FEATURE Machine building
CABLES KEEP PACE WITH MODERN INDUSTRY CABLES KEEP PACE WITH MODERN INDUSTRY
Mauro Agazzi, Lynxeo Global Technical Development Director Business Unit Automation, explains how cable manufacturers can rethink automation cable design for higher temperatures and more demanding duty cycles
M
odern automation systems are running hotter and faster than ever, and often in
extremely tight spaces. Dynamic cables hidden in drag chains or industrial robots now face a perfect storm of higher temperatures, higher currents and more aggressive duty cycles. When something buckles under pressure, it is often the cable. And with unplanned stoppages frequently costing tens of thousands of Euros an hour, the stakes could hardly be higher.
When heat, motion and space constraints collide The dynamic automation environment is unforgiving. Cables must operate accelerations, and must withstand millions of bending cycles, torsion and tension. Oils, coolants, dust, and other contaminants attack the outer jacket. Vibration and mechanical shock are a constant factor. Despite this, cables must deliver stable power and signal transmission, comply with international standards, and do so at a cost that makes sense over the full lifecycle of the machine. Traditionally, designers have relied on 80°C-rated dynamic cables for moving applications, and these have served the industry well. However, a new wave of automation is pushing beyond these limits and demanding more thermal headroom, without
16 March 2026 | Automation
increasing cable size. Several trends are behind this increased heat load. Drives and power electronics now run at higher switching frequencies and voltages, putting continuous electrical and thermal stress on the insulation. In parallel, more compact machine layouts route additional cables through smaller drag chains and tighter ducts, minimising available space for heat dissipation and pushing up local temperatures. At the same time, there is a clear shift
towards smaller, over-moulded plastic than metal housings. Clusters of these connectors can create hot spots exactly where mechanical stress is highest. For cable designers, this all adds up to a non-negotiable: develop dynamic cables that can run continuously at high temperatures and will stand the test of time.
Cable design for a higher lifespan Tackling this challenge means going beyond incremental design changes. Lynxeo’s response has been to combine smart material selection
with thorough application-focused testing at its Motion Application Center in Germany. Here, cables are exposed to dynamic operating loads that replicate real-life conditions: continuous bending in drag chains, torsion representative of robot axes, quick acceleration and deceleration, and operation under realistic electrical loads and temperatures. These tests are backed up by accredited lab oil exposure, and electrical performance up to 1000V.
High-temperature materials must stay without building up internal stresses that trigger early failure. Only this combination of design and testing turns a higher temperature rating into true long-term reliability.
A new generation of control cables for motion MOTIONLINE CONTROL 90 family of automation cables. These new cables carry with higher current-carrying capacity at up to 1000V and wider operating limits than their 80°C predecessors. Crucially, this step up in performance comes without making the is typically up to 10% smaller in diameter and 10% lighter, allowing for tighter bending radii, For machine builders, that translates directly into more compact layouts and more agile motion axes.
Material options are intended to match the diversity of operating environments rather versions target mainstream indoor industrial exposed to oils, chemicals, harsh weather, or wider ambient temperature swings. As automation systems run hotter and
more compact, cables can no longer be the weak link. Raising temperature ratings alone is not enough; dynamic life and real- world testing are now mandatory. Lynxeo’s MOTIONLINE CONTROL 90 targets exactly this gap in packaging lines, drag chains, robotics, machining centres and other space-constrained installations.
Lynxeo
www.lynexogroup.com/en/products/ industries/automation
automationmagazine.co.uk
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