Industrial cables are becoming more sophisticated as businesses are looking for high performance and reliability plus seamless reporting and data access. However, in order to get the most out of an ethernet cable, you need to pick the right type. Network components are a major cause of network faults while operating systems account for less than a fifth of failures, and program failure accounts for a small minority of network failures. The problem with network cable failure is that it’s oftentimes very difficult to diagnose and solve.
That being said, the cost of cabling is compared to the cost of network failure, which can be hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per minute, which makes it clear that it makes perfect sense to choose and install the proper cables for each and every application. You can’t expect typical office cables to perform well in industrial environments, as they’re not made for use in harsh industrial environments. Additionally, cables are integral to machine instrumentation, automation, and control system, making them a liability for hazards.
For that reason, knowing your application is essential to avoid expensive network failures. You need to choose a cable with the right characteristics. For instance, you might need a flexible cable with oil resistant features, which would call for an Olflex cable with such characteristics. Alternatively, you might need an Olflex cable with UV and weather resistant properties specially made for outdoor use. That being said, carefully consider the application and the environment in which the cable will be used before making the final buying decision.
Furthermore, you have to pick between a shielded and unshielded cable. Unshielded cables can be used in practically any environment, while shielded ones are typically used in high noise environments. A shielded cable is protected by a foil or braid in order to maintain the integrity of the signal and to keep out any undesirable noise or interference. Some cables use a foil or a braid combination for extra noise protection and durability.
Lastly, you have to decide on the jacket. You’ll have to pick between PVC, FRNC, TPE and PUR cable jackets. PVC jackets are great for general purpose and offer great mechanical strength. They’re affordable and offer moderate flexing. FRNC jackets are flame retardant and feature moderate flexing. TPE jackets are great for flexing applications are have amazing coolant and oil resistant properties. Lastly, PUR jackets offer the best resistance to abrasion, are highly tolerant to solvents and are very flexible.