Factors to Consider When Designing A Cable Assembly

• When designing a cable assembly, a number of factors need to be considered such as,  work load, abrasion, cycle life, and flexibility, environment, cost, safety.
• The larger the cable diameter, the greater the work load capacity. For most applications, use a 5 to 1 safety factor when designing an assembly.  For critical safety or shock load applications an 8 or 10 to 1 safety factor is needed. 
• The larger the diameter of cable, the less flexible it will be.  Example:  1/8” 7 X 19 cable is more flexible than 1/8” 7 X 7 cable, but the 7 X 7 construction is more abrasion resistant.
• Stainless steel cable is more corrosion resistant than galvanized but has a slightly less tensile strength.
• Coated cable can greatly extend the life of the assembly in most applications. If using coated cable, the coating must be stripped off when swaging to achieve the maximum strength. 
• The tighter the tolerance, the higher the cost of the cable.