Spotlight on Tapes, Yarns and Strength Members
By Mike McNulty, Editor
Wire & Cable Technology International (WCTI)
Industrial tapes, yarns, and strength members play a significant role in many wire and cable constructions. These materials are usually not as simple as the tapes, yarns, or fiberglass rods used at home. Most of these products are highly engineered, backed by years of extensive research and development, and produced from state-of-the-art synthetic materials. Others are made from simple natural products like cotton or jute.
Modern tapes and yarns serve many functions in the wire and cable industry, including binding, shielding, marking, filling, insulating, blocking water, absorbing water, retarding flames, resisting heat, protecting from ballistics and rodents, providing strength, or even conducting electricity. Stand-alone strength members provide tensile load relief to the cable itself. In some applications, strength members prevent bending and elongation. Fibers are commonly used to construct composite rods that serve as strength members, with fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) being the most commonly used material.