So you've decided to order a vinyl coated cable for your next application. A cable coating can add a lot to the appearance and performance of an aircraft cable, from nearly unlimited color options to environmental resistance and longer wear life. Before you issue your order, here are a few additional considerations should you review before making the final purchase decision:
- What is the cable operating temperature range? Vinyl jackets provide a wide range of operating temperatures, from -30F to +180F. This is acceptable for the vast majority of cable applications, but if yours is outside of this range, you may want to consider a specialty vinyl or a nylon jacket to ensure you don't have a coating failure in service.
- What outer diameter jacket tolerance do you need to hold? Jacket OD tolerances vary depending on the bare cable size. Based on the bare cable diameter, it's possible to hold a particular tolerance on the jacket diameter. This chart outlines standard tolerances for jacketing. As a rule, the smaller the cable, the tighter the standard tolerance on the finished diameter. That's not to say nothing can be done if your design lands outside of the standards. As a manufacturer, we can offer custom sizes and tolerances in most situations, it will simply change the potential materials we can use and the processing speeds required to meet your specifications.
- How hard or soft does your coating need to be? Vinyl is available in a wide range of hardnesses, or durometers. These can range from very stiff to very spongy. We provide a standard durometer of 90, which is suitable for most applications. However, if you require something with additional abrasion resistance, or extra flexibility, we can find a custom solution to meet your performance needs.
If you've determined exactly what you need for your next project, we would love to speak with you about your particular application. Take a moment to Contact Us so that we can find the solution that's right for you.