What Is a Corkscrew in a Cable and How Can You Avoid It?
By Andreas Muckes
Those who deal with cables or use cables in their applications are often familiar with the so-called corkscrew. Today, we would like to explain what a corkscrew is, how it develops and, of course, how it can be avoided.
The corkscrew
Everyone knows the actual corkscrew. Meanwhile, there are countless variants on the market. While they differ in quality, they all have one thing in common: the lead screw to draw the corks.
When talking about cables, it would be better not to get acquainted with the corkscrew.
The corkscrew in cables
Unfortunately, this form of the lead screw can also be found in cables. This is what is known as a corkscrew. An overload during the bending process causes the cable to deform. This deformation of the cable is visible from the outside and is optically similar to the lead screw of a corkscrew. The cause for the development of the corkscrew is often an incorrectly installed cable or a mismatched cable quality. In such cases, the cable is not optimally adapted to the respective application and cannot withstand the load.
Dynamic applications demand a lot from the cables. They are exposed to high tensile strain and many alternating movements. In some cases this leads to a corkscrew, which in turn leads to core rupture. Machines come to a standstill and production is paralyzed. We would like to avoid that.
How do you avoid corkscrews for cables?
This question can be answered briefly and concisely: by choosing the right cable!
Our chainflex® cables have been specifically developed for use inside cable carriers on dynamic applications. The secret lies in the special structure of our cables, which makes them extremely resilient. Our cores wound in bundles with short pitch length in combination with a gusset-filling extruded inner and outer jacket give the cable the necessary stability. This design allows us to compensate for the push/pull force of the cores in the stranding over a short distance and prevents the stranding from loosening under the jacket.
Have you experienced corkscrews in your cables? Let us help! Visit our chainflex® flexible cable shop or contact our chainflex® Product Manager.
