Zauderer Associates has over 30 years in the mechanical wire rope cable industry and provides valuable guidance and engineering advice to help make your project a success.
Zauderer Associates partners with a high-quality manufacturer of wire rope cables and cable assemblies to meet the demands of a diverse collection of customers and industries. Our partner is an ISO 9001:2015 registered company with a commitment to customer services that is second to none. Whether you require 1 piece or 1 million pieces, our quality procedures, on-time delivery and excellent service will exceed your expectations.
Some Of The Industries We Serve:
Aerospace, Appliance, Boating & Marine, Electrical, Medical, Military & Defense, Robotics, Space, Sports & Outdoors, Transportation
Aircraft Cable & Wire Rope
Custom Cable Assemblies
Coated Cable
Fittings & Hardware
Tools & Additional Services
Learn More About Our Products
Sourcing Wire Rope Cable for Manufacturing: FAQs
Sourcing Wire Rope Cable for Manufacturing: FAQsWire rope cables and cable assemblies are relied on by our customers across a wide range of industries and product lines. With almost 50 years of manufacturing and engineering experience, we support clients around the...
Proof Loading / Testing Wire Rope Cable
Proof loading/testing is a quality control measure used to prove out a design and/or is required for annual inspections, to meet certain safety and mandated, governmental regulations.
Push-Pull Wire Rope Cable Assemblies
Push-Pull cable assemblies are terms used to describe a dedicated mechanical control device that provides a smooth and positive transmission of mechanical power or force to a remote location.
FAQs About Wire Rope Cable and Assemblies
Frequently asked questions about wire rope cable and assemblies
Medical Wire Rope Assemblies
Zauderer Associates, Inc. partners with a stranded wire rope cable manufacturer that has been specializing in the production of custom cable assemblies and components for almost 50 years.
Introduction To Wire Rope Cable
Click for an introduction to wire rope cable, wire rope fittings and wire rope assemblies and the many applications and materials available.
How To Determine the Strength of Wire Rope?
Learn about how various wire configurations, cable diameter and different wire material and coatings determine the strength of wire rope.
How is Wire Rope Made?
Click to learn about the primary characteristics of wire rope and the basic manufacturing process of wire rope cable.
Wire Rope Cable and Wire Rope Cable Assemblies
Wire Rope Cable Terminology
Wire Rope Cable Terminology
- Wire: A single and very flexible string.
- Wire strand: Two or more wires that are laid together.
- Wire cable: Multiple wire strands are wrapped around a core or strand.
- Core: The core is the center of the wire rope that the strands are wrapped around. There are three types of cores available: fiber core (FC), wire strand core (WSC) and independent wire rope core (IWRC).
- Lays of Wire Rope: The direction that the cable and/or strand is twisted around the core.
- Lay Length: The distance of one complete revolution around the core or center strand.
- Wire Rope Assembly: A wire rope assembly is created when a fitting is attached to a wire rope cable.
- Swaging: The process of attaching a fitting to the wire rope through a repeated hammering motion of a specialized swaging machine.
Understanding Wire Rope Cable Manufacturing
How is wire rope made?
Individual wires are twisted into strands on a stranding machine and put through a straightener. Several wire strands are then wound together around a core onto a closer machine and converge to the required wire rope diameter. The basic wire rope manufacturing process is a simple concept; however, there is almost an endless combination of sizes, materials, fittings, and processes that can be done before during and after construction of the wire rope that can make a project complicated. Zauderer Associates, inc. can help you understand each step of the process and can provide the engineering support you need.
What impacts the strength of wire rope cable?
The three primary areas that determine the strength of wire rope cable include the wire configuration (how many strands, and how many wires per strand), the cable diameter (how large is each individual wire) and finally the wire material used and any additional coatings.
How is wire rope categorized? What does 6X19 wire rope mean?
Wire configuration is the primary way that wire rope is categorized and there is a standard naming convention across the industry. The configuration is the “Number of Strands” X “Number of Wires per Strand.” Therefore, a 6×19 wire rope cable means that there are 6 strands wrapped around the core and there are 19 wires per individual strand. A 6×19 wire rope cable has 114 total wires.
What is the difference between strand and wire rope cable?
