High-quality assembled power cables
LQ Mechatronik-Systeme's W-TEC cables create a simple, continuous connection when used in mechanical and plant engineering, on building sites or for assembling units. These precisely assembled energy carriers are also essential elements of cable carriers and complete installation assemblies.
A huge number of different energy and power cables are used in the market for electromechanical components and this results in the lack of clarity. However, there are considerable variations in quality. “It is essential to have high-quality cables if they are going to have a long service life in machines and plant or if they are going to be used in dynamic energy chains, which apart from withstanding movement also have to operate in a dusty, dirty and oily environment,” explains Roland Zeleny, who is head of cable assembly at LQ Mechatronik-Systeme in Besigheim. This is why he and his team stress the importance of 100% tested quality and excellent service when it comes to cable assembly, starting when the order is placed and continuing until dispatch.
Zeleny goes on to explain that it is crucial for mass-produced items such as cables that the “complete package” is right for customers and systems are in place to rule out complaints right from the start. Shop floor management makes sure that organisation of customer orders is excellent, ensuring that the correct bills of materials are used for cable assemblies and dimensional accuracy is monitored as the cables pass through the production processes. He goes on to explain: “We can call up the status of every order in a very short time and thus respond to changes with great flexibility." Seamless documentation and a high service level are extremely important. Depending on what the customer requests, LQ's team delivers the goods in cardboard boxes, plastic boxes or on transport racks.
W-TEC energy cables satisfy another important requirement that often poses a problem in the field of control and installation technology. LQ's Product Manager Bernd Mack explains: “If machine parts and components from different manufacturers are connected to each other, problems occur with electromechanical interfaces.” Companies that build their machines with power units, asynchronous motors and devices from different manufacturers often find that the cables and connectors do not fit together. W-TEC energy cables are designed to be a perfect match for components in LQ Mechatronik-Systeme's modular EnergyLink system and the connections fit throughout. Depending on the application and requirement, various connection variants can be produced using X-TEC connectors – M12, M15, M23, M32 – to produce customised products and fit precisely.
The automatically assembled W-TEC 15 connectors provide a particularly high level of protection (IP67) against dust and sprayed water. Moulding also gives protection against tampering. Energy cables are available in shielded and unshielded versions. Connector-socket combinations can be provided on one or both sides and with angled and straight designs. Quick-locking fasteners make the connectors easy to assemble. The plug-in connector is securely locked by simply turning the fastening element through less than 90 degrees. An anti-vibration mechanism prevents the plug-and-socket connection from coming undone unintentionally. LQ has developed two different versions of add-on boxes, which are suitable for standardised assembled cables. These are available with both fixing threads and mounting flanges, offering a quick and easy means of mounting them on motors or power units. The W-TEC 15 cable is made up of six conductors (2.5mm2 each). This innovative design has capacity for rated voltage of 16 amps at 630 volts continuous operation at three power contacts and 10 amps on the two ancillary contacts. This exceptional power with such small dimensions is unique on the market to date. Units with equivalent power are usually much bigger. Furthermore, this reduces the weight, which favours the use of W-TEC 15 cables in energy cable carriers.
Energy cable carriers are used in all situations where moving machine components need to be supplied with power and data. Here, too, W-TEC cables are the first choice, as with up to two hundred types they are available for a wide range of applications. As a systems partner, the LQ Group organises all details regarding installation in machines, deals with manufacturers and suppliers and delivers complete, ready-to-fit assemblies, including installation plans and precise documentation. This offers tremendous advantages when it comes to quality, time and costs.