Frequently asked questions
How we quote, what we need to size a construction, what is tested before shipment, and where the limits of our approvals actually are.
What is your minimum order quantity?
Standard constructions start from 100 m. For custom designs — non-standard core schedules, special compounds, aramid-reinforced or composite cables — we quote on the project quantity, which is usually lower than customers expect because we are building to order rather than shipping from stock.
How long does production take?
Standard grades are typically 6–9 working days after the construction and print legend are confirmed in writing. Cables needing a special sheath compound, aramid load-bearing elements or third-party testing take longer, and we state the date on the quotation rather than after the order.
Can you manufacture to our drawing, or replace a failed OEM cable?
Yes — this is most of what we do. Send the core schedule, outer diameter, screen arrangement and the OEM part number if you have it. If the original cable failed, a photograph of the failure point is genuinely useful, because it usually tells us which part of the construction to change rather than simply reproduce.
What voltages can you supply?
300/300 V and 300/500 V for control, signal and data cables; 450/750 V for flexible power; 0.6/1 kV for reel, subsea and heavy-duty power cables. Higher ratings are built on request. Test voltage, insulation resistance and temperature rating are stated on the quotation for the exact construction.
What temperature range do your cables work in?
−40 °C to +105 °C for PUR-sheathed constructions, with cold-flexible compounds for outdoor winter duty and the option of heat-resistant compounds above that. The limiting factor is usually the sheath compound rather than the conductor, so tell us the ambient and the movement and we will match the material.
Which IP rating applies to underwater use?
IP67 for occasional immersion and IP68 for permanent immersion. The rating depends on the termination as much as the cable — water travels along a cable far more easily than it crosses a jacket — so where a subsea run is involved we agree the termination (gland, potted or overmoulded) together with the cable.
Do you provide samples before a production order?
Yes. Sample lengths are available for approval, and for OEM or project work we will supply a length from the agreed construction so the customer's own test can be run before the bulk order. Tell us the length and the test you intend to run and we will quote the sample accordingly.
How do you rate a drag chain cable?
By bending cycle life against a stated travel length and speed — not by a single voltage figure. To confirm a construction for your machine we need the travel length, the maximum speed and acceleration, the chain bend radius, and whether the cable is carrying coolant or swarf. Without those numbers any cycle-life claim is a guess, so we will ask for them.
What information do you need to quote a reel or drum cable?
Four numbers decide the construction: drum diameter, cable length, number of wraps and maximum travel speed. From those we set the core lay direction, the size of the load-bearing element and the sheath compound. If the reel has a guide or chain, the outer diameter can be matched to the guide clearance so the cable tracks instead of riding up the flange.
What do you need to size a tether UAV cable?
The drone's actual current draw at hover, the tether length, the platform mass budget, and the breaking strength the safety analysis requires. From those we select the power conductor, the aramid braid and the jacket — then confirm the voltage drop at the platform end, which is where most tether designs fail.
Which standards are your cables built to?
Conductor construction to IEC 60228 / VDE 0295 (class 5 and class 6), flame propagation to IEC 60332-1-2, and the compound datasheets held on file for the sheath and insulation actually used. If your project names a different standard, tell us at enquiry stage and we will confirm what we can build and test against it.
Do you hold ISO or classification society approvals?
Type approval and classification-society approval are project-specific: they are granted against a named standard, a cable construction and a testing body. We do not imply an approval we have not obtained. If your project requires one, we will confirm in writing which tests our works can perform and which have to be carried out by a third party before you commit.
What testing is carried out on the cable that ships?
Every finished length is tested and the record travels with the delivery: conductor resistance measured against the calculated value, high-voltage withstand between conductors and between conductors and screen, insulation resistance at the agreed temperature, core-by-core continuity and screen integrity, and a dimensional check of outer diameter and ovality against the drawing.
Can you print our part number or company name on the jacket?
Yes. Print legend, core identification and colour code are agreed at the quotation stage, so a repeat order behaves exactly like the first. We keep the construction record on file — quote the part number or the original order date and a replacement will match the original cable.
How do you handle export orders?
Export is routine. Technical correspondence is handled in English, drawings and test records are supplied with the shipment, and we quote ex-works or on a delivered basis. Payment terms are confirmed in writing on the proforma invoice before production begins.
How do I start an enquiry?
Send the duty rather than a part number where you can: operating voltage and load, whether the cable is fixed, moving, coiled or continuously flexed, the environment, the required length and quantity, and the termination if one is fixed. A drawing, a test requirement or a photograph of a cable that failed is enough for us to propose a construction.
Question not answered here?
Send the duty and we will answer with a proposed construction — that is usually faster than a general answer.