What types of cables can I measure with a cable measuring device?
Cables come in all shapes and sizes. Generally speaking, any type of cable can be fed through a length measuring device. There are various types of cables available on the market that are suitable for different diameters and cable materials. The four most common types of cables are:
Electrical cable
Rope
Tube / hose
Steel wire / steel cable
And each type of cables comes in a range of versions and diameters. To learn more about the materials, in this blog we have listed the main things you need to consider for each type of material when using length measuring devices.
Download length measuring device guide
Electrical cable
Electrical cables have a copper or aluminium core and a protective layer of plastic, rubber or PVC. This material is always flexible, but of course some materials are more flexible than others. The diameter of an electrical cable varies from about 4 millimetres to about 100 millimetres. Because these cables conduct greater loads, they have become thicker and thicker over the years, making them heavier and stiffer. A key thing to consider with electrical cables is their temperature sensitivity; in low temperatures the cable is stiffer, in warmer temperatures it is a lot more flexible. The material also expands at high temperatures. This must be taken into account when measuring the cable.
Rope
Rope comes in various diameters and different grades of coarseness and stiffness. This affects length measurements. It is especially important when measuring thick and coarsely twisted ropes – such as mooring ropes – that you take the unevenness of the rope into account. If the measuring wheel is too small, these irregularities are included in the measurement, making it less accurate. For thick and coarse ropes, the following applies: the larger the measuring wheel, the more accurate the measurement.
Tube / hose
PVC tubes are hollow and come in various diameters. The larger the diameter, the less flexible the material. Rubber hoses are not only hollow but also elastic; you need to take these properties into consideration when measuring this material. When the hose is being fed through the device, if too much pressure is exerted on the material, it stretches and flattens out. This affects the accuracy of the measurement. For this material, it is therefore best to choose a device that has the measuring wheel at the top, thereby exerting as little pressure as possible on the hose. It is also important to feed the hose slowly through the length measuring device to prevent it from deforming.
Steel wire / steel cable
Steel wire and steel cable are made of hard material. It is important that you use the right type of length measuring device that is equipped with an extra wear-resistant measuring wheel. If you use a device that is unsuitable for steel wire, grooves will form in the measuring wheel, which will reduce the accuracy of the measurement and cause additional wear and tear to the device. Steel wire and steel cable are available in many different types and for different applications. There is also a lot of variation in coarseness and suppleness of the material. Steel cables and steel wires also come in a wide range of diameters, ranging from very small (1 millimetre) to quite large. Venrooy supplies length measuring devices that are suitable for steel cable diameters up to 104 millimetres.
Selection tool
Want to find out which length measuring device is suitable for your company? Then download the handy
length measuring device selection tool. This will help you to decide which device is best for you in three simple steps. You can also get in touch with us to discuss the possibilities for your types of cables, free of obligations.
Download length measuring device guide
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