silicone Rubber. The use of lower cost materials may be made on a case by case basis.

When shields are required, they must be made from materials resistant to many sterilization cycles and are often silver plated copper or silver plated high strength copper alloys. Shield construction is usually of a braid rather than a spiral, as spiral shields can move during flexing and compromise the shielding effectiveness.

The more popular choice for cable jackets are made from Santoprene™ TPE which is good for up to 100 cycles of autoclave, or Silicone Rubber.

Medical cable applications also include implantable, medical robotics, therapeutic devices, sensors and monitoring equipment.

To find out more or discuss your applications with medical wire and cable please contact Calmont Wire & Cable.

Please feel free to leave your comments; we would enjoy hearing from you.

Medical Cable- Applications of the Lumen in the Medical Industry

2012-01-08T01:46:00.000-08:00

In the medical device industry a lumen is a term used to describe tubing which is typically used to transfer liquids, gases/air or even other cable components such as fiber optics and cameras. Lumens can be manufactured in a variety of configurations and incorporated inside a cable with multiple lumens (multi-lumen).

If you have been to the dentist then you have had experience with lumens. The handpiece used for air and water has lumens within the cable. The suction piece placed in your mouth is a disposable lumen. Other uses for lumens include micro-surgical instruments and pressure transducers. Cables for handheld medical lasers likely contain lumens for cooling. Ablating handpiece cables can also contain lumens for irrigation and suctioning.

Lumens are not limited to the medical cable industry. Lumens are used in many industries and are often called other names such as tubing or hose.

Other industries using lumens include:

Industrial
Automotive
Instrumentation and sensors
Automation/ robotic

As products become smaller and more compact and it is more common to see tubing and cable incorporated into one component. A few examples outside the medical industry include hi-tech hand sprayers with electronic controller in handpiece, cables with hydraulic fluid tubes, pressure transducers and air controlled switches.

Often when designing a device or equipment with tubing or lumens a custom cable solution is needed. It is important to tell your cable manufacture as much information as possible about the application and its intended use.

Key information may include:

Used for fluid, air or other?
Will it be pressurized?
Type of fluid or gas?
Flexibility requirements?
Bio-compatibility requirements?

The more your cable manufacture knows, the better the design will meet your needs. Working with a cable manufacturer early in your design phase will help to determine tubing size, material and construction to insure your project goes smoothly from the start.

Comments are welcome! Tell us about your lumen application or challenge.

Implantable silicone lumen One of the obvious benefits for using silicone wire

2012-01-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Silicone wire and cable is known for being extremely flexible and resistant to high temperatures, which makes it the material of choice in a variety of applications and industries that require an extremely flexible cable. Silicone wire is also flexible in the many applications and industries that it is used in. For example, Calmont is involved in a wide spectrum of projects using silicone wire and cable ranging from medical implants, automotive ignition wires to applications where the wire was weaved into fabric and even used for art and decorative lighting.

Industries that use silicone wire include:

Medical
Aerospace
Robotics and automation
Automotive

for wire and cable is the flexibility. Silicone wire, depending on the construction can be as limp as a piece of string. This type of wire is ideal with applications where routing a wire through a tight space is required such as, box builds, equipment, robotic arms or handheld devices. Other benefits include resistance to gasoline, alcohol-glycol. The temperature range for standard silicone is -60°C to 200°C and has excellent weather-ability. The downside to silicone is it's abrasion resistance which is fair. Depending on the application this may have no impact, best uses are static installations or when the wire or cable is not subject to contact with sharp objects.

Fluorosilicone is another type which is widely used and has a significantly greater chemical resistance than silicone. It is resistant to hydrocarbon fluids (gasoline / diesel) and solvents. The temperature range varies by the grade. Most is 250C it is available up to 350C upon request. Fluorosilicone also has excellent flexibility and flame retardant properties.

Tell your wire and cable manufacturer any special requirements your application has to get the right silicone compound. There are different grades, and durometers available. Sometimes a special formula or additive may be needed to meet the requirements listed below.

A few options include:

Medical grade
Flame retardant
Low smoke
High temperature to 350°C

Silicone ribbon cables are often used in place of PVC ribbon cables when flexibility is required. Silicone ribbon cables can be extruded or manufactured using a special process to bond the conductors. The construction of the silicone ribbon cable can be from two conductors to over twenty depending on the manufacturer's capabilities.

Co-extrusion: Silicone wire to the Hula Hoop.

2012-01-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

Choosing co-extruded silicone wire for applications that require suppression of electrical noise, corona resistance, low loss of power and extremely flexible nature is ideal. The co-extrusion process for silicone wire involves the combination of two extruders running simultaneously to produce the semi conductive silicone insulation and the silicone outer jacket. There are many applications which require this type of performance.

These applications include:

Aerospace
Medical
X-Ray and MRI
Radar systems
Photo copiers
Robotics

Extruding the semi-conductive insulation and the outer jacket layers of silicone at the same time insures that there is no air or any contamination particles at the joining of the two layers. The use of a semi-conductive silicone layer over the copper conductor reduces corona by filling the space around the conductor with semi-conductive silicone to remove the air. The semi-conductive material also increases the effective corona inception diameter from that of one of the strands in the conductor to a diameter slightly larger than the total conductor diameter. This results in the higher corona inception values and increase effective radius of conductor found in co-extruded silicone wires.

