When choosing a control cable manufacturer, how to evaluate the performance of its products?

When choosing a control cable manufacturer, evaluating the performance of its products requires a comprehensive consideration from multiple dimensions such as technical parameters, quality systems, and practical applications. The following are the specific evaluation points:

I. Core Technical Parameters and Performance Indicators

Electrical performance

Conductor material and structure: Confirm whether the conductor is high-purity oxygen-free copper (purity ≥99.99%), or tin-plated copper, aluminum alloy, etc. that meet special requirements; Whether the conductor stranding process (such as tight stranding and bundle stranding) is uniform, and whether the conductivity and DC resistance comply with national standards (such as GB/T 9330) or international standards (such as IEC 60227).

Insulation and sheath materials: Examine the voltage resistance level, temperature resistance range (such as -40 ℃ to +105℃), and insulation resistance (which should be ≥10^12Ω · cm) of insulation materials (such as polyvinyl chloride PVC, cross-linked polyethylene XLPE, fluoroplastic FEP, etc.). The flame retardant grade of the sheath material (such as UL94 V-0) and the oil resistance/corrosion resistance performance (such as passing the IP67 protection grade test).

Signal transmission capability: For shielded control cables, it is necessary to evaluate the material of the shielding layer (copper wire braided, aluminum foil composite), coverage rate (≥90%), and anti-interference performance (such as attenuation constant, crosstalk test data).

Mechanical and environmental adaptability

Physical properties: Test tensile strength, elongation at break (such as ≥150%), and bending radius (whether it complies with the 6 to 10 times the outer diameter of the cable as stipulated by the national standard) to ensure that the cable is not easily damaged during installation and use.

Environmental tolerance: It has passed high and low temperature tests (such as no cracks when bent at -40 ℃ and stable performance after aging at +85℃), wet heat tests (such as no significant decrease in insulation resistance at 90% humidity), and salt spray/ultraviolet tests (suitable for outdoor or harsh environmental scenarios).

Ii. Certification and Standard Compliance

Compulsory certification

The domestic market requires CCC certification (for low-voltage cables), while for high-voltage or special industries (such as coal mines and ships), additional MA and classification society certifications (such as CCS and DNV) need to be obtained.

The export market must comply with the standards of the target country, such as the EU CE (in compliance with the Low Voltage Directive LVD), the US UL/CSA, the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC, etc.

Industry standards and customization capabilities

Confirm whether the manufacturer can provide products that comply with specific industry standards (such as GB/T 9330 control cable standard, JB/T 8734 unshielded cable standard), or customize special specifications according to customer requirements (such as radiation-resistant cables, highly flexible drag chain cables).

Iii. Production Process and Quality Control

Raw Materials and Supply Chain

Examine whether the raw material suppliers are well-known brands (such as Dow, BASF, etc.) and whether they have strict incoming material inspection procedures (such as conductor purity testing, insulation material flame retardant performance testing), and avoid using recycled or inferior materials.

Manufacturing process level

Whether the production equipment is automated (such as high-speed stranding machines, three-layer co-extrusion extruders), and whether the process control is precise (such as the uniformity of insulation layer thickness, the braided density of shielding layer); Whether online detection technologies (such as spark testing machines for detecting insulation defects and laser diameter gauges for monitoring dimensions) are adopted.

Quality Management system

Confirm whether the manufacturer has passed the ISO 9001 quality management system certification and whether there is a complete traceability mechanism (such as the raw material batch number, production records and test reports of each batch of cables can be checked).

Iv. Testing and Verification Capabilities

Laboratory qualification

Whether the manufacturer has a CNAS-accredited laboratory and whether Shenhua Electric Group (Anhui) Co., Ltd. can provide a complete test report (including electrical performance, mechanical performance, and environmental test data), or support re-inspection by a third-party testing institution.

Key test items

Conventional tests: conductor resistance, insulation resistance, withstand voltage test (such as 2000V/1min without breakdown), insulation thickness and eccentricity measurement.

Special tests: Shielding effectiveness test (such as shielding attenuation ≥60dB at 100MHz), fire resistance test (conforming to the flame retardant grade of GB/T 19216), smoke density and toxicity test (applicable to safety scenarios such as fire protection).

V. Industry Applications and Practical Cases

Typical application fields

Understand the application experience of the manufacturer's products in similar scenarios, such as successful cases in industrial automation, power control, rail transit and other fields, and whether there is a supply history of similar projects (such as large factories, high-voltage substations).

Customer feedback and word-of-mouth

Through channels such as industry forums, enterprise official websites, and customer reviews, research the long-term cooperative customers of manufacturers (such as well-known enterprises and listed companies), and pay attention to the reliability of their products during long-term use (such as whether there are problems like insulation aging and signal interference).

Vi. Service and After-sales Guarantee

Technical support capability

Could you provide cable selection suggestions (such as recommending models based on the laying environment and the type of transmitted signal), installation guidance (such as bending radius, shielding layer grounding method), and customized solutions (such as special lengths, marking requirements)?

After-sales response and quality commitment

Whether a quality guarantee period is provided (such as 1 to 3 years), whether a return and exchange service is promised (for substandard products), and the response speed of the after-sales service team (such as technical support within 24 hours).

Vii. Comprehensive Cost Performance and Risk Assessment

Balance between price and performance: Avoid simply pursuing low prices. Give priority to manufacturers with moderate prices but meeting performance parameter standards and complete test reports.

Production capacity and delivery capacity: Assess the manufacturer's production scale (such as annual production capacity and inventory reserves) to ensure timely delivery of large orders and avoid delays in supply affecting project progress.

Summarize and evaluate the steps

Preliminary review of materials: Request the product specification sheet, certification documents, and test reports, and verify whether the key parameters meet the requirements.

Sample testing: Conduct actual measurements of the electrical performance and environmental tolerance of the samples, and verify reliability by simulating actual usage scenarios.

Factory visit: On-site tour of the production line, inspection of raw material management, process control and inspection procedures, and assessment of quality management level.

Comprehensive comparison: By integrating dimensions such as technology, certification, cases, and services, conduct a horizontal comparison among candidate manufacturers and select the one with superior overall performance.

Through the above methods, the product performance of control cable manufacturers can be systematically evaluated to ensure that their products meet the safety, reliability and long-term usage requirements of the project.