By Molex / Daniel Woodhead / Brad Harrison
| CABLE JACKET MATERIAL | RELATIVE COST | SUGGESTED APPLICATION |
| PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is among the most common thermoplastic jacketing materials in use today. It is easy to extrude and exhibits many excellent mechanical and electrical properties. PVC-jacketed cable can be either rigid or elastometric, depending on the formulation. PVC also offers good performance in a broad range of temperature conditions with excellent flame, heat, oxidation, moisture and abrasion resistance. PVC also offers excellent resistance to alkali, alcohol and some acids. Its dielectric constant range is from 3.5 to 6.5. | The most common applications include control: instrumentation, data transmission, sound and general industrial machinery. In addition, it is the most cost-effective solution for a variety of applications! | |
| PUR (polyurethane) has good low temperature flexibility, high tensile strength and long flex life. PUR cables also offer excellent abrasion and cut resistance. PUR offers superior resistance to ozone, soluble oil, and synthetic coolants. It is resistant to ATF, gasoline and cutting oils. Plasticizers are generally NOT found in PUR formulations so migration of additives to the surface is NOT the case. | MODERATE | Common applications include control, instrumentation, outdoor and higher flex applications. It is resistant to cutting oils, making it well suited for metal-cutting environments. |
| Rubber – Type SJOO/SOO Type SJOO and SOO are thermoset rubber insulated cables. They perform extremely well in low temperature environments with excellent cut and abrasion resistance. | MODERATE-HIGH | Their oil-resistance insulation and outer jacket are for applications where they are subjected to a wide range of oils and coolants. SJOO and SOO also offer excellent weld slag and spark resistance. |
| TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) – “Universal cable“ TPE cable combines many of the best properties of PVC and rubber insulation. It offers excellent resistance to a broad range of oils, chemicals, acids and solvents while allowing a smaller , easier to run cable profile compared to rubber cables. Combined with a true, flex-rated construction it can serve as an excellent “universal” cable that will meet many demanding applications. | MODERATE | It provides excellent resistance to flame and weld slag. It is particularly well-suited for flex applications on end of arm tooling, grippers and other automation lines. It is also resistant to the most caustic cutting fluids. |
| COUPLING NUT MATERIAL | BRAD HARRISON STANDARD | SUGGESTED APPLICATION |
| Zinc Diecast, E-Coated coupling nuts are the standard for the majority of Brad Harrison products. This material offers superb corrosion resistance, up to 500 hours of continuous duty in a salt spray environment. Also, the E-coat prevents weld slag build up that can affect coupling/decoupling the connector. | STANDARD | Common applications include automotive welding machinery and environments subjected to salt spray, such as food processing, pulp and paper, and marine applications. |
| Stainless Steel coupling nuts are designed for food processing, outdoors, and other corrosive environments. These coupling nuts provide the longest protection against freezing and rusting. Stainless steel is a hard material, which helps prevent breakage or shattering in extreme environments and is easily cleaned. | OPTIONAL | Common applications include both the food processing and pharmaceutical industries where stainless steel presents a surface on which bacteria and molds have a hard time growing. |
| Nylon/Delrin coupling nuts are used in areas where stainless steel is not accepted. | OPTIONAL |
Precision Automation | Specialists in Industrial Automation 