Features and Benefits:

Corona, moisture and ozone resistant
Lightweight and extremely flexible design
Radiation resistance
Excellent electrical characteristics
Resistant to temperature extremes
Lower EMI

Increased Customer Benefits:

Reduces noise on radar
Spots on Xerox copies
Error spots on medical x-ray's

Built in stripes

Other uses for Co-extrusion
In 1958, The Wham-O Company had a problem: The stripe in the original Hula Hoop was painted on and was wearing off quickly after a short time of use. The Wham-O Company asked Calmont Wire & Cable's founder Bill Chilcote to find a solution to the problem. Bill seized the opportunity and developed a co-extrusion process and built the equipment to add the stripe right into the tubing, which made the stripe permanent. The stripe has evolved over the years but the fundamentals of Bill’s technology are still being used today for the Hula Hoop and many other applications in a variety of industries.

Flexible Wire- Conductor and Insulation selection for flexible wire and cable

2011-12-30T20:45:00.000-08:00

Medical device, aerospace and automation manufacturers often require flexible cables for their products. Flexible wire and cable can have many interpretations. Sometimes a simple description such as, “the wire needs to be as limp as a wet noodle” is enough to understand your needs. The choice of type of conductor and insulation can greatly influence the flexibility of the cable performance. Understanding what the flexibility requirements are will help to determine the materials and construction for the flexibility of the wire or cable.

When specifying a flexible cable you need tell your cable manufacturer what the intended use will be.

Do you need to route it through equipment or a tight space?
Will it be subject to repetitive flexing?
Do you need the cable to flexible during use?

There are several factors which make a cable flexible, a few are:

Conductor stranding
Shield types
Cable lay
Insulation materials.

Typically in conductor stranding, the more strands a conductor has the more flexible the wire will be. Normally “off the shelf” wire and cable is stranded in 7 or 19 strand configurations, is not flexible enough for most applications requiring flexible or high flex cycles. The general rule is the higher the strand count of the conductor, the more flexible the wire or cable will be. Stranded conductors are composed of un-insulated “strands” of wire twisted together. The advantages of stranded conductor over a single strand are increased flexibility and flex-fatigue life. When you see 22AWG (19/34) for example, what the description means is that there are 19 strands of 34 AWG making up the 22 AWG conductor. Other common options for a 22 AWG is a single strand (solid) up to 168/44 strands. The construction of the conductor also plays a role in the cable’s flexibility, for example a rope stranding is the most flexible. For repetitive flexing applications such as robotics and automation, the use of high strand alloy material is recommended.

Choosing the right insulation can add to the cable’s flexibility. Silicone is one the most flexible of the compounds used. Silicone wire is used to meet a variety of demands such as extreme high and low temperature requirements, flame resistance, flexibility, strength and purity. The application and environment also play a role when choosing jacket material. Harsh environments, chemicals, and abrasion will narrow down your insulation and jacket options. Discussing your flexible wire application with a cable manufacturer can help you choose the right materials for the performance and longevity of your product

Finding Reliable Aerospace Products

2011-10-27T23:39:00.000-07:00

Though it is not something most of us think about every day, some people’s livelihoods are dependent on finding high-quality aerospace products. Things like a specialty wire and cable and other materials need to be reliable and trustworthy. When you are building flying machines, you have to understand you have the lives of others in your hands. Though you need to protect your bottom line and make smart investments to save money, you also need to make safety your main priority.

Industrial wire and cable products are one of the most important investments you will make as an airplane manufacturer. If you are in charge of buying materials, you will probably have access to several different options. Your choices will not be unlimited, though. Most airplane parts and airplanes are built by one of just a few different companies. All have comparable quality and are well-known within the industry. If you have spent any length of time working in the industry, you are familiar with the companies that manufacture parts. If you should come across a company that offers parts for a deeply discounted rate, you should be skeptical of their quality.

It might be tempting to look for discounts on coaxial cables you buy in bulk. This is the common line of thinking for managers and buyers in large companies. You are always looking out for your bottom line. However, when you are dealing with an industry in which safety is a factor, the price should be secondary. Finding quality materials is your main priority. If you try to cut corners, it could cost people their lives.

Conductor flexible cables are just a few of the components you will be focused on when building an airplane. You might feel as if your attention is being pulled in several different directions. You have a lot of responsibility, but you still need to make intelligent decisions that provide you with the safest materials possible. Do your research and make sure you are making a smart choice. You can look for a good deal or buy parts from a lesser-known manufacturer, but in the long run, you are likely to regret your decision. Proceed with caution and make sure you have your priorities in order. There are plenty of ways to get great deals on parts without sacrificing quality or safety.

Custom Cable Requirements for Aerospace, Defense, And Medical Industries

2011-09-11T23:36:00.001-07:00

Wire and cable companies have the unique privilege and responsibility of supplying materials to important applications ranging from medical fields to military defense. Common requirements of military or aerospace wire and cables include tensile strength, longevity, temperature resistance, purity of materials, conductivity, and a host of other factors. Let’s examine each of these properties that custom cables and wires must possess in order to serve the function these wires are designed to fulfill.

