Cable Lines for Hybrid Cable Assembly

by: Kevin Dancy, Roteq Machinery Inc.

Cabling Lines for Hybrid Cable Assembly To reduce total installed cost for projects requiring multiple cable types there is a trend to combine these different elements into a single cable. Examples include combining optical fiber with power conductors and control wires with power conductors for commercial lighting. On a much larger scale, there are undersea umbilical cables where multiple types of elements (power, communication, fluids) may be combined. Combining dissimilar elements into one cable presents technical challenges that must be overcome.

When cabling dissimilar elements, we must consider the differences in the materials. What tension is appropriate for each? Will they accept torsion without detriment to later performance? What is their tensile strength, torsional stiffness? Mass per unit length and per bobbin? We must also consider the cable design including the number of layers and its construction (unilay, reverse concentric, etc.). These factors are considerations for equipment selection.

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