Although the terms wire, wire strand and wire rope cable may be used interchangeably, there is a stark difference between the terms. A wire is a single and very flexible string. A wire strand is created when two or more wires are laid around a center wire. A cable is made when strands are wrapped around a core.
What is the strongest wire rope cable?
Selecting the right material for your cable application can be perplexing sometimes and there is not just one right answer. Typically, stainless steel may be slightly stronger than a galvanized material, diameter dependent, but it comes at a much greater cost. Tungsten can be stronger, more flexible and have a greater service life, but again is more expensive. Cable construction also plays a major role in your assemblies’ design. If you need flexibility and abrasion resistance, that may affect the overall strength of your wire rope cable assembly.
What is the most flexible wire rope?
In the world of miniature wire rope cable there is an inverse relationship between the strength of the wire rope and the flexibility / stretch of the rope as more strands and more wires per strand are added. Therefore, in the diagram below, a 1×19 wire rope configuration is the least flexible but has the highest breaking strength. 7×7 wire rope is more flexible and has medium strength and 7×19 is considered the most flexible but has the lowest breaking strength. We can provide numerous options depending on what type of strength and flexibility is needed, including a 7×49 wire rope cable which is an extremely flexible wire rope cable that is often used in pulley and cycling assemblies.
How many types of wire rope cable are there?
There is almost an endless number of types of wire rope cable. There are so many factors that need to be considered when picking the type of wire rope cable including but not limited to size requirements, material and coating considerations, fittings required, and whether any processes need to be done before, during or even after construction of the wire rope (i.e. ultrasonic cleaning, passivation or cable stress relief). Zauderer Associates, inc. can help you understand each step of the process and can provide the engineering support you need.
What does IWRC stand for?
IWRC stands for independent wire rope cores and is itself a wire rope that is comprised of wires and strands. This is different than the other two types of a core which are WSC (Wire Strand Core) and FC (Fiber Core). WSC is a single wire that is used as a core. FC is a natural or synthetic rope.
What standards are maintained in the wire rope manufacturing process?
Our partner in wire rope cable manufacturing produces quality products are safe, reliable, and effective. The following standards and certifications are maintained:
- ISO 9001:2015 certification
- RoHS and REACH compliant
- FDA Registered Status
- ITAR Registered Status
What is the difference between swaging and crimping?
Swaging is an assembly process that will squeeze or crush the fitting around the length of the wire rope cable, slightly reducing the overall diameter without reducing the performance of the cable or damaging the cable. Swaging will increase the wear resistance and lower friction for push-pull type applications. Crimping may be just one or a couple “strikes” of the fitting to secure it to the cable. Crimping is a quicker assembly process where strength, wear and fatigue are less of a concern for wire rope cable.
How does swaging wire rope cable work?
Swaging is a process used to flatten the strands of wire rope cable to reduce the cable diameter. Cable rope is fed through a rotary swaging machine that hammers the wire rope cable in a repetitive action until the wire cable has the desired diameter.
What are the benefits of swaging wire rope cable?
The swaging process prevents fraying, increasing wear resistance by improving the stiffness of the cable, and lowers friction. Medical cable assemblies and push-pull cable assemblies often use swaged cable since these types of applications require smooth and frictionless movement.
How does a wire rope clamp work?
A wire rope clamp is a very common fitting placed on the end of wire rope cable. The end of the wire rope is looped back to form an eye and the wire rope clips are used to secure the ends properly.
How to make push-pull wire rope cables?
Push-Pull and Push-Pull cable assemblies are terms used to describe a dedicated mechanical control device that provides a smooth and positive transmission of mechanical power or force to a remote location. A properly designed push-pull or pull-push cable assembly uses a solid wire or a wire rope to smoothly and with little friction, transfer motion from one point to the other. A well designed, flexible wire rope cable assembly includes a casing that is properly sized for the appropriate solid wire or wire rope. The next design consideration will be specifying the proper bulkhead terminal(s). Lastly, you need to determine the termination that is needed for your application. What will this be attached to and how best to attach it? Next will be deciding on the proper push-pull control in either locking or non-locking fashion, to provide the motion desired. There are many design requirements and considerations when manufacturing a push-pull wire rope cable assembly, so let us help to customize your product.
What other options and services are available for your wire rope cable assembly?
