Custom Cable Solutions from Valuecon

Custom Cables Solution
Let us build the cable that's right for you.

 

We create solutions at Valuecon.
Valuecon has over three decades of experience designing and fabricating custom wire and cable solutions for a diverse industry clientele. Valuecon delivers competitive pricing, price stability, and the fastest delivery to market for your vision because of our innovation and cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities.

We work with engineers who are accessible and dedicated to protecting and improving every design. We work closely with our customers to find innovative solutions that match their applications and budgets, using over 30 standard insulation and jacket materials.

Whether you are looking for simple wires in non-standard sizes with odd impedance requirements or complex multi-core hybrid cables, every aspect of the conductor, screen, insulation, and jacket can be tailored to meet your specific needs.

You don't just get purpose-built solutions with functional properties such as enhanced durability, greater flexibility, or extreme temperature resistance when you choose Valuecon. Your applications will also benefit from improved performance, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability, with greater lead time.

Why Choose Custom Cables over Standard Cables?

There are many reasons to choose a custom cable over a standard cable, such as:

Better Performance

Custom cables allow you to install power and signal transmission solutions tailored to your requirements. Therefore, the cable will operate more effectively and efficiently, resulting in better transmission and lower energy costs

Better Durability

Because custom cables are designed to meet the voltage, current, and other operating parameters of the intended application, they offer reliable performance for longer periods of time than standard products.

Broader Flexibility & Versatility

The benefits of custom cables are that they allow you to design your products exactly how you envision them rather than working around the limitations of standard cables.

Better Prices

Because Custom Cables are more precise than Standard Cables, they require a more precise combination of raw materials than Standard Cables, tailored to the budget of the client. We save our costs on raw materials by being more precise and the savings are transferred to the prices of our valued clients. 

Considerations for Custom Cables

Once you’ve decided to invest in Valuecon’s custom cable solution, our experienced sales engineers will guide you through the design process. Some of the key design and operational elements to consider include:

Cable Type

Cables are available for a wide range of applications, from small consumer electronics to large-scale industrial machines. It is therefore important to choose one that is designed for your specific needs. With us, you can choose from a variety of conductor options, including single-conductor, multi-conductor, multi-paired constructions, screened, shielded, unshielded, armoured etc.

Electrical Properties

Depending on the intended application, your custom cable must have a voltage rating, an ampacity, and a capacitance. To ensure that your system performs optimally, you can modify each of these parameters.

• Voltage: Cable voltage rating refers to the maximum voltage to which the cable can be connected and remain compliant.
• Ampacity: A cable's ampacity refers to the maximum amount of continuous current it can carry without exceeding its safe operating temperature.
• Capacitance: The capacitance of a conductor refers to how much charge it stores.

 

Operating Temperature

A cable's performance is greatly affected by temperature, especially the strength and stability of the insulation as well as the ampacity of the cable, both of which are highly dependent on temperature. Therefore, when designing a custom cable it is important to keep in mind the expected operating temperatures when doing so. It's important to note that there are many insulation and shielding materials you can choose from, including PTFE, Glass Fiber, Mica, Silicon, FEP, PFA, TFE and more, which can help cables maintain circuit integrity at over 1000°C and as low as -190°C, depending on the conditions.

Flexibility

In order to achieve the desired flexibility or rigidity for a cable, it is important to consider the application. Solid conductors are used in cables that need a greater degree of rigidity, while in cables that require a greater degree of flexibility, multi-stranded conductors are used.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Use

The requirements for custom cables for indoor environments are different from the requirements for custom cables for outdoor environments. In order to be suitable for outdoor use, cables must have sufficient protection so that they are not exposed to the elements over a prolonged period of time.

Lead Times

As a part of our mission here at Valuecon, our goal is not to simply beat industry lead times - it's to redefine them. In terms of wire manufacturing, we take pride in the fact that we provide the best delivery lead times available in the industry. No matter what function an employee is in, he or she will be happy to get involved and help fulfil the needs of the customer. In addition to that, we also hold regular meetings across departments to review our delivery performance metrics as well as to investigate ways to further reduce turnaround times.

 

CONDUCTORS

Cable construction is centred around conductors. We offer a variety of conductor options, including single, pair, and triad configurations, as well as different gauges. Cables from one conductor to over 100 pairs can vary from 1 to 30 AWG (American Wire Gauge). It is also necessary to offer customers a full range of different types of materials so that they can select the conductor that best suits their needs.