Tensile strength, longevity, and temperature. In the harsh, zero gravity environment of space, and the unforgiving climate conditions in parts of the Middle East, having equipment that will perform optimally despite adverse temperature, humidity, and impact damage can mean the difference between a successful mission, or the loss of human and equipment assets. In a context closer to home, a team of surgeons assisted by surgical robot machines employing high-tech robotics cables, can help a patient undergoing surgery in ways not previously possible. And it is important to the success of a surgical operation that these robotic components perform at the highest level of efficiency with regards to conductivity and strength.

Conductivity and purity of materials. This refers to the ability of custom cables to convey power and data through their medium within acceptable parameters of time taken and power transferred. For equipment to operate properly, the right amount of data or power within the allotted time required for a wide range of applications. Much of the technology employed by the medical, defense, and aerospace engineering fields run on electric power, and that power is conveyed through various lengths of wires and cables from a power source to the end of a crane’s arm or a space shuttle’s piloting console HUD display.

All these critical qualities of custom wires and cables play an integral role when operational requirements call for specified and tangible results in the context of aerospace, defense, and medical applications. And since these applications by nature have high standards of performance due to the stakes involved for each respective industry, experts in this specific field of custom cables and wires manufacturing are usually the ones who handle these requirements for NASA, government agencies, and various medical practices.

Wire Applications in Military Vehicles: H Model Cougar MRA

2011-08-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

Applications for custom wires and cables generally fall into one of several categories, one of which being mechanical requirements for military vehicles and equipment. Military wires and cables provide electrical power, communications, and a host of other functions within a given piece of hardware.

As combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq (Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom) intensified, there was a growing need for a series of vehicles designed to survive the explosive threats posed by the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) as well as conventional mining and ambush tactics employed against Coalition personnel. These vehicles were collectively described as MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) capable, and would be specifically built to defeat these threats. One such vehicle is the Cougar. Manufactured by Force Protection Inc. employing advanced flexible wire technology, the Cougar has been in production, and in service for the past seven years.

Vehicles such as the Cougar are not new designs. While new to the US military, the Cougar design can trace its origins to the Olifant Manufacturing Company of South Africa, which originally developed the multi-wheeled, "V" shaped blast hull design for use by the South African military in its operations against Angola and Namibia in the 1980s. These vehicles were designed to have good road speeds and endurance (to allow for the long distances traveled, as well as reduced maintenance requirements because of their wheeled design) and were specifically designed with advanced silicone wires and armor technologies to maximize passenger survivability against small arms ambushes and conventionally laid mines and IEDs.

The Cougar MRAP H model is a 19.4 feet long, 9 feet wide (spare tires mounted), 8.6 feet tall (not including turret splash shield.) 3-door, diesel powered, 3-ton capacity 4-wheel drive Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle. The Cougar-H is The Cougar is equipped with an automatic transmission and in addition to the driver and co-driver, has seating for 4 additional passengers. Each seat is equipped with a 4-point ribbon cable shielded pur safety harness. The vehicle is equipped with driver/co-driver doors, as well as double doors for the passenger compartment, and a single vehicle accessibility hatch on the roof. The Cougar is equipped with dual A/C units (24,000/48,000 BTU/hour), is NBC overpressure and filter protected, and is equipped with a 9,000-pound capacity electrically powered winch. The unprepared fording depth is 39 inches, an approach angle of 40 degrees and a departure angle of 50 degrees. The Cougar is capable of travel both on and off road and is equipped with run-flat tire inserts. The Cougar-H is air transportable by the C-17 transport aircraft.

Requirements Information On Custom and Medical Cables

2011-07-18T23:17:00.001-07:00

Custom cables are cables specially designed and manufactured to meet specific needs of clients. Companies that manufacture custom cables offer a whole variety of specialist services in diverse fields such as aerospace, telecommunications, radar, military, medical, industrial electronics, transportation, commercial, marine and many other fields. Custom cable manufacturers provide complete control from unique design to finished product, extremely competitive service and lead times that suit their clients. They also work with their clients to find a cost effective solution for all their clients’ custom cable needs.

High performance military wires and cables must meet the most stringent requirements for airframe defense wiring and other on-board applications. Military wire should have high temperature resistance, be small in dimension, be low weight, have low flame propagation and be mechanically tough and chemically resistant. Custom designed cables are used in radar systems, wire and special avionics cables, weapons systems cables, electronic surveillance and others. Custom military wire manufacturers develop, manufacture and market custom designed cables and cable assemblies for demanding military applications.

Aerospace cables are designed to offer optimal performance in the special conditions found in aircraft, where requirements commonly include high reliability, long lifetime, high strength, light weight and wider temperature ranges than standard telecommunications grade fiber/cable. Typical applications of aerospace cables are In-flight entertainment systems, In-flight networking systems, display systems, data transmission, communication systems, high-temperature environments and corrosive chemical environments.

Medical cables manufacturers provide medical wire for the demanding requirements of medical instrumentation. These cables provide consistent and reliable performance. The designs of medical cables utilize features that are important in health care applications. Flexibility and extended flex life, high strand counts, coolant tubes, flat cables and bonded-zip constructions, lead free insulations, coaxial composite cables, shielding and high strength conductors and shields are some of the important features provided by custom medical wire companies. Medical imaging, diagnostic instrumentation, dental x-ray machines, medical robotics, cardiac instrumentation and precision lasers are some of the fields where custom medical cables are used

Custom Cables: Quality Counts

2011-06-27T21:37:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of jobs in the world that require some sort of cable. Because these jobs are so diverse, most hardware and home improvement stores carry all kinds of different cable. But even with this level of variety, not every cable need can be met by a local hardware store. For special jobs, it may become necessary to order flexible cables from a cable manufacturer. There are many reasons why a company might need to purchase a custom-made cable, but there aren't too many places to get cable made exactly to your specifications. That's why, when you find a good one, you've got to hold on to them.

