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Safely replace PUR with cost-effective PVC
PUR (polyurethane) has decisive advantages as a jacket material in some areas, but not in all. Our aim is to provide enough information so that you can decide objectively whether a cable with PVC jacket is not only sufficient, but may be a better solution.

How do you save money by choosing the right outer jacket?

Every material has specific specifications; there is no one-size-fits-all good or bad material. Here we use the example of the PVC and PUR jacket materials to show which is best suited for what applications and provide specific ideas for reducing costs in this context.

Advantages and properties of the two materials

PVC

Good abrasion resistance
Excellent flame resistance
Very easy to customise

PVC or polyvinyl chloride is a versatile plastic compound. Nevertheless, there is a widespread perception that PVC cables are only suitable for fixed installation.
However, this is not entirely true. There are thousands of different PVC compounds for a variety of applications and it is important to find the right one for use in the energy chain. For the igus chainflex cables, we have chosen a compound that has a high abrasion resistance in the e-chain, is very easy to assemble and is also cost-effective. This is why PVC cables are often used in industries with a dry environment at room temperature conditions, e.g. packaging or woodworking.

PUR

Good oil resistance
Durability at low temperatures

A PUR (polyurethane) outer jacket is characterised above all by its very good oil resistance. PUR cables are often used in applications and industries with dirty environmental conditions e.g. oil or coolants, for instance in machine tool construction. Nevertheless, the jacket remains flexible even in continuous use in the energy chain and withstands a high mechanical load. In addition, PUR cables are well suited for applications with low temperatures.

Sample calculation of catalogue cables

CF270.UL.D in PUR

Part no.: CF270.UL.25.15.02.01.D
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section:
(4G2.5+(2x1.5)C)C
Max. outer diameter: 14mm
Bend radius: 10 x d

A comparison is worthwhile! Cost savings of up to:

CF210.UL in PVC

Part no.: CF210.UL.25.15.02.01.D
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section:
(4G2.5+(2x1.5)C)C
Max. outside diameter: 14mm
Bend radius: 10 x d

CF77.UL.D in PUR

Part no.: CF77.UL.15.12.D
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section:12G1.5
Outer diameter max.: 15mm
Bend radius: 6.8 x d

Cost savings of up to:

CF5 in PVC

Part no.: CF5.15.12
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section:12G1.5
Outer diameter max.: 15mm
Bend radius: 6.8 x d

CF211.PUR in PUR

Part no.: CF211.PUR.02.04.02
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section: (4x(2x0.25))C
Outer diameter max.: 7.5mm
Bend radius: 7.5 x d

Cost savings of up to:

CF211 in PVC

Part no.: CF211.02.04.02
Number of cores and conductor nominal cross section: (4x(2x0.25))C
Outer diameter max.: 8mm
Bend radius: 7.5 x d

Application examples from practice

Today, servo cables are the standard for drive technology in automation technology and mechanical engineering. The movements to which the cables are subjected to in these industries are associated with high mechanical stress. In addition, the cables are often used in environments contaminated by moisture, oils, dust or swarf. Choosing the right jacket material is therefore crucial. In order to ensure the consistent quality of the jacket material, our cables are repeatedly tested under real conditions so that we can provide a binding guarantee and calculate the cable online. The cables are tested in both short-term batch tests and long-term service life tests.

Example of long-term test 3841a of a servo cable of the CF21 series (PVC cable), with a test bend factor of only 6.1 x d and 54 million completed strokes.

Test 3841a servo cable CF21. UL

However, it is not only our servo cables that offer this choice between different jacket qualities, but also all our other cable types, such as measuring system cable, bus cable, control cable, etc., all of them tested in our in-house test laboratories.

Consulting

I look forward to answering your questions

Andrei Visnevski

Regional Sales Manager

+372 667 5600 Write e-mail

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