Custom Wires and Cables in the Military

Wires and cables are used in many different military and defense applications. Some popular applications include ground support, communications, fire control, digital and analog data, field radios, shipboard and training aids. In addition, for extreme flexibility, long life, and smaller conductors, robotics cable should be manufactured from high strand, high strength alloy conductors and thing walled Teflon wires. Silicone wire adds superior chemical resistance, ad polyurethane jacketing protects against abrasion, oil, notching, microbes and hydrolysis. Smooth surfaces prevent adhesion to adjacent cables. Typical robotics applications include welding robots, painting robots, rotary tables, pick and place devices, conveyor systems and animatronics. Robotics cables may be used with or without cable track and may be flat or round constructions. Robotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, including their design, manufacture, application, and structure. The field of robotics utilizes electronics, mechanics, and software. Strong yet flexible cable is required for robots to function properly and last a long time. Some applications for robotic cable include welding robots, painting robots, rotary tables, pick and place devices, conveyor systems and animatronics. If the cables are not working correctly, it can greatly interfere with important functions.

The military is another area where strong and flexible coaxial cable is important to everyday functioning. Some important military and defense applications include ground support, communications, fire control, digital and analog data, field radios, shipboard and training aids. In these areas, communication is very important to regular functioning and safety. These systems depend on functional reliability and minimum down time. In addition, maintainability is very important. It is vital that military cables are not only strong and flexible, but also easily replaceable. In the military, well functioning cables and machinery are important to every day performance. In addition, if something is not working correctly, lives can be at stake! This is one field where it is not a good idea to use cheap materials. Quality and the ability to meet tough environmental and physical requirements are vital. For example, cables in many different military functions need to be flame retardant. Flame retardant cables are able to inhibit or resist the spread of fire. One can certainly imagine how important this is to the military industry. For this reason it is important to look to trusted and dependable companies for cable purchases. Many companies can create custom cables to fit specific needs. Modern military technology is increasing in complexity while also decreasing in size. These changes are calling for cables and wires that are smaller and more flexible while containing a greater number of conductors. Companies such as Calmont Wire and Cable continue to rise to the challenge of creating complex custom wires for the industry. Further research in the military and robotics industry will demand more complicated custom cables and wires.

Wires and Cables in the Medical Industry

Proper medical cable management is a very important step during the installation of building services and the subsequent installation of equipment providing means to tidily secure cables. Products such as cable trays, cable ladders, and cable baskets are used to support the cable. It is important to make these cables easily accessible as cables often need to be added, moved, or removed many times during the life of the installation. It is also important to keep the cables organized and separated as they can easily become tangled, making them very difficult to work with. In the medical industry, an unplugged cable can mean the difference between life and death so the cables must be kept organized and labeled. At times, color-coding of cables is used to keep track of which cable is which. Color-coding is often an effective method of staying organized because you can easily distinguish different types of cables and connections.

Medical wire is often custom-made depending on its intended use. Small size, extreme flexibility, and sometimes insulated conductors are some qualities medical companies look for in their wires. Some applications the flexible wire is used for are patient monitoring systems, ultrasound scanners, medical implants X-ray devices and many more. For high-heat situations, silicone wire is often used. It has a soft silicone coating which is extremely resistant to heat. This coating can withstand a 150 watt soldering iron held directly on it for a long time without melting and burning. In addition it is very flexible so it can bend at extreme angles with no problem. Wires can be made to be more flexible by having many little wires combined to make up a larger wire. This is important in routing of wires in tight spaces, a common situation in the medical industry.

Silicone tubing is typically used in applications such as catheters, drains, feeding tubes, and peristaltic pumps. Manufacturers considering silicone for these types of applications can choose from special grades that meet stringent health agency requirements.

The medical electronics industry produces technically demanding designs and specifications for patient monitoring cables and medical equipment cables and new technologies are constantly emerging. Consequently, patient monitoring cables, electrosurgical device cables and other medical equipment cables must be engineered to provide reliable performance day after day in a variety of environments and be able to continue to functioning properly after repeated exposures to sterilization processes such as autoclave, ETO, gamma, e-beam and disinfectants. They must be flexible, yet able to endure a long life while maintaining their soft and pliable characteristics. The medical cable must be able to perform consistently after repeated cycles, often for millions of repetitions. In addition, medical wire and cable can be tailored for a variety of conditions such as extreme low temperature, flexibility, extreme heat resistance, optimum radiation and flame resistance and high strength and purity.