If you need a specific type of silicone wire, then a company that makes custom cables might be able to make exactly what you need. Silicone is a great material for wire because it's heat-resistant, extremely flexible and durable, and it doesn't stick to things. If you need a special type of wire for a delicate job, then silicone is an excellent material to choose for the job. The problem is more one of finding someone who makes wire with this material than of figuring out what material you should use.

The aerospace industry is an industry that often needs custom wire and cables made. Because precision and durability are key in aerospace applications, it is of utmost importance for silicone cables to be of the highest possible quality and durability. If you skimp on cost in the aerospace industry, you're playing with people's lives just to save a few dollars. It's definitely worth the money to have custom wire made that is sure to do the job that you need done, as opposed to opting for the next-best thing or any other cheaper alternative to your first choice of material.

If you need super flexible custom cable, silicone is also an excellent choice. It bends easily and doesn't lose elasticity with movement. Some materials lose their elasticity the more you move them around, but not so with silicone. There are all different kinds of wire out in the world, and not all of them are cheap. But, in some cases, it's not about how much something costs. It's about how effective and durable that product is because a high-quality could make a life-saving difference in practice. And it's worth the money to keep people safe as they push the boundaries of what mankind can accomplish. For additional information, visit http://www.calmont.com/ to learn more.

Cables – Numerous Options And Applications

2011-05-12T00:50:00.000-07:00

As technology continues to drive the world, an often overlooked aspect of most systems and networks lies in the lowly cable. Whether you are wiring your home during new construction, handling the cable needs of a huge commercial complex, or using cables temporarily for a major event indoors or outside, you'll find yourself facing a need for cable. While most people are unaware of it, there are many different types of cables and wires that exist. From environmentally friendly cables to high grade military wire, whatever your cable needs may be you have more options at hand than you might suspect.

Green cables are becoming much more popular as concerns about the environment continue to grow. Many homes under construction now utilize these cables to wire networks, home theater systems, gaming centers, and computers for a number of reasons. First, they are made without the use of PVC, lead, halogen, and other harmful chemicals and materials. During a fire these chemicals will give off a thick black smoke filled with cancer causing agents. They're much less toxic and even have less of a negative impact if they find their way into our nation's landfills. These cables are becoming more available than ever and are easy to find.

Military cable is just what it sounds like – cables used predominantly by the military to carry data between command centers and other installations. While they are more expensive than standard cable, these types of cables are growing in popularity in private use due to their reliability and durability. High frequency applications are commonly needed in military settings and in private ones now as well, and these cables are designed to not only handle those frequencies without signal degradation but also to stand up to the most taxing conditions. High heat, severe moisture, extreme cold, and other conditions that would destroy most cable's effectiveness have little effect on these cables.

Finally, flexible cable is another type of cable that sees plenty of use but is often not given a second glance. This cable is commonly found in most industrial settings and is designed to withstand flexing, twisting, turning, and other stresses that other cables would fall apart on. Running from a control center along the length of moving machine parts such as robotic arms and other tools, these cables can withstand the constant pressure that these applications create. From environmentally friendly to incredibly durable, no matter what type of cable you need, there is absolutely a solution out there.

Wire, Cable, And Extruded Shapes For Custom Solutions

2011-04-18T22:24:00.001-07:00

Custom cables are cables that are specifically designed and manufactured to meet a customer’s specific applications. Each Custom Cable incorporates unique components and not only performs its electrical requirements but also works in the desired environment. Manufacturers require a full dialogue with the end customer to establish all the specific criteria needed to ensure that the custom cable meets both performance and cost requirements.

Custom Wire and Cable manufacturing companies provide Custom Cable Solutions to many of the World’s largest companies. Custom Cables are required by innovative and cutting edge companies in the medical, robotics, aerospace, military, sensors, and a host of other industries. With multiple standard insulation and cable jacket options and a wide variety of approved materials and manufacturing capabilities, Custom Cable manufacturing companies work with their customers’ teams to design, manufacture and test Custom Cables to suit their customers’ applications and budgets.

Silicone cable and medical wires provide critical support in an increasingly technological medical world. Custom Medical Wire manufacturers are committed to the highest levels of quality, performance and dependability throughout each phase of the company’s operations. From front-end design and materials sourcing to state-of-the-art manufacturing and supply chain efficiency, Custom Medical Wire and Cable manufacturers offer proven strategies that deliver competitive solutions without compromising on today’s quality in health care standards. Custom Medical Wire and Cable is used by cutting-edge medical instrumentation companies, including those in the surgical, patient monitoring, diagnostic imaging, cardiac, dialysis, implant devices, handheld instruments, lasers, oximetry and other fields.

There is flexible wire and there is super flexible wire. Super flexible wire is usually used in the medical and military markets. A long flex life and a high flexure index level are important characteristics of super flexible wire. Basically, it should be possible to fetch it far and often. It should also be moisture resistant, abrasion resistant and deformation resistant. Custom Wire and Cable companies provide super flexible wire with all the properties needed in high strength applications such as bio-medical instrumentation, missiles, recorders and servers, sensor leads and continuous flexing in computer peripheral equipment.

