With a weekend of warm weather, and more to come, I was thinking about how cables react to different environments, specifically heat.
If you are designing a product that will be exposed to fluctuating and extreme temperatures what cable should you use?
There are many options and, depending on the specific application, one may be better suited than another. However, the two most popular options are Silicone & Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Let’s take a look at the main differences between the two, starting with Silicone:
Silicone wire properties include:
Service temperatures from –50 to +200 °C
Special grades are available for use in a temperature range from –90 to +300°C
Excellent ageing resistance, even under extreme conditions
High resistance to many different chemical substances
Outstanding electrical properties
Extreme flexibility
PTFE wire properties include
Service temperatures from –75 to + 190°C
Excellent ageing resistance, even under extreme conditions
Lightweight ideal for aerospace and automotive applications
Thinner jacket better suited toocrimping
High Variety of colours available
Summary:
Silicone cable is more often found in power applications, specifically high power. With the protection from chemicals silicone is the perfect choice for industrial and mechanical products, for example industrial robots and large engines.
PTFE works very well in electronic products especially automotive and aerospace. Its lightweight properties make it the ideal wire for PCB interconnect.
When looking at the above properties it is easy to see where each cable is most suited. There is always a cross-over in some uses however, once you get the feel for the different cables the choice can usually become clearer as you decide which is best for you.
I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions or want further information remember to ask the experts who are here and happy to help.
A Blog on Heatproof cables
With a weekend of warm weather, and more to come, I was thinking about how cables react to different environments, specifically heat.
If you are designing a product that will be exposed to fluctuating and extreme temperatures what cable should you use?
There are many options and, depending on the specific application, one may be better suited than another. However, the two most popular options are Silicone & Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Let’s take a look at the main differences between the two, starting with Silicone:
Silicone wire properties include:
PTFE wire properties include
Summary:
Silicone cable is more often found in power applications, specifically high power. With the protection from chemicals silicone is the perfect choice for industrial and mechanical products, for example industrial robots and large engines.
PTFE works very well in electronic products especially automotive and aerospace. Its lightweight properties make it the ideal wire for PCB interconnect.
When looking at the above properties it is easy to see where each cable is most suited. There is always a cross-over in some uses however, once you get the feel for the different cables the choice can usually become clearer as you decide which is best for you.
I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions or want further information remember to ask the experts who are here and happy to help.
Nicab blog
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