What Are the Common Cables and Wires Used for Construction

Posted on March 18, 2021 Christopher Wilson Electrical

Whether a powered equipment piece is a small handheld device or a large server system, electronics and appliances of all types rely upon wire and cable electrical components in order for energy to be transferred and used. In their most simplistic form, wire and cables are a medium in which either electrical energy or data signals can travel to flow from one area to another. Depending on the voltage requirements of the system, environmental conditions surrounding the appliance, and other various factors, a number of wire types may be used. To help you find the correct wire and cable assemblies for your particular applications, we will provide a brief overview of some of the most common types present for residential and industrial buildings.

Building wires are one of the most common types used for the construction of nearly every commercial, industrial, and residential building across the globe. As electrical wires that are encased in protective sheathing, such components are charged with the transfer of electrical current throughout buildings to power various electronics and appliances. Building cable assemblies can also come in a variety of sub-types, each providing different sheathing or characteristics that can make them more suitable for a particular application.

For industrial settings, the control cable serves automation and instrumentation applications through their ability to measure and regulate the transmissions of automated processes. To sufficiently protect the conductive parts of the cable, they are often encased within a foil or braid shield, or a combination of the two. Furthermore, such cable wires may be either flexible or continuously flexed, and recognizing the differences between the two is important as both types require different constructions. Serving a variety of applications, a control cable assembly may come in the form of aircraft control cable products, assembly line cables, robotics cables, or power distribution cables.

The coaxial cable is another common electrical wire, and they feature an inner conductor encapsulated within a dielectric material and a concentric conducting shield. As a type of transmission line, such cable assemblies permit the transfer of high-frequency electrical signals and boast little losses. Generally, coaxial cables and cable accessories are used for applications including broadband internet networks, telephones, cable television, and radios. The cable connectors of coaxial cables are regularly manufactured with high-conductivity metals, and they are often screwed onto an appliance to achieve a secure attachment.

As data transfer technologies continue to be improved upon, fiber optic cables are quickly becoming a standard for many applications. Fiber optic cables are similar to electrical wire assemblies, though they transfer light rather than an electrical charge. With excellent data transfer speeds and the ability to relay signals over long distances before having to refresh, such cable types often serve telecommunication, high-speed data connections, and other applications. For the wire assembly of undersea fiber optics, heavy armor is added to ensure protection from boat anchors, sealife, and fishing gear.

When constructing any building or structure that requires power, it is important that sufficient attention is given to cable wire management for the safety of components and to make replacement and adjustments to the wire assembly easier. With proper cable wire management, builders can ensure that it is easy to identify separate cables and wires by their type and where they are routed, allowing them to make changes to a circuit as necessary to facilitate the addition or removal of appliances and electronics. Additionally, clean cable management also ensures the safety of assemblies in regard to damage and conductance, as mishandled wires can become damaged and lose their ability to conduct properly or may create an electrical hazard.

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