Custom Cable Manufacturing 101

2011-03-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Although a person is technically oriented, it doesn’t mean he can’t make environmentally -sound choices. One way to go green is to use green cable in one’s home theater, gaming devices and PCs. Green cables aren’t made of nasty, harmful toxins. Instead, they will keep hazardous substances out of one’s home, and once disposed off, will not seep these hazardous materials into landfills. When the functionality of these green cables is over, there will not be any necessity to re-cycle them or dispose them off for other articles. And better yet, finding green cabling that is environment friendly doesn’t mean having to sacrifice on quality and performance. Green cables are manufactured without the use of harmful materials such as PVC, Phthalates, lead or halogen. There are a whole lot of consumer electronics companies that manufacture their products from toxic-free substances. Green cables are available today so there is no reason not to make the right choice!

Custom cables are required for applications with demanding requirements such as ultra-flexibility and high voltage and high temperature tolerance. By using custom cables a much higher product quality is achieved. Anything that can’t be bought readily off the shelf, the custom cable manufacturers can deliver.

Flexible cable serves a large variety of purposes. Flexible electrical wire is often a vital component of electrical and electronic equipment. It has uses in military and industrial settings. Flexible wiring is not only a component of medical equipment, but doctors also use it to perform medical procedures. Various companies design and manufacture customized flexible cables. Military grade flexible wire must be ISO certified. Flexible wire used in aerospace industries is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures while still retaining its flexibility.

Military wire and cable are suitable for demanding military electronic applications. Military wire may be used in high frequency electronic applications where high temperatures will probably be encountered. Military wire is specially designed for the harshest of environments and has to meet the military specifications. Because it is designed for extreme conditions, military wire can be used for an array of purposes. Some applications include shielding and protective covering, airframe wire, point to point wiring, antennas, bus-bar, ground wire and for bonding moving parts. Military wire is available in numerous styles, sizes and conductors to meet the requirements intended by the consumers. For additional information, visit www.calmont.com to learn more.

Getting The Right Custom Cable For Your Application

2011-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

With each passing day, the need for customized solutions is rising steeply. Customers require solutions designed and manufactured for their specific needs. Custom cables and wires are readily available and affordable. Buyers can get their precise design needs met at manageable cost and with shorter lead times. Custom cables are developed for use by cutting edge companies in medical, robotics, aerospace, military, sensory and a host of other industries. They are specifically designed for meeting exacting requirements, such as ultra-flexibility and high voltage and high temperature tolerance. The extensive capabilities and the variety of materials used by custom design companies form the basis for their innovative designs.

Silicone rubber insulated high voltage wire and cable offers excellent dielectric strength and flexibility. Silicone wire is extremely popular for its superb electrical properties and high thermal conductivity. These light weighted yet long lasting silicone cables are resistant to moisture, chemicals, ozone and sunlight. Operability over a wide temperature range and ease of silastic bonding are other outstanding characteristics of silicone rubber cables. High quality silicone wire is used in the medical, military and space industries. It is also used in high temperature applications like motors, transformers, generators, lighting fixtures, power supplies and in electronic devices.

The need for flexible wire and cable is paramount in some industries. Flexible wire is multi-stranded wire insulated with PVC, silicone, TPE, Teflon and other insulating materials. Each application requires a unique flexibility. The right design is used along with the right choice of conductors and compounds to produce flexible wire and cable that are long lasting and fit the customer’s requirements. Some industries that commonly require flexible wire and cable are medical, robotics, aerospace, sensors, test & measurement and instrumentation.

Medical wire is manufactured for meeting the exacting and specific requirements of medical equipment. Wire in different grades of stainless steel, precious metals and a range of other materials along with coatings and surface treatments such as anodizing and electroplating is made available. Insulation and bondable coatings are applied to the wire which makes them consistent and extremely tenacious. Medical wire can be delivered in the form of spools, coils, braider bobbins and straightened lengths. Medical wire is widely used in a whole range of medical equipment, such as cardiology, surgery, laparoscopy, ultrasound and radiology.

As medical technology gets to be more and more sophisticated, the demand for custom wire and cable is going to increase manifold. With each passing day, more medical equipment companies will go in for customized wire and cable.

International Wire and Cable Market Growth and Development

2011-01-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

PRLog recently reports of the developing growth and advancing technologies of the global wire and cable market. This press release provided an overview of the market size based on volume and value sales, with analysis of the following aspects: materials: plastics, metals, fiber, superconductors; technologies: power transmission and non-power transmission; and application sectors: residential, commercial, and industrial premises, and utility providers. It also discussed analysis of global market trends of custom and coaxial cable sale trends, with data from 2009, estimates for 2010, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2015, and outlined basic operating principles of cables and wires, with sections on the anatomy of a cable, fundamentals of power transmission, and fundamentals of telecom signaling and data transmission.

The terms cables and wires in this report are used interchangeably. For instance, custom cables refer to the physical structure that is used to conduct electrical current and telecommunications signal/payload. The term cable should thus be distinguished from the same term used in context of the cable television industry, for instance.

Cables and wires are the most commonplace indicators of a wide range of technologies existing in various stages of sophistication. As in other fields, military wires primarily serve two purposes: transmission of power and transmission of telecommunications payloads and signals. These two broad usages span a wide array of applications and industries. Consequently cables and wires comprise a formidable market on their own.

