Guest contributor, Janet Czubek, Balluff

There are many different types of cable jackets and each jacket works well in a specific application.  The three main sensor cable jackets are PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PUR (polyurethane) and TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). Each jacket type has different benefits like washdown, abrasion resistant or high flexing applications.  Finding the correct jacket type for your application can extend the life of the cable.

PVC is a general purpose cable and is widely available.  It is a common cable, and typically has the best price point.  PVC has a high moisture resistance, which makes it a good choice for wash-down applications.

PUR is found mostly in Asia and Europe.  This cable jacket type has good resistance against abrasion, oil and ozone.  PUR is known for being Halogen free, not containing: chlorine, iodine, fluorine, bromine or astatine.  This jacket type does have limited temperature range compared to the other jacket types, -40…80⁰C.

TPE is flexible, recyclable and has excellent cold temperature characteristics, -50…125⁰C.  This cable is resistant against aging in the sunlight, UV and ozone.  TPE has a high-flex rating, typically 10 million.

The table below details the resistance to different conditions. Note that these relative ratings are based on average performance. Special selective compounding of the jacket can improve performance.

Choosing the right jacket type can help reduce failures in the field, reducing downtime and costs.  Please visit www.balluff.us to see Balluff’s offering of sensor cables in PVC, PUR and TPE.