Braided Wire Harness: The Ultimate Guide

Agriculture and other heavy-duty equipment must run 24 hours a day for all seven days of the week. So, you need reliable wire harnesses that are made of durable material. Braided wiring harnesses are common types used in such industries.  This post will learn about these wire assemblies’ protections.

What Is a Braided Wiring Harness?

Braided wiring harnesses are wire harnesses wrapped with braided sleeves. A looming machine executes this process. 

Braided cable sleeves work as cable organizers or protectors; thus, you can also call them wire protection sleeves. The loom helps protect from vibration and heat in several heat resistance ratings. Often, these sleeves have interwoven plastic fibers (either polyester or any other plastic), but braided metal sleeves are also very common.

These sleeves protect cables and wires against abrasion, corrosion, moisture, heat, chemicals, and electromechanical waves.

Types of braided cable sleeves

Split braided wire sleeve

Split braided wire sleeves have a cut along their length and close automatically after installation. Thus, you can call them self-closing braided sleeves. These lightweight sleeves offer abrasion resistance. You can use them in pre-existing cable harnesses, which you cannot disassemble. These sleeves comprise polyester and provide easy access to wire bundles inside.

Expandable Braided Sleeving

These sleeves comprise polyester and are very easy to install. Due to their open weave construction, they allow heat and moisture to pass through. As they are expandable, you can put multiple wires into them and still get desired flexibility. You can also find polyphenylene expandable sleeves. However, these are more suitable cable assemblies used in high temperatures. They have high chemical resistance and less moisture stability.

Caption: Expandable sleeves vs Split braided wire sleeves

Use Cases of Braided Wiring harness 

Some industries using braided sleeves include:

• Marine: Primarily in control panels, vessel engines, and switchboards. 
• Automotive: Multiple uses, predominantly around the vehicle’s electronic system.
• Military: Commonly used in transport vehicles.
• Robotics: The complexity and precision of robotics wiring make braided sleeves a popular option. 
• Manufacturing: Used in manufacturing machinery and production lines because of its durability and expandability.
• Power Generation: Ideal for outdoor uses because of resilience in UV light, moisture, heat, wind, and dust.
• Rail Transportation: Protects cables hanging from undercarriages.
• Mining and Heavy Construction: Well-suited to dust, vibration, chemicals, etc. 

Benefits of Braided Cable Sleeves

They have proven advantages for commercial and industrial applications:

Constriction Around Irregular Shapes 

Braided sleeves can constrict around irregular cable shapes to provide cushioning without creating space that could allow the collection of moisture. 

Better Organization

You can group numerous wires in a compact and neat sheath, making the design more appealing. In addition, braided sleeves enable quicker identification of specific wires. 

• Direct braiding is on the wiring harness in the braided wire loom, offering aesthetic cable concealment. Thus, it looks very clean and one piece. There is no extra tape and cable ties on it. 
• PVC-coated nylon is available in a wide variety of colors, which can enhance the looks of the harness. You can also use different colors to differentiate your brand from others. If you are picking black-colored nylon, you can use tracers. Tracers are strands of different colors which are woven into the braid. Tracers in a braided wire loom help your OEM know which supplier partners the wire comes from and what system it controls or operates. 

Extra Cushioning 

Braided sleeves have some extra cushioning in their design to protect the wires from shock damage, especially in cases where heavy impact and vibrations are unavoidable.

Moisture Draining

In the braided wire loom, water can pass through the loom, which is essential when the harness faces freezing conditions.

Effective Heat Transfer 

Their open weave design also enables heat transfer. Any built-up heat around the cables can easily dissipate, preventing potential issues or electrical fires.

Expansion Capabilities 

Interestingly, braided wire harnesses have remarkable expansion capabilities, which come in handy, especially for large-sized cables that would not ideally fit in a more rigid form.

Materials Used in Braided Cable Sleeves

You have several material options for braided sleeves.

Nylon

Nylon is popular because of its flexibility and lightness. It allows for easier installation and adjustment, which makes it suitable for automotive applications.

Nylon is very effective at preventing the accumulation of moisture. However, it’s less stable when exposed to high temperatures and has limited UV radiation, corrosion, and chemical resistance compared to other options.

Polyester

Polyester can expand almost three times its original size. Thus, it allows for a close fit around irregular-shaped and oversized cables.

Polyester braided sleeves offer exquisite abrasion, heat, and corrosion resistance, but they can be unstable in extreme hot or cold conditions.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Polyethylene terephthalate is a category of polyester that’s pliable and lightweight, like nylon. PET sleeves are easy to install as they easily adapt to various shapes to serve various purposes.

Also, PET has extreme fluid and water resistance. It’s an ideal option for applications that subject cables to automotive fluids (engine fluids and gas) and cleaning chemicals. PET sleeves alleviate strain on stretched cables, preventing any breaking or cracking.

Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) Monofilaments

Polyphenylene sulfide monofilaments are among the lightest braided sleeves. This durable material can withstand chemicals and solvents very well. It’s inert to acids, fuels, steam, and strong bases, making it ideal for applications involving exposure to such substances. 

Also, PPS is flame-resistant.

Additionally, PPS is ideal for specific applications, such as aerospace and telecommunications industries, because it’s moisture and chemical resistant and can withstand high temperatures. 

On the downside, PPS has lower flexibility capabilities and provides limited corrosion and UV resistance.

Fiberglass/ Nomex

The fiberglass braided sleeving is more durable as they are made of fiberglass braiding material such as Nomex. Nomex is very expandable and has heat and flame tolerance. It has a notably higher melting point.

