Getting The Right Custom Cable For Your Application

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

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

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.

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

Buy Custom Cables Over The Internet

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

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,