3 Reasons Why Coil Cords are Important in a Wireless World

Coil cords are everywhere, from the back of a semi truck, to a camera’s flash strobe to the arcade games where you manipulate a claw to pick up a toy.  Coil cords are used in a wide variety of industries too.  Coiled cables are used by the medical industry, security industry and industrial control industry to name but a few.  And in this age of everything wireless a good question is why would anyone use a coiled cord?  So no matter what you call it, a coil cord, curly cord or coiled cable this article will give some reasons why a coil cord is still the right solution for many applications.

1)      There are three main reasons to use a custom coil cord instead of wired solution.  The first is power.  While wireless solutions exist for many application when electrical power needs to be supplied it almost always is done with wire or cable.  When something is wireless it means the product uses radio waves of some sort.  Radios that we listen to are one example of just such a product.  We could connect all radios with coil cords and send the signal along the cord, but that isn’t practical for long lengths of distances, so radio waves are used to send the signal.  When radios waves are sent they move in all directions and don’t really care what they hit, and don’t react with anything but antennas “tuned” to their frequency.

Power is different.  If power was transmitted like radios wave it would interact with anything metallic in its path.  And if the metallic object was connected to something the power would transfer from the metal to the object.  This would act as conductors, and could be very bad as in the extreme case of lightning, which is a very powerful wave of energy.  So cables, and coil cords, are used as a part to transfer power for obvious safety reasons.

2)      The second reason coiled cables are used instead of wireless is to avoid electronic noise.  We live in a world filled with radio waves all around us.  Often custom coil cords are used instead of radio waves because the items needing the signal would be damaged or impaired by other signals.  A classic representation of this is again a radio, only the old AM kind.  We have heard static and other stations fade in and out on radios.  The static we hear is noise.  If a coiled cord was used instead of radio waves, and the radio was shielded from outside waves, we wouldn’t hear static.  However connecting all radios with coil cords is impractical, but in an operating room it isn’t.  This is why cables and coil cords are often used in hospitals.

3)      The third reason to use a coil cord instead of wireless signal is security.  In the early days of cell phones, it wasn’t unusual to be talking with someone one moment and the next be speaking with someone else.  This was because the cellular phone systems and their suppliers at that time were not as advanced as now.  For most people this is not an issue, but if you are in the military it can be a matter of life or death.  Having a coiled cable transmit signal or power ensures there will be no interruptions.  Imagine a surgeon in the operation room losing power at a critical point in surgery.  This is why where failure is not an option coiled cords are often used.

Wireless products are great, and they have made our lives much more mobile and easy.  However as the above points show custom coil cords and cables are still very necessary.  If you need power, a clean signal or security of transmission a coiled cable is a great solution.  Meridian Cable manufactures and designs coil cords for any coiled cable need you have.

Coiled cables are used in many places but they are all used because they extend.  This extension allows power or data to be passed from one point to another when one or both of those points move.  As you can imagine using a fixed wire harness for this type of application would only last until the cable broke.

Since the ability to extend is why coil cords are used testing their ability to withstand repeated extensions and retractions is critical.  Recently Meridian Cable has been testing a 23 gauge, 7 conductor, polyurethane jacketed coiled cord for repetitive extension fatigue.

The test is simple, yet quite rigorous.  Using our custom testing machine the cables are extended and retracted continuously.  The electrical and mechanical integrity of each unit is monitored continuously too to determine the exact point of failure.  Also, after a set number of cycles the coiled cable is removed from the test machine and it’s new state is measured and compared to it’s original mechanical specifications.

Meridian’s cable mentioned above recently passed 200,000 cycles and is still going strong!  While wire harnesses are great certain applications demand a cable that can extend and retract.  And as our data is proving we make a cable that can live up to a demanding environment.

Spiral cables, also known as curley cords, are those cords with a distinct spiral or curley shape that can be found anywhere from mobile cell phone car chargers to heart defibrillators.

According to cable assembly expert and Meridian Cable owner Bud Kinzalow, “spiral cables connect two devices where one or both need to move with relation to the other.” For example, the cables that connect telephone handsets to bases are retractable spiral cables. There are some spiral cables that remain stationary, while others are pulled out and retracted hundreds of times per day (like the spiral cables that are frequently used in the medical field).

