What is a corkscrew in a cable and how can it be avoided?

igu-blog-adm | 22. June 2020

Those who deal with cables or use cables in their applications are often familiar with the so-called corkscrew. Today we would like to explain what a corkscrew is, how it develops and of course how it can be avoided.

The corkscrew

Everyone knows the actual corkscrew. Meanwhile there are countless variants on the market. While they differ in quality, they all have one thing in common:  the lead screw to draw the corks.

When talking about cables, it would be better not to get acquainted with the corkscrew.

The corkscrew in cables

Unfortunately, this form of the lead screw can also be found in cables. This is what is known as a corkscrew. An overload during the bending process causes the cable to deform. This deformation of the cable is visible from the outside and is optically similar to the lead screw of a corkscrew. The cause for the development of the corkscrew is often an incorrectly installed cable or a mismatched cable quality. In such cases, the cable is not optimally adapted to the respective application and cannot withstand the load.

Dynamic applications demand a lot from the cables. They are exposed to high tensile strain and many alternating movements. In some cases this leads to a corkscrew, which in turn leads to core rupture. Machines come to a standstill, production is paralysed. We would like to avoid that.

Avoid corkscrews for cables?

This question can be answered briefly and concisely: by choosing the right cable!

Our chainflex cables are specifically developed for dynamic applications in the chain. The secret lies in the special structure of our cables, which makes them extremely resilient. Our cores wound in bundles with short pitch length in combination with a gusset-filling extruded inner and outer jacket give the cable the necessary stability. This design allows us to compensate for the push/pull force of the cores in the stranding over a short distance and prevents the stranding from loosening under the jacket.

Over the years we have convinced many users of the quality of our cables.

Have you also had experience with the corkscrew effect on your cables? Then let our experts take a look. See for yourself the quality of our cables and enjoy the benefits of our guarantee promise.