The underlying operating principle has remained consistent over the years and is fairly uncomplicated with regards to cables super flexible wires serving as conduits to connect high-tech islands. This simplicity in technology does not rub off on its market dynamics. The result of this simplicity is a large number of significant stakeholders. Additionally, these diverse stakeholders are very sensitive to macroeconomic trends on the global scale.

The raw material costs on the supply side explain much of the volatility in the cable market. As a result, the pricing trends of cables and wires are not entirely driven by market demand. The market is also far from being homogenous, with the end user profiles ranging from wholesale purchasers, telecom operators, retail users, utility managers, power supply companies as well as enterprises. The leverage enjoyed by the buyers is by and large proportional to their purchase volumes and inversely proportional to the importance of cables and wires to their applications. For additonal information, please visit www.calmont.com to learn mor

Medical Cable- Applications of the Lumen in the Medical Industry

2011-01-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

Lumens are not limited to the medical cable industry. Lumens are used in many industries and are often called other names such as tubing or hose.

Other industries using lumens include:

Industrial
Automotive
Instrumentation and sensors
Automation/ robotic

Key information may include:

Used for fluid, air or other?
Will it be pressurized?
Type of fluid or gas?
Flexibility requirements?
Bio-compatibility requirements?

Comments are welcome! Tell us about your lumen application or challenge.

Have a question? For more information on lumens, tubing, or custom cable visit www.calmont.com/

Buy Custom Cables Over The Internet

2010-12-30T03:34:00.000-08:00

Custom cables have a myriad of applications. Whether you are a business or an individual, if you need cables for your project there are only a few places where you are able to get them. Most companies can contact manufacturers or wholesalers directly to get the cable they need at the best price possible. Other people, however, have to make do with what they find in the home improvement store or what they can buy from a local business. However, there is another option that many people may not think of and that is purchasing the cables you need over the internet. There are many reasons why you would want to do that.

Convenience – Ordering over the internet is the ultimate in convenience. You can view the inventory of companies, pick out what you need, and pay with your credit card all from the comfort of your home or office. This setup is perfect for people who have busy lives and would rather not spend their days wandering around a mega superstore looking for silicone cable. Using the internet allows you to get the products you need quickly and easily so you can get on with your life.

Better Pricing – The internet has become a popular place for manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributers. The main reason for this is that the costs to start and run a business over the internet is much less than what it costs to run a brick and mortar store. This cost savings allows them to offer lower prices on products such as super flexible wire. Oftentimes you will be able to get a product for significantly lower than what you would pay in your local retail store which can add up to big savings over time. Some may even give you bulk pricing if you need to order a lot.

Home Delivery – The products you order online are shipped directly to your doorstep saving you the trouble of having to transport items, like flexible cable, from the store to your house. This added level of convenience allows you to focus on what is important to you such as spending time with your friends and family members. Some companies will even allow you to ship to another address so you can have item shipped directly to your work site. When looking for a reputable supplier carefully evaluate each site until you find one you are comfortable ordering from. For additional information, www.calmont.com visit to learn more.

Case Studies: Shuttle Arm And Artificial Wine Cork

2010-11-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

It was not surprising that Calmont Wire & Cable was contacted when the difficult task of designing the wire and flexible cable for the Space Shuttle Orbiter Robotic Arm was required. Calmont’s engineering challenge involved designing a series of cables that would allow freedom of movement across critical joints. For complex machining involved in the field of robotics, especially in a temperature-varying and zero-gravity environment of outer space, a great level of engineering skill and application is required.

Equally important was providing custom cables attaching to precision strain gauges monitoring the load. Calmont’s experience with building high reliability robotic cables as well as military wires, coupled with years of aerospace and military experience, facilitated the design of a series of cables that are still in use today. By designing a cable utilizing an extremely high strand conductor, along with the careful consideration to cable geometry, Calmont was able to effectively reduce the torque across the critical joints of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Robotic Arm.

Calmont is proud of its willingness to be challenged. A scientist hired by a California wine consortium to develop an artificial cork approached Calmont to find a way to get it done. When we asked the customer why he chose Calmont, he responded that Calmont was the first company he contacted that wasn’t intimidated by the challenge he presented. Calmont’s ability to process a variety of FDA approved materials and a willingness to work with customer-provided materials, was instrumental in developing this innovative product. It is that kind of response to difficult problems that has made Calmont the preferred supplier for the most demanding and unique applications ranging from culinary to medical wire projects and everything in between. For additional information on custom cables and wires, visit www.calmont.com/ to learn more.

Flexible Cable – Getting Cable Online

2010-10-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

If you are the kind of person who does a lot of work around the house or does a lot of traveling and bicycling, then you are also probably the person who will need a lot of cable. When you are looking for cable, there is a lot that you have to keep in mind. Some people who are not searching for cable will wonder why it’s so difficult. They will think that you can walk into any sporting goods store and find exactly the cable you need. The truth of the matter is that it’s not so easy at all. As a matter of fact, if you are looking for the best kind of cable, then you may really be at a loss. This is why you need to know how to find the best flexible cable and other kinds of cable too.