Though spiral cables can be found connecting common household electronics, Mr. Kinzalow notes that they can also be found in many other places that might actually surprise you. His examples include factories and tractor-trailers: “if you find yourself in a factory or warehouse, you will see spiral cables controlling the up-and-down movement of large overhead doors. If you are driving near a tractor-trailer on the highway, you will see these cables between the trailer and its load connecting the air-lines, brake lines, brake line lights, surge breaks turn signals and any power units for refrigeration in the vehicle.”

Mr. Kinzalow adds, “Spiral cables are donned daily by military and public safety personnel. Coiled cables connect mics for two-way communication – those that clip to the shoulder of police officers or military personnel – to their batteries.” These are just a few of many examples of the vastly different industries that utilize spiral cables.

Spiral cables penetrate many industries

Probably the most common places to find spiral cables are in your home and in your car. Your telephones and cell phone car chargers, for example, would not be so convenient without spiral cables. According to Mr. Kinzalow, “the cellular telephone industry finds a great deal of use for these cables. Spiral cables attach cigarette lighter adapter plugs, used to power up cellular phones inside cars, to the connectors that plug into cell phones. GPS units, radar detectors, and even powered coolers for heating and cooling also plug into the cigarette lighter plug in your car and therefore also utilize spiral cables.”

Mr. Kinzalow also notes another particularly important use for spiral cables: they protect items on display at retail stores from theft; they are attached to the top-dollar items so that you can only pull them towards you so far until the cable stops you. So, we can add the retail industry to the following list of those that value spiral cables: the cellular telephone industry, the public safety industry, the medical industry, and the GPS and radar detection industries. Clearly, there is nearly no end to the industries that are penetrated by spiral cables.

Spiral cables in manufacturing and construction

When you get into your car, do you expect that the seemingly insignificant spiral cables that connect your telephone handset to its base are also critical for the technological integrity of your vehicle? Well, according to Mr. Kinzalow, they are: “If you travel to any car manufacturing plant where robotics and/or power tools are used, you will see spiral cables being used to transfer power and, especially in newer cars, to collect data.”

But spiral cables don’t just streamline the car manufacturing process; they have also modernized construction. Mr. Kinzalow explains, “If you are on the highway and come across a construction site, you will see spiral cables connecting GPS units to small computers on the equipment that moves or paves earth. These spiral cables enable communication between the two and the construction company’s corporate headquarters so that information can be wirelessly transmitted about elevation, how much dirt is moved, and how much concrete is poured. The process can be remotely monitored this way.” All of this is made possible by multifaceted spiral cables.

If you have more questions about spiral cables, contact Meridian Cable. Call Meridian Cable at 1-866-866-0544 to speak with a qualified engineer!

Curley Cords Basics

Curley cords can be found everywhere, from your cell phone car charger to simple key chains from the convenience store. According to Bud Kinzalow, cable assembly expert and owner of Meridian Cable, “Curley cords connect two devices where one or both of them need to move relative to the other.”

Curley cords are also known as:

• Coil Cord
• Coiled Cable
• Spiral Cables
• Coil Cable Retractile
• Retractable Cable

These names signify that these cords are coiled, curly and retractable. An example of a common use is the modern telephone: curley cords are what attach handsets to telephones.

Kinzalow explains: “When your phone rings, you pick it up off of its base and naturally pull it towards you; curley cords make sure that the cable does not snap back once you run to the end of the line. Curley cords are what allow the cable to grow. When you return the handset to its place, the curley cords retract and take up little space. Otherwise, you would be stuck with a huge pile of cable behind your phone!”

 

The Many Purposes of Curley Cords

Curley cords tend to be designed differently to fit their various uses. Obviously, the work that goes into making curley cords for key chains differs greatly from the work that goes into creating curley cords for heart defibrillator paddles.

