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,