When you are looking for the best custom cables you are going to need to make sure that you are going online first of all. As a matter of fact, this is the most important thing that you can do when it comes to getting the best cable. If you stick to the stores that are in the neighborhood, you are going to end up with some of the weakest cables on the market. The reason is that the selection at most stores is really limited. If you have heavy duty moving or traveling to do, you are going to want to make sure that you are only using the best cable. As a matter of fact, this is absolutely necessary, especially when it comes to finding the best kind of cable that you can trust.

When you are looking for military wire you are also going to need to go online. There is no better choice when it comes to finding the wire and cable that you need. Some people think that shopping online is a hassle. Others believe that they can’t trust the websites they see. This isn’t true. The truth of the matter is that you can find the absolute best websites that will also provide the best cable and wire. You can be sure about the products that you are buying because they are going to come with customer reviews that will tell you how good they are.

When you need military cable or any other kind of cable you really need to make sure that you are making the best possible decisions. You need to be able to make sure that you are making some smart decisions, otherwise you are going to end up spending a lot more money than you need to spend.

United States Air Force To Invest In “Batman” Technologies For Special Forces

2010-09-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

United States Air Force To Invest In “Batman” Technologies For Special Forces

An Air Force program named for and inspired by the comic superhero Batman is bringing together advanced technologies and specialized miniaturized custom cables to equip U.S. Special Forces soldiers for modern warfare, according to a recent MSNBC report.

Started by the Air Force in 2004, BATMAN (an acronymn for Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided kNowledge) reconfigures military wire and optic components to modernize the gear that soldiers take with them on covert missions in hostile territories.

"In the earliest stages when we were coming up with a name for the program, we were perceived as having a lot of gadgets," said Reggie Daniels, BATMAN program engineer at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. "[Batman's] devices allow him to have an advantage. That is what we're trying to do." Fittingly, the motto of the program is "lighter, smarter, deadlier."

Regarding the first objective, elite Air Force soldiers often must lug up to 160 pounds (73 kilograms) of equipment during a mission, Daniels said. This equipment includes communications gear, helmet displays, a headset and a computer, plus a host of batteries and custom cables to keep all these electronics powered in the field. Special forces missions include setting up runways and landing zones as well as retrieving injured people from aircraft downed behind enemy lines. "They have a very dangerous job," said Daniels.

In many cases, Special Forces' outdated gear has overly burdened them, impeded their time-critical decision-making, or simply not been up to the task at hand, he added.

Before recent battlefield incidents spurred reform, Special Forces "were basically using paper and pencil and calculating [their positions in the field] and they had to hobble equipment together that wasn't supposed to be together," said Daniels.

In one particular disaster in Afghanistan, an improperly reinitialized piece of equipment essentially called in an airstrike on the Special Forces' position, killing a number of troops, said Daniels, though he demurred on the details.

The Department of Defense wanted to ensure that this sort of incident would never happen again, and thus BATMAN was born.

The military version of Bruce Wayne's Batcave is a laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. This is where Daniels and his colleagues devise, test and integrate technologies to boost Special Forces' effectiveness.

Although there is no "Batsuit" per se, the BATMAN program does center around what Daniels called the "human chassis," or the idea of the body as a scaffold for all of a mission's appropriate gear. For example, components such as communications antennas which employ miniaturized silicone wires have been placed closer to the torso rather than at distances that can tax a soldier's balance, Daniels said. A key BATMAN achievement has been reducing the weight of carried batteries by 25 percent. New fuel cells powered by methanol actually get lighter as the methanol is consumed, Daniels said, so instead of toting drained batteries, a soldier's load decreases over time.

BATMAN has additionally pioneered the use of a small, chest-mounted computer to provide soldiers with real-time logistical and tactical information. Speech recognition, or telling one's equipment what to do – which is arguably more Inspector Gadget than Batman — is also in the works.

Other technologies brought to bear in the BATMAN initiative include a device that soldiers throw over low-voltage, overhead power lines to draw electricity.

"The time spent by [Special Forces] in the field is limited by how long their batteries last," said Dave Coates, lead test engineer at Ohio-based Defense Research Associates (DRA). "When those batteries die, they've got to come back in." The DRA-developed device, the Remote Auxiliary Power System — though better known as the Bat Hook – was similarly inspired by the Dark Knight. For additional information on wiring and cables for special applications, please visit www.calmont.com to learn more.

For Every Application: Medical and Military Cables

2010-08-10T00:31:00.000-07:00

Cable and extrusion devices for applications serve a vital role in critical fields like health and national security. In fields ranging from heart surgery to military communications, wire devices supply equipment with electrical power and transmit data. Many kinds of materials are used to transmit electrical energy, but those most frequently specified in medical wires and military wires are copper, copper-covered steel, high strength copper alloys, and aluminum. For more unusual applications, conductors are fabricated from pure nickel, pure silver, copper-covered aluminum, and a host of metals, metal alloys, and metal combinations as dictated by the application.

Here are details on the most widely-used types of materials found in silicone cables and wires for various applications.

Copper – Copper is by far the most widely used conductor material in the industry. Among its physical properties are high electrical and thermal conductivity, ductility, malleability and solderability, high melting point, and high resistance to corrosion, wear and fatigue. Copper is also cost-effective when compared to other conductive materials commonly used in military and medical cables.

Copper-covered steel – Copper-covered steel combines the conductivity and corrosion resistance of copper with the strength of steel. Three types are presently available, differing primarily in method of producing the composite metal. In one type, molten welding permanently bonds the two components; in another, a copper layer is electroplated over a steel rod; and in the third, the copper and steel are metallurgically bonded.

