Understanding strands and cables
Strands and cables can be complicated. That's why our engineering teams are here to help, starting with breaking down some key terms.
Strands are formed by wrapping several filaments of wire together to form a single strand. When several strands are wrapped together, they form a cable. Strands and cables can be designed to perform various electrical functions based on your specifications.
When you talk about strands and cables with our engineering team, you'll hear descriptions like 1x7 and 19x37. The first number refers to how many strands are in the construction, and the second number to the quantity of filaments. So 1x7 refers to a single strand composed of 7 wire filaments. 19x37 refers to 19 strands of 37 filaments each. Complex constructions and exacting processes enhance strength, flexibility, fatigue life, torque, stiffness, and smoothness, allowing you to customize your strand or cable to suit your needs.
Typical end uses
Customers use our constructions as control cables, robotics microcables, and in other cutting-edge applications. From implantable medical devices and endoscopic cables to actuation and high-performance rope and cable for industrial applications, our strands and cables find use in life-altering applications.
Common functions:
- Electrical conductor
- Multi-channel signal arrays
- Tension-compression
- Tension-tension
- Torsion, rotation
Common end applications:
- Actuate tissue anchoring devices
- Articulate minimally invasive instruments
- Cauterize tissue
- Cross occlusions
- Deliver therapy to the intended site
- Enable endoscopic applications
- Occlude aneurysms
- Position and release implants
- Power active implants
- Retrieve foreign bodies
- Secure ligaments, tendons, and bone
- Serve as guidewires and stylets
- Service as permanent and temporary pacing and nerve stimulation
Design specifications
When it comes to strand and cable constructions, the possibilities are practically endless. In fact, we're here to help you push the boundaries, even offering a unique 1x37 construction.
Our products vary from:
- Microcables as small as 0.04 mm [0.002 in] in overall diameter
- Cables as large as 4.8 mm [0.1875 in] in overall diameter
- As few as three wires twisted together
- As many as 1,369 wires with a 0.5 mm [0.02 in] overall diameter
Cables can be provided on a spool to allow for easier processing into components, in discrete lengths, or you can take advantage of our secondary processing capabilities.
Commonly used materials:
- Cobalt-chrome high strength and corrosion resistance
- DFT® wire dissimilar materials in a single wire construction
- Nitinol superelastic and shape memory performance
- Precious metals customized properties and performance
- Stainless steel high strength and corrosion resistance
- Titanium corrosion resistance
- Tungsten high strength and good electrical conductivity
Additional capabilities
You can leverage our additional processing and assembly services to tailor your strand or cable for the next step in your manufacturing.
- Cleaning uncertified cleaning to remove surface debris
- Coating electrical insulation or chemical separation
- Cutting receive material in cut lengths
- Laser ablation customized coating coverage
- Laser welding no-additive welding process
- Mechanical assembly custom crimps, fittings, and specialized parts
- Passivation removal of any free-iron on the surface
- Swaging reduce overall diameter
- Thermal treatment relieve processing imparted stress on material
Explore options with our strand and cable configurator
There are a lot of options for strands and cables, so we created a configurator to help you explore the possibilities. From alloys to construction and overall diameter, discover just the right fit for your needs.