Of
all the machine design details to worry about, cable carriers probably don’t top your list. Yet if you care
about the reliability and uptime of moving machines, it pays to devote
extra engineering attention to the carriers and the
components within them.
A
well-designed cable carrier will dramatically extend the life of cables and
fluid power supply lines by protecting them from damaging bends, crimping,
abrasive wear and crushing.
Unfortunately,
some cable carriers are poorly-designed and can trigger the very same cable and
supply line failures they were supposed to prevent, causing expensive machine
downtime. The potential for failures can
largely be avoided by following a collection of simple carrier design guidelines
developed by our Systems Group.
Over
the years, our engineers have designed, built and delivered thousands of
populated cable carriers that have been implemented
in a wide variety of servo and VFD applications on
packaging, automotive and other industrial machines.
Here are some basic tips for
designing populated carriers:
•
Calculate. Determine
the minimum bend radius and clearances of all the components that will fill the
carrier. Define the optimal carrier length and location of the fixed mounting points.
•
Weigh.
Distribute the weight of the fill components within the carrier. Take the time
to calculate the weights of individual components, and place the heaviest
components on the outside of the carrier.
•
Influence. Consider
the operating environment. Chemical exposures and thermal conditions can
influence the design of cable carriers.
•
Divide. Split
the carrier into separate cavities so the cables and hose can all move
independently of one another.
•
Get Help. Involve
your cable and carrier vendors in the design process. They work with carriers
every day and can offer additional engineering expertise that will help you
design a carrier that will go the distance.
For
detailed engineering guidelines, download our technical paper on cable carrier
design.
