Cables for Cable Carriers and Drag Chain Systems
A drag chain cable is not a standard flexible cable pushed harder. Inside a cable carrier, every conductor is loaded in alternate bending on every stroke of the machine, and the failure mode is fatigue at the strand level rather than simple abrasion. Cable specified for fixed installation typically fails in the chain within weeks, which is why carrier cables are built around fine-strand copper, short-lay stranding, and a jacket compound that keeps its mechanical properties through millions of cycles.
The numbers that decide service life are bend radius relative to outer diameter, travel speed and acceleration, whether the run is gliding or suspended, and the torsion the cable sees if the carrier twists. Below is the range we build for carrier work, with the specification data for each type on its own page.
What decides the cable in this application
Four factors do most of the work. Getting these right narrows the choice to a small number of constructions, and each one appears in the specification table of the cable type you select.
Bend radius drives cycle life more than any other variable
A 7.5 × outer diameter minimum applies to continuous flexing, and 4 × outer diameter only to fixed installation. Running a cable tighter than its rated radius concentrates strain in a small number of strands and shortens life sharply.
Long travel and gliding runs add a second load case
Once a carrier run is long enough for the cable to slide on itself, abrasion and the added tension become limiting. Jacket compound and the use of a low-friction inner jacket matter as much as strand construction.
Oil, coolant and chips attack the jacket, not the copper
In machining and metalworking cells, mineral oil, cutting fluid and hydraulic oil reach the jacket continuously. Immersion-rated compounds are tested to a defined volume swell rather than simply described as oil resistant.
Torsion appears wherever the carrier twists or the axis rotates
A carrier that twists, or a run feeding a rotating head, imposes torsion that ordinary alternate-bending cable is not designed for. The cable needs an SZ stranding pattern with anti-torsion fillers.
Cable types for cable carriers & drag chains
12 constructions from the catalogue that suit this duty. Each links to its own page with the full specification table.
What we need to quote accurately
Send these six items and we can confirm a construction and price without a follow-up round. Both the contact page and every product page carry a form that accepts them, and you can attach a drawing or specification sheet directly.
- 1 Conductor size and core count e.g. 4 × 2.5 mm², or a full core table
- 2 Voltage rating 300/500 V for control, 0.6/1 kV for power
- 3 Travel length and speed Stroke length in metres, speed in m/s, gliding or suspended
- 4 Bend radius available The radius the carrier actually imposes, not the catalogue minimum
- 5 Environment Oil, coolant, chips, UV, washdown, ambient temperature range
- 6 Shielding and signal content VFD power, encoder feedback, Ethernet or bus pairs in the same run
Frequently asked questions
How long a cable carrier run can a cable handle?
Length is not the primary limit — bend radius and the number of cycles are. For long gliding runs the cable must be rated for the travel speed and for sliding contact with itself. Tell us the stroke length and speed and we will confirm the construction rather than quote a general maximum.
Do I need shielded cable inside a carrier?
If the run carries VFD motor power, encoder feedback or a bus, yes. An overall tinned copper braid at high coverage plus shielded pairs keeps drive noise out of the feedback circuit. For pure power or simple control in a clean carrier, unshielded is usually sufficient.
What is the difference between a PVC and a PUR jacket in a carrier?
PVC is the economical choice for indoor, oil-free machine rooms. PUR holds its flexibility at low temperature, resists oil, coolant, UV and hydrolysis, and is halogen-free, which is why it is the standard for outdoor, washdown and metalworking environments.
Can I run power and signal in one carrier cable?
Yes, and it is often the better answer than three separate cables. Composite constructions combine power cores, shielded signal pairs and data elements in one jacket, which reduces the number of terminations and the weight the carrier has to move.
Need the cable confirmed against your machine?
Send the duty, the environment and the electrical data. Our engineering team will confirm the construction, the standards it meets, and the price — including custom builds where a catalogue type does not fit.