 

Two Basic Categories of Curley Cords

Curley cords used for medical devices  fit into the first category. “Since medical devices have to be cycled many times and absolutely cannot fail,” Kinzalow points out, “they are constructed differently so that they can be extended and retracted hundreds of thousands of times and still maintain their structural integrity.” Therefore, the process for creating stationary curley cords differs greatly from the process for creating the more durable curley cords.

Kinzalow explains the second type, “stationary curley cords are those that are created to stretch only once – like when someone has two devices, and one is always in a fixed position while the other’s position can vary from a foot to five feet away. These curley cords are not designed to go back and forth, they just always stay plugged into a stationary device and can stretch to connect to the other device, whether it is one foot, three feet or five feet away.” These types of curley cords would be designed to accommodate their relatively stationary purpose.

Designing Specific Curley Cords For You

According to Kinzalow, if you are an Original Equipment Manufacturer looking for durable curley cords, there are several things you should take into consideration before you place your order from a vendor like Meridian Cable.

First, note in what kind of environment you would be using the cords. Different environments call for different designs: curley cords made for industrial environments differ from those made for medical environments or retail environments.

Next, you must decide how long of a life you need your curley cords to have, and how dynamic their lives will be. For example, if you need curley cords that must last a hundred thousand cycles, than you must ensure that your design is catered specifically to these parameters. Or, if your curley cords need to last forever and be cycled 30 times a day, you must ensure your vendor is able to specially design them. For example, there are some curley cords that must endure 500 movements a day for one month (so, 15,000 cycles total). These are those curley cords that are popular in retail environments for merchandise protection; they are the cords that are attached to the hot, new items, like IPods, so that someone cannot just walk off with them.” Anyone who has gone anywhere near an Apple store during the month of December has witnessed these theft-preventing curley cords going through thousands of cycles. Stores like Apple’s allow you to test out the hottest new items without taking the risk that you will leave with them – all thanks to curley cords.

Whether you need curley cords or other types of specially designed cables, Meridian Cable (www.meridiancable.com) is the certified cable and wire assembly vendor that can meet your needs

Call us at 1-866-866-0544 to talk to our engineers today!

There are companies all over the world that promise lower prices, even in the US!  Think about it, have ALL your US based suppliers been perfect?  No they haven’t, nor have all your off-shore suppliers.  The question isn’t simple off-shore or domestic. The smart buyer looks for a company with depth of experience, capability and control.  This is possible, if the off-shore company is US owned and controlled, like Meridian Cable. We have been making custom cable assemblies and coil cords for 15 years.

The Myth of the 4 “Qs”

Quality ­ Meridian Cable has been ISO9001 certified since 1999.  How many of your US coil cord and custom cable assembly suppliers can say that?  We also have been audited by at least 4 customers each year since 2003, and have consistently passed.  Meridian Cable is an approved supplier of coil cords and custom cable assemblies to the medical, aviation and military industries for a reason.

Queue ­ Gargantuan lead times?  Not at Meridian Cable.  We extrude our own cable and keep copper and plastic in stock.  We also keep custom cable in stock for those who are flexible and need product, from China, in 2 to 3 days, not 2 to 3 months.  Our typical lead-times are the same as any US supplier.  Call Meridian Cable and we will be happy to tell you.

Quantity ­ You must buy HUGE quantities from China and pay in advance.  Not at Meridian Cable!  We take orders constantly below 100 pieces and even have coil cords in stock in our US warehouse for single piece, immediate delivery.  Don’t be fooled by those who don’t care to smartly explore the best value.

Quadruplication ­ Okay it’s not a real word, but we needed a fourth Q.  Meridian Cable is a US company that owns a factory in China.  It is our factory; therefore your proprietary information is protected.  In 15 years of operating in China, Meridian Cable has never had any customer information divulged.

The Right Chinese Choice

China has a lower cost, which is why companies now more than ever are sourcing from China.  When you look for an off-shore vendor why not have the best of both worlds?  Look for a US company that owns its own factory in China.  This way you can work with your US vendor just like always and have the cost benefits that China gives.  Meridian Cable is the best choice. Call us for a quote. Our dedicated staff will be happy to work with your coil cords and custom cable assembly needs.