Material Types:

• Bare Copper Wire (Annealed Bare): A solid or stranded bare copper wire (class AA or A) is suitable for overhead transmission and distribution. A stranded conductor of greater flexibility (classes B and C) is ideal for hook ups, jumpers, and grounds in electrical construction without insulation. Soft Drawn copper is generally used for wires with unilay construction. Concentric stranded conductors are used in hard and medium-hard tempers, and combinatorically stranded conductors are used in soft-drawn tempers.
• Aluminium: While aluminium is 61 per cent more conductive than copper, it weighs only 30 per cent as much. A bare wire of aluminium weighs half as much as a bare wire of copper with the same electrical resistance. In general, aluminium conductors are less expensive than copper ones. The aluminium alloys AA-1350 and AA-8000 form aluminium conductors. Based on the application, the right aluminium alloy is selected. 

 

• Tinned Copper Wire: A tinned copper surface provides protection against corrosion and oxidation. If copper is exposed to water for an extended period, oxygen will combine with the metal and form copper oxide, weakening its bonds. As this oxide forms on the copper, it weakens its integrity, making it brittle and crumbly. Wires with corrosion are less efficient at moving electricity and can pose safety risks.
• Silver Plated Copper Wire: Wires with concentric silver plating are composed of bare copper conductors plated with silver. As a result of the bright & shiny surface of the silver, this material enhances the conductivity of copper. Furthermore, the silver coating exhibits excellent corrosion resistance. The highest electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as the highest optical reflectivity, are all attributes of silver. Due to its excellent high-temperature lubricity, silver-plated wire is commonly used for surfaces exposed to temperatures as high as 650°C.
• Nickel-Plated Copper: Concentric nickel plating is applied over bare copper conductors to create nickel-plated copper wires. Nickel enhances the thermal and heat-resistant properties of copper with its bright & shiny surface. Furthermore, nickel coatings are highly corrosion-resistant. In HF applications, magnetic nickel plating reduces high-frequency loss. The highest purity deposit can only be achieved by not using any brighteners (organic or metallic).

 

Insulation

A wire or cable product must be properly insulated. Insulation maintains the safety and efficiency of wires by acting as a non-conductive material. A wire's insulation also protects it from environmental conditions such as heat, radiation, and moisture. Furthermore, it prevents electrical leakage and keeps the wire's current separate from other conductors. Any given application can benefit from a wide variety of insulation types, each with its own unique advantages. Here are a few examples of the many insulations available for custom cables.

 

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC):
PVC is an economical and easy-to-use insulator with good resistance to flame, abrasions, moisture, gasoline, acids, solvents, and ozone.
Temperature Range Centigrade: -55°C to +105°C	Insulation Resistance: Good	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Good	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Fair	Non-Flammability: Good	Flexibility: Good
Some of the Available Variations: Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH), Fire Retardant (FR), Fire Retardant Low Smoke (FRLS), Heat Resistant (HR), Heat Resistant Fire Retardant (HRFR), Zero Halogen Fire Retardant (ZHFR), Lead Free (LF), Lead Free Fire Retardant, Low Smoke – Fire Retardant - Zero Halogen (LSFRZH),  Fire Retardant Lead Free (FRLF), Lead Free Fire Retardant Low Smoke (LRFRLS), Lead Free Heat Resistant (LFHR), Heat Resistant Fire Retardant Zero Halogen (HRFRLH), Zero Halogen Fire Retardant Lead Free (ZHFRLF).
SEMI-RIGID PVC (SR-PVC):
Abrasion resistant, SR-PVC is also well known for its insulation qualities against acid, water, heat, and alkalis.
Temperature Range Centigrade: -60°C to +80°C	Insulation Resistance: Excellent	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Excellent	Abrasion Resistance: Good	Solder Resistance: Poor
Capacitance: Excellent	Non-Flammability: Poor	Flexibility: Fair

 

CROSS-LINKED POLYETHYLENE (XLPE):
XLPE is used to describe cross-linked Polyethylene. It shares some properties of Polyethylene like high chemical resistance and remarkable moisture resistance. Its high thermal insulation qualities make it suitable for use in both high voltage and temperature conditions.
Temperature Range Centigrade: -60°C to +130°C	Insulation Resistance: Excellent	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Excellent	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Excellent	Non-Flammability: Good	Flexibility: Fair

POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE (PTFE)
PTFE is well-known for its wide temperature range. It is resistant to water, chemicals, oil and heat.
Temperature Range Centigrade: -90°C to +250°C	Insulation Resistance: Good	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Good	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Fair	Non-Flammability: Good	Flexibility: Excellent

 

Fluoropolymer

There are several types of fluoropolymer-insulated wires and cables, including ETFE, FEP, PFA, and PTFE. Material properties of these materials include excellent resistance to abrasion and chemical aggression, as well as the ability to withstand temperatures ranging from -190°C (cryogenics) to +260°C, as well as low thickness extrusion and tapping.

Attributes	FEP	ETFE	PFA	NWI’s PTFE
High Temperature	200˚C	200˚C	260˚C	300˚C
Specific Gravity	2.14	1.75	2.14	2.16
Shore Hardness “D”	55	67	55	60
Dielectric Strength	2000 v/mil	1600 v/mil	2032 v/mil	2200 v/mil
Dielectric Constant	2.0-2.1	2.5-2.6	2.0-2.1	2.0-2.1
Melt Flow	6.8 g/10min	7 g/10min	14 g/10min	15 g/10min
Tensile Strength	3,770 psi	5,500 psi	3,600 psi	3,600 psi
Flex Modulus	90,000 psi	93,500 psi	85,000 psi	75,000 psi
Dynamic Coefficient of Friction	0.275	0.350	0.250	0.125
Dielectric Loss Factor      at 106 Hz	<9 x 10-4	<9 x 10-4	<5 x 10-4	0.7-1.1x 10-4

Silicone Rubber
Silicone rubber is a high-performance elastomer characterized by an unusual combination of properties. These properties range from high-temperature performance to durability, excellent electrical insulation properties as well as transparency.
Temperature Range Centigrade: - − 55°C to 300°C	Insulation Resistance: Excellent	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Good	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Excellent	Non-Flammability: Excellent	Flexibility: Excellent
Mica | Glass Mica
Mica is a natural material, chemically neutral, non-toxic and entirely halogen-free. Mica tape is a dry non-adhesive flexible tape, impregnated with a high-performance heat-resistant silicon resin and reinforced with a support of polyethylene film. Glass Mica Sheet is a lamination of uncalcined phlogopite mica paper with glass cloth.
Temperature Range Centigrade: − 55°C to 950°C	Insulation Resistance: Excellent	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Good	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Excellent	Non-Flammability: Excellent	Flexibility: Fair

 

Fiberglass
Fibreglass is the most widely used glass insulation. With continuous working temperatures up to 482°C, the material has very good moisture and chemical resistance, but low abrasion resistance. It’s commonly used in applications for heat treating, glass and ceramic kilns, foundries and aluminium processing.
Temperature Range Centigrade:  0° to 482°C	Insulation Resistance: Good	Weather Resistance: Excellent
Voltage Breakdown: Good	Abrasion Resistance: Excellent	Solder Resistance: Good
Capacitance: Good	Non-Flammability: Excellent	Flexibility: Fair

 

SHIELDING

In cable systems, shielding is vital to preventing noise and maintaining signal purity. Cable shielding protects against various types of interference, including crosstalk, static, common mode, and magnetic noise. In order to protect against noise, shielding materials must be selected based on the type of noise. A mylar wrap usually made of foil is one of the most economical and common shielding materials. EMI/RFI shielding, braided wire, and spiral serve wire are also commonly used shielding materials.

JACKETING

In cable insulation, the jacket is the outermost layer. Besides protecting the cable against external elements such as moisture, it also contributes to its flexibility. In addition to the materials listed above for insulation, jacketing can also be made from many of the same materials. The least expensive variety is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Polyurethane (PU) jacketing offers a high level of strength and flexibility, while crosslinked polyethylene (PE) is also popular for outdoor applications. In addition to providing electrical performance and stability, pressure-extruded jackets ensure a uniform cable shape.

 

TO KNOW MORE ABOUT OUR CUSTOM CABLE SOLUTIONS OR TO TALK TO OUR EXPERIENCED SALES ENGINEER, CONTACT US