tech talk
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Planning out your cable management system correctly is key to avoiding unnecessary downtime. Simple
considerations in the beginning of that process can prevent issues like loss of continuity, insulation damage,
mechanical deformation or electromagnetic interference (EMI). However, certain rules of thumb, such as
filling only as much as 80 percent of a cable carrier's cross section, have become outdated. So how
do you know you're specifying, designing and installing an efficient system? Read on for a list of seven
common cable management mistakes that you may not know you're making and for suggestions on how
to avoid them.
1. Lack of interior separation
Interior separators and shelves are crucial for keeping
similar cables and hoses compartmentalized. When
they're not separated, cables can cross over one
another and become tangled.
Cables with significant differences in diameter or
incompatible jackets should be placed in separate
compartments. Typically, vertical separators are
primarily used as they are the simplest to install
and offer easy access to cables. For more complex
cable packages, horizontal shelves can be used to
provide additional separation.
The maximum cable or hose diameter corresponds
to the inner height of your selected cable carrier,
with additional minimum clearance. We recommend
leaving a 10 percent clearance around electrical
cables and 20 percent around hydraulic hoses.
The faster and more frequently a cable carrier operates, the more important it is for cables and hoses to
be positioned precisely inside that carrier.
2. Uneven distribution of weight
Cables and hoses need to be able to move freely inside a cable carrier without exerting an uneven load
on the carrier. Unevenly distributed weight can result in a carrier that is too heavy on one side, which can
disrupt movement, cause the carrier to tilt and potentially interfere with the work area.
7 cable management mistakes
you don't know you're making
Visible interior seperation between cables and hoses in an
Energy Chain
®
cable carrier
