Actuator cables refer to two types of products: electrical cables for power and signal transfer between actuators and programmable logic controllers, and mechanical cables made of braided steel for physical motion transfer. Both types are used to control actuator output, but in different ways. Electrical cables can be power or signal cables, while mechanical cables transfer motion from a control lever or cam to another mechanism. They can be used in various applications, from bicycles to industrial or aeronautical systems.
Actuator cable is a term that can correctly be applied to two very different actuator related products. The former are specialized electrical cables used to supply power and send or receive sensor signals to and from the actuator. The second is a range of stranded wires, typically of steel construction, used to mechanically transfer actuation inputs. Electric actuator cables can be three- or four-conductor power cables or multi-core control signal types used to connect actuators to programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Mechanical actuator cable usually features a multi-strand braided steel cable encased in a sheath and fitted with lugs at both ends, a good example being the brake cable on a bicycle.
The term actuator cable is a bit ambiguous, as it can be applied quite accurately to two distinct categories of actuator related products, namely electrical and mechanical cables. Both types of cable perform the same basic function – control of the actuator output – just in very different ways. Electrical cables provide power or control signals to an actuator, while a mechanical actuator cable physically transfers operator input to the driven mechanisms.
Cable types for electric actuators can also be divided into two categories, the first being power cables. This is typically three or four heavy core cables used to supply the actuator with its working power. The three-conductor cable would generally be used for single-phase supplies and the four-conductor example for three-phase supplies, one conductor used as the ground conductor in each case. Electrical signal cables are generally of the lightweight, multi-core type terminated with DB or DE type plugs for connection to programmable logic control units. These cables are used to transfer input signals to the actuator or to relay system sensor inputs back to the PLC unit.
Mechanical actuator cable is used as a physical motion transfer agent in a wide variety of applications. Consisting of a flexible braided steel cable encased in a protective sheath, this type of actuator cable is used to transfer the movement of a control lever or cam to another mechanism. The cable is usually fitted with a ball or lug on each end which threads into a corresponding slot on the inlet and actuated mechanism. When the lever is moved, the cable moves with it, transferring motion to the actuated mechanism as it does so. These cables can be light-weight types used as brake actuators and gear selectors on bicycles or heavy-duty types used in applications including industrial or aeronautical systems.
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