5 Tips on Choosing Cable Conductors for Custom Cable Assemblies

Custom cable assemblies have become an integral part of industrial and commercial projects. Engineering teams prefer better quality cables and wires that meet the project specifications. The varying levels of current can damage your appliances and project productivity. So, choosing a suitable cable conductor for custom cable assemblies is essential.

Electrical power-armored cable

Do you want better custom cable assemblies with durable conductor material? For any custom material selection, CLOOM Tech can offer you custom cable assembly manufacturing. Here are some expert tips for choosing the suitable cable conductor for your project:

1.Analyze the Material Options

What are the available options regarding the conductor material? If you are looking for standard market cables, then you don’t have much choice. Apart from your project specifications, you would have to choose from the available conductor materials. Selecting the wrong conductor may lead to project failure sooner or later.

Electrical Conductivity

The choice of the cable conductors for custom cable assemblies must be suitable for the work settings. The material of conductors is related to the project requirements. Cables with better conductivity are going to cost you more money, but the quality will be better. In the list of better electrically conductive materials, we have:

• Copper
• Silver
• Gold

Compared to these three highly conductive materials, brass, bronze, zinc, and nickel are less conductive. As soon as you start digging deeper, different material options will begin appearing. At CLOOM Tech, we prefer to work with the client from the very start of the project, and it helps us make the right choices for the custom cable assemblies.

Wires and copper conductors for different applications

As compared to tinned copper, bare copper shows better performance in terms of conductivity. So, the conductivity of the cable conductor is not the only consideration here.

Corrosion Resistant

High humidity environments pose different threats to the life and durability of the cable assemblies. Oil refineries and other chemical plants involve a lot of chemical reactions that can create humidity. If the cable conductors are not corrosion-resistant, the cables may start developing corrosion. For such environments, bare copper is not a suitable material even though it has better conductivity. Tinned copper prevents corrosion, so it seems to be a better choice for humid spaces.

Temperature

High temperature is a critical factor that can impact the decision of cable conductor choice. Not every material can resist oxidation due to high temperatures. For industries and projects with high-temperature environments, we recommend using copper with nickel plating, and this extra coating of nickel provides better temperature resistance than bare copper.

Cost of the Material

When it comes to budget, don’t focus on the cost of the material only. A cheap material does not make it suitable for your project. In terms of electrical conductivity, silver is way better than other stuff, but it is also one of the most expensive materials.

2. Custom Cable Assemblies—Choose Solid or Stranded Conductors.

Whether you need stranded conductors for custom cables assemblies or solid conductors depends upon the application of the meetings. At some point, stranded conductors may prove to be the better pick, and some applications may require solid conductors.

Stranded conductors have comparatively thinner wires—these wires from the twisted arrangements within the protective layers. The solid conductors use a single prominent conductor for carrying current across the device.

Stranded copper wire for use in the industry

Flexibility

Due to the use of different thinner wires, the stranded conductors offer more flexibility. In mechanical environments, a lot of bending is involved. Hence, for complicated applications, stranded conductors prove to be a better choice.

The usage of a single prominent conductor throughout the wire reduces the flexibility of the solid conductors. The stranded cables are more flexible, but the installation of stranded threads is also more comfortable than solid conductors. The lifespan of stranded conductors in idea situations is very impressive.

Cost

As there are complex formation and manufacturing processes, stranded conductors are generally more expensive. The manufacturing process of solid conductors is more straightforward; that’s why the production cost is also low. Reliable cables are cheaper than stranded wires and more suitable for rugged and extreme environments.

In terms of durability, the solid conductors perform better than the stranded conductors, and solid conductors also prevent electronic interference. Due to the rigid construction of the material, you cannot use solid conductors for appliances where a lot of movement is involved. The constant motion will reduce the lifespan of the custom cable assemblies, and cables may break sooner.

3.Custom Cable Assemblies—Determine the Number of Conductors

The quantity of the required conductors can vary for different applications and appliances. A wire in custom cable assembly can have one conductor, two conductors, or even hundreds of the conductors. There is no pact rule for limiting the use of conductors in the wire, and there is always a conductor at the core of every cable.

The question is, how many conductors do you need for wires in the custom cable assembly? Are two conductors enough to make the wire operational, or do you need to use several conductors? The number of required conductors in a wire is related to your appliance and the project requirements.

Electrical cables with different numbers of conductors

Any wire that we use for various power appliances can have three conductors. So, depending on the number of circuits connected by cables, the cable will contain hundreds of conductors. Some devices and tools may need more conductors, while some may require two or three conductors. These are just everyday things, and the cable design can be pretty complex for an industrial project. Hence, no matter how many conductors you need in wires for custom cable assemblies, we can always meet your requirements.

4.Custom Cable Assemblies—Resistance Against Corrosion and Oxidation

These two factors may not be on the priority list of many buyers. While dealing with custom cable assembly requirements at CLOOM Tech, most buyers tend to forget these factors. In commercial projects, humidity or chemical exposures are not very common, and standard cables perform fine in these environments. You can use stranded conductors or solid conductors, but the material matters the most for industrial lines.

In industries where water and moisture are involved, common conductor materials fail to offer the expected performance. Continued exposure to humidity or installation of cable assemblies in the humid environment can cause corrosion in the cables. The coating or jackets can prevent decay, but choosing suitable materials is also very important. Tinned copper is the best material for humidity-related applications. Conductors of tinned copper can perform in the saltwater too, and bare copper may not offer the expected results in the moisture.

Red Electrical Cable with protective layer and jacket

Prevention from oxidation is another essential factor to consider. High temperatures can imitate the premature tearing of the conductors. Most of the time, nickel-plated copper wires provide better protection against oxidation.

Our engineers and cable designers analyze the project specifications of the clients to suggest the best cable conductors. A deep understanding of the client’s project enables us to offer the best custom cable assemblies for all sectors of life.

5. Custom Cable Assemblies—Consider the Size of the Conductors

American wire gauge is the standard for the measurement of the cable conductors. While dealing with international clients, CLOOM Tech also refers to these standards. The primary strands can be thinner than human hair. The appliance’s power load requirements or the device determine the size of the cable conductors for the custom cable assemblies.

Power cables electrical in different sizes

So, the size can vary for various appliances and devices. In industrial machines, the use of more giant cables is every day due to high power requirements. If you are not sure about the size requirements of cable conductors for cable assemblies, our engineers can guide you.

Conclusion

CLOOM Tech is the leading custom cable assembly manufacturer in China with a successful portfolio. We are the renowned company for outsourcing your cable needs from custom wiring harnesses to the manufacturing of custom cable assemblies. No matter what kind of cable conductors you want for custom cable assemblies, you can contact CLOOM Tech. You can also request a quote for your project, and the CLOOM Tech representative will get back to you soon.