Cable manufacturing outfitters have a far reach into many industries. Making an impact on the medical, transportation, extreme sports, furniture, and other industries, custom cable assembly products are in high demand. The following article relays basic information about custom cable assembly and cable stretch to better inform present and potential customers.
All wire rope and mechanical cables are made from individual wires twisted together into a strand. Most small, commercial cables are crafted by starting with one core cable while a given number of additional cords are wrapped around this central cable. The number of wires in a strand and the number of strands in cable manufacturing are dictated by the specified construction.
Some cables are designed to perform one function, while others are orchestrated to address many, making every application unique and different. Cable stretch is one factor consumers are interested in knowing about in relation to custom cable assembly. There are two types of stretch – constructional and elastic.
All mechanical cables contain tiny clearances between individual wires and strands. With the application of the initial load or trial, the clearance is minimized allowing the mechanical cable to stretch in length – this is constructional stretch. A mechanical piece with more wires in its cross section will stretch more during load or trial.
Elastic stretch refers to the actual elongation of the individual wires in a strand or mechanical cables. This happens when a piece is susceptible to a load that is less than the yield point of the metal. When the load is removed from a proof loaded cable, it will return to its original length. The elastic stretch of a cable can be calculated using the following formula: ES = PL/EA.