High-Strength Alloys - Though more expensive than copper-covered steel wires, copper alloy conductors are specified because they permit significant size and/or weight reductions especially important in computer and aerospace applications. They offer high breaking strength and greater flex life with only a small increase in DC resistance. Cadmium-chromium copper, cadmium copper, chromium copper, and zirconium copper are most frequently used.

Stainless Steel - Stainless steel is used for medical lead wires and cables. Stainless steel has poor conductivity compared to copper and may have to be gold plated to improve the conductivity.

The QPL (Qualified Products List) is a listing that identifies both materials and suppliers whose materials are approved for use on certain federal or government projects without the need for any additional documentation or testing. On the QPL, only specified manufacturers are approved to make selected parts for federal, military or airframe applications because they have proven they can produce the standard products to particular requirements. If a federal agency needs to purchase a product, it will seek out businesses that already have products on the suitable QPL. For additional information on military and medical wires, please contact www.calmont.com to learn more.

Cable and Wire – Medical Applications

2010-07-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

The average person seldom thinks of the individual components that go into making medical devices. However, there are actually companies who specialize in crafting cables and wires specifically for medicinal purposes. Medical wire can be found in devices such as pacemakers, hearing aids, and other medical devices which must conduct some sort of electrical current. These wires often require special materials and coatings to protect electrical connections in devices placed within the human body. Likewise, the body must be protected from certain metal alloys lest it tried to reject the device as a foreign body and thus try to attack or destroy it.

Manufacturers who specialize in making cable and wires for medicinal purposes can produce a broad range of cable and wire sizes, as well as use a variety of materials in their construction. In terms of medicinal purposes, medical device manufacturers often require highly flexible cable to accommodate the smallest devices. These types of cables must have high tensile strength, be able to withstand friction, be chemical resistant, and possess excellent dielectric strength. Many of these cables are extremely small but can withstand more than heavy chains used to tow cars. The medical device manufacturing industry requires unsurpassed quality and strength.

Silicon cable is often used in medicinal applications. In part, silicone makes an excellent choice because it presents chemical inertness so necessary in medical applications. While being inert, and thus less likely to cause a chemically related problem in medical applications, silicone also presents versatility in terms of strength, flexibility, and melt forming capability. It is often the preferred material for devices intended for internal use. Silicone is used to coat metallic wires, and thus provide increased chemical resistance without sacrificing strength. It is also used as a surface material for many internal medical devices.

Likewise, silicone wire is often used in medical devices where a smaller gauge is required. It is used in such situations for all the same reasons as silicone coated cable. Manufacturers of medical wiring provide medical device manufacturers with customized solutions for their wiring and cable needs. So, if the device manufacturer requires an unusual size or gauge of wire, or requires a specific set of colors, the wire manufacturer is well-equipped to produce wire to meet the needs of the medical device industry. Many manufacturers of medical wiring solutions can provide density, tensile strength, friction resistance, and dielectric strength information for all the wires that they produce.

Important Milestones In History of Wire And Cable Manufacturing

2010-07-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

Due to technological advances, the medical wire and cable manufacturing industry has experienced tremendous change over the years both in its operations and systems as well as the needs of its customers. The modern wire and cable industry emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century during a time when American industrialization created a need for medical wire and cable products and made available a means for their production.

When the US became industrialized, wire became a fundamental product underpinning the nation's growth both industrially and commercially. For years, copper had been the preferred metal for a majority of the wire and military cable manufacturing industry's products; its high conductivity made it the metal of choice for a majority of manufacturers.

Aluminum, which would similarly gain widespread acceptance, was introduced as a cable conductor during the thirties, but did not represent an significant portion of the market until the fifties, when a reduced supply of copper forced manufacturers to search for an alternative metal for civilian, military, and medical cables.

Manufacturers selecting aluminum to augment their copper shortage came at an opportune time in the country's development: the population was rapidly rising creating a boom in the housing industry; televisions and radios were being manufactured at unprecedented levels; a community antennae television (CATV) market was burgeoning; more automobiles were being manufactured; and electric power generation in the country was about to begin two decades of exponential growth. Wire and cable manufacturers served each of these markets, experiencing enviable growth as the nation enjoyed an age of prosperity. By the beginning of the 1970s, the industry had evolved into a $3 billion entity, primarily due to the growth of the national economy over the last two decades.

By the late eighties, manufacturers bought more primary aluminum than any other nonferrous metal to produce wire and cable products. As the wire drawing and insulating industry entered the mid-nineties, manufacturing activity resumed its prerecession levels.

From 1989 to 1993, American shipments of fiber optic equipment increased 13 percent every year, with industry observers calling for still greater growth through the end of the decade. In the mid-1990s, experts estimated the world market for fiber optic equipment to be $5 billion, a market in which United States manufacturers maintained a lead over European and Japanese producers, although the gap separating the from other manufacturers was shrinking. It was expected that this market to double in value by the end of the decade, promising lucrative profit potential for manufacturers of fiber optic cable. As the conventional markets supporting cable and wire manufacturers' core business once again fueled the industry's growth, those manufacturers able to afford the costly nature of exploring "next-generation" technology began turning to the production of fiber optic cable in increasing numbers. For more information about the wire and cable industry, please contact www.calmont.com.