What Is a Vinyl Cabtyre Cable?
A vinyl cabtyre cable is a type of cabtyre cable and an electrical wire in which insulation and sheath are made of vinyl.
Vinyl Cabytre Cables (VCTs in short) have high flexibility and water resistance, making them ideal for use as mobile cables.
Uses of Vinyl Cabtyre Cables
Vinyl cabtyre cables are used in various applications, from familiar household appliances to industrial machinery.
These include:
- For extension cord wiring
- Wiring for controllers of commercial air conditioners
- Power supply wiring for small compressors
- For power supply wiring of power tools
- For internal wiring of elevators
- Wiring for welding machines and diesel generators
Due to its excellent flexibility, it is widely used for wiring that needs to be movable and requires a large amount of power. It is also characterized by its high flexibility and resistance to bending and tension. Therefore, it is also used for equipment that is carried and used at construction sites.
Principle of Vinyl Cabtyre Cables
Vinyl cabtyre cables consist of a core wire, an insulator, and a sheath.
1. Core Wire
The core wire is a metallic material that serves as the pathway for electricity. In most cases, copper is used as the material for the core wire. This is because it has high conductivity and is inexpensive compared to other metals. The core wire has a strand structure in which multiple thin copper wires are twisted together, making the cable soft and easy to handle.
2. Insulator
Insulators are insulating materials that protect the core wire. Vinyl cabtyre cables use a vinyl material such as polyvinyl chloride. Colored insulators are commonly used for easy identification.
3. Sheath
The sheath is an insulating material that protects the core wire with insulation from the external environment. Core wires with insulation are twisted together inside the sheath to prevent electromagnetic noise. The sheath of the vinyl cabtyre cable is a vinyl material such as polyvinyl chloride. Cables with colored sheaths are available on request, although they are typically gray.
Characteristics of Vinyl Cabtyre Cables
Vinyl cabtyre cables are lighter and more flexible than rubber cabtyre cables.
However, rubber cabtyre cables are more robust and weather resistant, and are used in harsh conditions such as mines.
Types of Vinyl Cabtyre Cables
There are many types of vinyl cabtyre cables.
1. VCT
This is a common vinyl cabtyre cable. Due to its low cost, it is the most universally used. The voltage is generally less than 600V.
2. VCTFs
VCTF are vinyl cabtyre cables which insulation and sheath are made of the same vinyl material, but it is less expensive than VCT. It is mainly used for small electrical equipment. While VCT can be used at 600V or less, VCTF cannot be used unless it is 300V or less.
However, it has an even higher flexibility than VCT because of its thinner coating.
3. H-VCTF
This is a vinyl cabtyre cable with heat resistance. It has a higher heat resistance temperature than general VCTF and is used in conditions where heat is applied, such as around industrial furnaces.
4. S-VCTF
This VCTF uses a highly polymerized material for the sheath.
Other Information on Vinyl Cabtyre Cables
Origin of Cabtyre Cable
Cabtyre is a word deriving from carriage tires. The company that made horse-drawn carriage tires used tire sheathing on the cable, hence the name cabtyre cable, as a sturdy cable like the tire on a cab.
Tires are generally made of rubber, but tires with vinyl sheathing are also called cabtyre cables.