Custom Cable Cover using Z-Wrap®
Case Study: Custom Cable Cover using Z-Wrap®
Product: Z-Wrap®, PVL-10 & Adhesive Tape
Electronic board ribbon cables were being chaffed during inspection, installation and removal, so a custom cable cover was required for protection.
We may not be strangers to issues with electrical wiring, and, more importantly, what can happen if our circuitry is chaffed during installation or removal. Whether we are installing, removing or inspecting, we expect that our wires will continue to stay protected once a machine has power going to it. If there is chafing or poorly covered wiring, this could be very detrimental to your equipment.
A customer of ours was running into this very issue whenever they were removing and installing new circuit boards. Their flat ribbon interconnect cable was being chafed and causing performance issues with their electronic computer.
Why? In their case the circuit boards were continually being installed, inspected and removed. After some time the customer begin to notice that the ribbon cables were becoming chafed. This was due to the extremely tight space that these boards were being installed in. This was also due to the fact that the ribbon cables were stacked, then branched into three cable groups that all turned 90 degrees as they entered the circuit board mating area.
End Goal: A custom cable cover solution was required to protect these wires, but the solution also needed to be specifically retrofitted to fit their existing needs.
Solution: After contacting The Zippertubing Company and speaking to one our engineers, Zippertubing sent the client a custom cable cover that was a die-cut product. The product was a custom variation of our Z-Wrap® which was engineered to be a one-piece, wrap-around, adhesive-closed cable cover jacket. The custom cable enclosure could be installed after the ribbon cables were terminated to the circuit board connectors without any additional fabrication.
The custom cable cover used was very thin (.010” thick), rugged and consisted of PVC-impregnated, Polyester-fabric material that had a special plasticizer-resistant transfer adhesive applied at all of the overlap flap areas. The product was very easy to install and the customer was able to simply wrap the product around their cables, peel back the adhesive release liners and stick the overlap flaps right into place.
The adhesive closure was very flexible, and was low profile enough that it could be adjusted as required to create a snug-fitting protective cable cover. The customized breakout jacket was used in conjunction with a standard Z-Wrap® jacket to protect the entire cable stack as it was installed into the rack assembly.
Material Used: A customized, end-fitting version of Zipptertubing’s Z-Wrap® along with a standard straight run of Z-Wrap® jacketing. Z-Wrap® is a .010” thick, PVC-impregnated, Polyester fabric using a special plasticizer-resistant, transfer adhesive closure. It is designed to be an inexpensive, lightweight solution that uses a thin jacket material for cable management and minor abrasion problems.
Conclusion: The Zippertubing Company provided a custom cable cover solution that not only solved the chafing issue, but was also a cost-effective way to protect the customer’s ribbon cable. The diverse product line from Zippertubing and the willingness to create customized products solved this customer’s complex problem in a very short period of time.
Custom Applications: Have a problem that needs the Zippertubing experience? Be part of our next Case Study! Zippertubing offers unlimited custom applications for those who are searching for something that will cater their own needs, such as protecting their wires from harsh elements, needing alternative color options, reducing the risk of rodents chewing through wires or any other custom application that you or your company may come up with.
Specifications subject to change without notice. All statements and technical information contained herein are based on tests we believe to be reliable, but the accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed under all circumstances. Before using Zippertubing products, the user shall determine suitability for the intended use, and user assumes all responsibility for improper selection. Published attenuation values of Zippertubing shielding have been verified by laboratory testing of the respective shielding materials. Actual installed attenuation values may differ due to installation techniques and final assembly operation parameters which are beyond the control of The Zippertubing Company. Actual attenuation values can only be determined by the end user testing the completed assembly. U.S. and International Patents and patents pending.
