Cable might be the last priority on your project list but this can, quite literally, prove to be the weakest link in your system unless you invest in the best product for your application. Mechanical stress and strain, chemical attack, abrasion and fatigue, high temperatures and high natural light levels can take an enormous toll on cable assemblies.
Alpha Wire has been making cables for years and its leading brand, Xtra.Guard, has been engineered to cope with all manner of physical conditions in many types of application. Last summer, the company announced a revitalised Xtra.Guard range comprising five key products plus several flexible signal cables for highly dynamic motion and robotics applications.
Numbered from 1 to 5, these products are designed to cope with combinations of adverse conditions likely to be encountered once installed in the field. Xtra.Guard 2, for example, will resist abrasion, cut-through and other mechanical abuse, not to mention contamination by oils, solvents and fuels, in the toughest of industrial environments. Xtra.Guard 3, on the other hand, can be installed out in all weathers - and even be directly buried without need for a conduit - while resisting water penetration (it has five times the water resistance of ordinary PVC cable) and the aging effects of UV exposure. Full details of the new range is available at xtraguard.com.
In addition to a well established and effective distribution network, including a rather impressive online Distribution Business Centre where you can place your order and track its shipment status, Alpha Wire has also set up an online Cable Design Centre. Here, engineers can use an interactive tool to design a specific cable assembly that is fit for purpose. The design proposal is confirmed by Alpha Wire within 48 hours and your new cable assembly is normally delivered within two weeks.