If your assembly needs to be prestressed, passivated, stress relieved, ultrasonically cleaned, or vapor decreased let us know. We are the experts in the field on how to make your wire rope cable assembly clean, safe, effective, and reliable.
Common Questions on Types of Wire Rope Cable
What is galvanized wire rope?
Galvanized wire rope cable is steel wire, that has a thin layer of zinc plated to the wire, for corrosion protection. The galvanized wire is then taken and stranded into various configurations, dependent on the desired application.
How do you choose between stainless steel and galvanized wire rope?
Deciding between stainless steel and galvanized wire rope is a tough question to answer without knowing more details about the overall project. Details that should be considered include understanding the specified application, the product’s needs, the desired end result, the typical life of your assembly, the environment the assembly will live in, the “factor of safety” needed and most importantly what cost considerations are expected. Our experienced professionals will bring together the right assembly to handle all your needs.
Is stainless steel cable stronger than galvanized cable?
Stainless steel cable is stronger than galvanized cable. And tungsten cable is even stronger than stainless steel cable. However, when determining the right material for your project, many variables besides simply wire cable strength will need to be considered including cost environmental factors. Let Zauderer Associates, Inc. help you determine what is the best material for your wire rope cable assembly.
What is aircraft cable?
Aircraft cable is a generic term for wire rope that is used in many industries and applications. While aircraft cable was originally used in aircraft flight controls, you can find “aircraft” cable in exercise equipment, railings, sailboat rigging and many more applications. Because aircraft cable is a generic term, the strength of aircraft cable is dependent on the type of material used (i.e. stainless steel or galvanized wire rope) and the configuration chosen.
What is Mil-Spec Wire Rope Cable?
Mil-Spec Wire Rope Cable is cable that is manufactured to US Military specifications. MIL-DTL 83420, MS20664, MS21260 products are available.
Wire Rope Fittings and Wire Rope Assemblies
- Wire rope cable clips / clamp, u-bolt clamp
- Wire rope cable Pulleys
- Wire rope cable stop sleeves / end stop / cable stop
- Wire rope cable eyelets
- Wire rope cable loop Sleeves
- Wire rope cable ball end plugs
- Wire rope cable threaded plugs
- Wire rope cable thimbles
- Wire rope cable turnbuckles
Wire Rope Cable Materials and Coatings
Our range of cable materials include standard materials like galvanized and stainless-steel wire rope cable, but also exotics like Nitonol, Tungsten, Vitallium, Inconel, and Dacron. A couple materials are highlighted can be found below:
- Tungsten Wire Rope Cable – Tungsten can withstand extreme temperatures, is very reliable, has the highest tensile strength, and resists abrasion. Tungsten is a very common choice in the medical industry in the manufacturing of medical devices and surgical robots.
- Stainless Steel Wire Rope Cable – Stainless steel is a very common choice since it is cost-effective, strong and resists abrasion well. Stainless steel is an excellent choice if the product will be exposed to any harsh environmental conditions.
There are various coatings available in optional colors as well. Coatings available include nylon, vinyl, Teflon, polypropylene, polyethylene and polyurethane.
Specific Product Applications for Wire Rope Cable
Wire rope cable and assemblies can be seen in a variety of industries and products. You will find wire rope cable in highly specialized fields such as medical devices and spacecrafts but also in many areas of everyday life. Below are just a few examples of industries and products where wire rope cable is found:
- Laparoscopic and endoscopic tools – stainless steel and tungsten wire rope cable are keys to enabling minimally invasive surgical procedures.
- Sneeze Guards –wire rope cable can be used to secure sneeze guards to virtually any location.
- Fitness Equipment – Fitness cable and wire rope pulleys are often and commonly seen in weightlifting equipment.
- Lanyards – simple devices to restrict a range of movement, like keeping a cabinet door from opening too far or a safety tether to secure a light fixture for maintenance, a truck tailgate, safety pin retention, signage, displays, HVAC ductwork, rigging, slings and fall protection.
- Retail – securing of expensive items, such as clothing, computers, bicycles, motorcycles, atv’s, and display items.
- Controls – fire suppression systems, device actuation, latch releases
- Strain Relief – to carry the physical load in electrical cable applications.