Motionline servo motor premium 90° cables take the heat

The MOTIONLINE Servo Motor Premium 90° cables are capable of continuous long- term operation at temperatures up to 90°C, while offering the same dynamic performance and dimensions as standard cables. They are suited to fast-moving automation applications such as drag chains and machine tools.

Nexans is presenting the MOTIONLINE Servo Motor Premium 90° cables at the virtual SPS – Smart Production Solutions event, the new digital industry meeting point for the international automation industry.

More diverse industries are robotising operations and high-performance cables continue to play a major role in this evolution. To support this evolution, Nexans offers a wide range of cable products for robotics and automation that conform to all major international safety standards.

“Standard automation cables rated for 80°C have served the automation industry well. But new generation applications require a higher temperature rating to provide a wider safety margin. Otherwise there is an increased risk of breakdowns that can result in costly losses in productivity. That was one driver for the development of our MOTIONLINE Servo Motor Premium 90° cables that provide our automation customers with enhanced reliability,” said Andreas Rietz, Nexans Global Product Manager Automation.

The need for the higher temperature rating results from a number of factors that occur in modern factories. First, there is the trend to replace metal connectors with smaller, over-moulded plastic connectors that have poorer heat transmission. Second, connectors and cables are being installed closer together, increasing the amount of heat generated within an often-confined space. Furthermore, the increased, fast-changing frequency and voltage in the cables puts the insulation material under a continuous high stress.

The challenge for Nexans was to develop an automation cable that could withstand continuous operation at 90°C without increasing its dimensions or impacting its mechanical properties and especially dynamic performance – the capability to survive millions of bending cycles at high acceleration rates without failure. Following an extensive R&D and testing program, the answer was found by using an improved polyolefin-based insulation compound.

The MOTIONLINE Servo Motor Premium 90° cables are rated for applications up to 1000 V and are available with or without a signal pair with cross sections up to 50 mm². They are UL approved, flame retardant (IEC 60332-1-2, UL Cable Flame, CSA, FT1), oil resistant (EN 50363-10-2, EN 60811-2-1), silicon and PVC free and conform to Reach RoHS-II and CE.