Electric/electronic tests

Tecnikabel partners important customers; leaders in telecommunications, broadcasting, data transmission, automation, offshore and railway.
Such electronic cables require specific transmission features, such as resistance, capacitance, impedance, return loss, attenuation, cross-talk, skew time, etc.

These values are consequently used during design and cable prototyping.
The CPMS transmission parameter test bench has three different sections to measure transmission features for:

• LAN cables up to 1000 MHz frequency
• Coaxial cables
• Twisted cables

This equipment was validated by major telephone companies. Transmission test system is completed with a set of HP network analyzers ranging from few Hz to 3 GHz.

• Insulation resistance test: Megaohmmeters are used to check insulation quality.
• Dielectric rigidity test: These tests are carried out using AC generators up to 40 kV.
• Current stability tests: These tests are carried out using DC generator up to 12 KV.
• Cable operating voltage tests: These tests are carried out using two high-voltage 20 Kvac and 40 Kv devices.
• High-resolution electrical resistance tests: These tests are carried out using a nanohmmeter for cables with cross-section areas larger than 16 mm².
• Physical/chemical tests: Physical and chemical properties of the whole cable (components) must be tested to guarantee all properties remain unaltered for the entire lifecycle.

Instruments:

• Testing machine for UTS up to 2500 N
• Profile projector
• UL/CEI compliant aging ovens
• Analytical balance, accuracy 1/100 g
• Hygrometric analytical balance, accuracy 1/1000 g
• Analytical balance, accuracy 1/1000 g
• Testing machine for UTS up to 30000 N
• T.G.A. (Thermogravimetric Analysis)
• F.T.I.R (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)
• Accelerated aging tests for: UL, CSA & CEI standard cables
• Hot particle resistance tests: A test carried out by applying a hot wire against a cable jacket under a certain pressure for a certain time to check cable integrity.
• Abrasion resistance tests: This device is used to compare the wear and tear of a sample jacket under various degrees of roughness.
• Extreme temperature resistance tests: This equipment is used to test cables at temperatures as low as –70°C.
• Mechanical/dynamic tests: A wide testing area is equipped with several automated devices to test cable performances under dynamic conditions.

Cable chains

Cable chains with high dynamic performance, smaller bending radius, higher speed and acceleration are outstanding characteristics for testing cables suitable for industrial automatic systems and machine tools.
Bending radiuses from 15 mm to 250 mm can be now carried out. Reliability testing chains are driven by brushless servo motors.

Chain 1, 2, 3:

• Top speed: 200 m/min
• Maximum acceleration: 6 m/s²
• Bending radius: from 15 to 250 mm
• Maximum length: 16.5 m

Chains 5-8:

• Top speed: 300 m/min
• Acceleration: 30m/s²
• Bending radius: from 50 to 150 mm
• Maximum length: 7.0 m

Chains are connected by a data acquisition system, developed in LabVIEW®, to acquire the electric characteristics of cables under test related to the number of cycles. The system provides data to be analyzed and used for cable projects. The system can be accessed via Intranet and Internet.

Robot simulators

Tecnikabel works in partnership with the main robot plants to develop mechanical simulators for wrist robot axes to test useful cable life after millions of cycles.

Torsion simulators

Devices designed by Tecnikabel to simultaneously test angle rotation, twisting length, bending radius, speed, acceleration and a combination of different bending and twisting movements.

Fire & flame resistance test room

It is essential to stay within the fire behavior and flame-fire-retardant limits set by the strictest reference standards and our own internal QA.
Four tests are carried out to assess specific properties under fire conditions:

• Test for vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable
  • According to UL standards (Cable Flame, VW1, Horizontal Flame Test)
  • CSA (FT1, FT2)
  • CEI EN or IEC 60332-1-2 / 60332-1-3 /60332-2-2 ( ex CEI 20-35 series )
• Test for vertical flame spread of vertically-mounted bunched wires or cables
  • According to UL standards (Vertical Tray Flame Test, UL 1685)
  • CEI EN or IEC 60332-3 series
• Tests for electric cables under fire conditions - Circuit integrity
  • According to CEI EN 50200 and CEI IEC 60331 series
  • According to British Standards BS 6387 type CWZ
• Measurement of smoke density of cables burning under defined conditions
  • According to IEC 61034-1 and IEC 61034-2