This material also protects against moisture, acids, chemicals, abrasion, radiation (gamma, beta, and X-rays), and solvents. However, Nomex can be inflexible and isn’t impervious to UV light.

Metal

With braided metal sleeving, you get abrasion and cut resistance. Such properties make this sleeving ideal for high-intensity weather, grounding solutions, and where temperature resistance is necessary. 

Additionally, metal sleeving has exceptional durability and offers RFI, EFI, ESD, and UV resistance. And some have germicidal and antimicrobial properties. Further, braided metal sleeving is flexible, uniquely functional, aesthetically pleasing, and durable, making it ideal for outdoor, aerospace, and automotive applications. 

Remember, it’s best to use virtually indestructible sleeving options, such as stainless steel sleeves, for more demanding projects. Doing so ensures that all the exposed wires are safely tucked in and the project remains rust-free and aesthetically pleasing.

Different Application Levels of Braided Wiring harnesses

As braided sleeves have different constructions and materials, they serve different purposes.

General-Purpose

For projects where the main concerns are durability and easy application, general-purpose sleeving is an excellent solution. This product is easily adaptable because of its expandability and side entry, ensuring the integrity needed for resistance and durability. 

You might opt for tight weave options if you want increased abrasion resistance. For situations where you can’t cut or disconnect wires, choose side-entry sleeving. For reapplication or installation processes, wrap-around sleeving will do the trick.

Heavy Duty

Heavy-duty sleeving functions well under extreme conditions. This sleeve option is highly cut and capable of resisting abrasion and heat, ensuring that it does not melt, burn, or support combustion. 

Also, heavy-duty sleeves are nimble while maintaining the integrity needed to safeguard components exposed to a harsh environment adequately. For example, this braided sleeving type can resist bases, fuels, acids, solvents, and salt, preventing any compromises in the hose functions. Additionally, it’s capable of deflecting and containing hose ruptures.

Flame Retardant

Flame-retardant sleeving offers a similar solution to a general-purpose one, plus the added benefit of flame prevention. This added property is ideal for automotive, engineering, electrical, and several applications vulnerable to the threat of fire damage. Flame-retardant sleeving mitigates the threat of a flame sparking.

High-Temperature

As the name suggests, high-temperature sleeving is highly resistant to extreme temperatures. It not only can withstand extremely high temperatures but also low temperatures, resisting common solvents and chemicals. 

Installing it is a straightforward process, making it ideal for automotive, engineering, and aerospace applications. High-temperature sleeving contains a silica and fiberglass composition that ensures your cables remain cool in temperatures up to 20000F.

Specialty

With specialty sleeving, you can handle very specific braided sleeving tasks. It offers options that are easy to edit out of video production, plus noise reduction. 

Also, it’s remarkably reflective. Even bright white comes nowhere close, as specialty sleeving is almost 1,500 times more reflective. Additionally, its sleeving is adequately slim, an added advantage for micro-optics. 

Further, specialty sleeving makes wires and cables less vulnerable without affecting the project.

Braided Loom vs Convoluted Tubing: Which one to choose

Convoluted tubing is another popular option. The two technologies both give you pros and cons. 

	Harnesses with braided technology	Harnesses with convoluted tubing
Loading capacity	Wire harnesses with braided technology are designed for 100% loading capacity and reduce wire movement, preventing wire insulation deterioration.	Harnesses with convoluted tubing covering can handle a maximum load of 70-80% wire. It means the remaining 20-30% tubing should be free space so that wires can move around with the equipment vibration.
Wiring protection	Braid sleeving has high abrasion resistance as it prevents the entering of abrasive materials due to its tightly bound nature. So, wire loom sleeving offers optimum wiring protection.	Convoluted tubing causes wear and tear due to abrasion. As there is free space, it attracts dirt, dust, stones, and other particles leading to erosion and weakening of wire insulation.
Breathability	Braided sleeving in wire assemblies has open holes to allow water and air to pass through so that insulation remains protected. As a result of this breathable nature, higher heat resistance leads to a longer lifespan.	Convoluted tubing assemblies accumulate engine fluids and other debris within. Further, convoluted tubing cannot provide thermal protection in extremely high and low-temperature environments.
Life span	Braided sleeving has a longer life span of around 10-12 years	Convoluted tubing can last only about 2-4 years
Assembly challanges	You’ll need to tape the wires together neatly while separating the different branches.  You need a machine capable of handling the wire harness size, which could be labor-intensive. In addition, the laborers must take frequent breaks to avoid neck, shoulder, and back strain. The equipment poses a noise pollution threat that requires workers to wear headgear.	Liquid-tight and capable of accommodating a variety of connector backshells. Offers various fittings for branch configurations to maintain the liquid-tight seal. Wide array of diameters that enable flexibility of the harness, and a variety of colors for brand and aesthetic specifications.

Caption: Convoluted tubing

Order Today from Wiringo

When you need a braided wiring harness, you must consider several factors. Contact Wiringo and our technicians can help you get an accurate product. We have all kinds of cable management sleeves made of quality materials and offer high performance & reliability in agriculture equipment and the heavy-duty construction industry.  

Customize the Correct Size for your Products

Here’s how we make sure you get the right size:

1. First, measure the diameter of the cable. 
2. Determine the fit (snug or loose). A loose fit allows for flexibility, while a snug fit provides extra cushioning.
3. Determine your sleeve diameter.
4. Ensure the length of the sleeve (a few millimeters longer than the cable because it will contract when stretched in diameter).