If you are worried about the wires being damaged by wear and tear or by electromagnetic interference, braided wire can be your solution. Braided wire is an essential component widely used in various electrical and mechanical applications because of its unique properties and benefits. It enhances mechanical strength and offers protection against electromagnetic interference. Most industries use flat braided wire cable for its durability and reliability.
So, if you are looking for a strong, flexible, and well-protected wire solution, then braided wire is the perfect choice. Check out ZW cable to know more about the types of braided cable and more. Our business blog will discuss the braided cable, its benefits, and how it differs from foil shielding.
1. What is braided wire?
Braided wire is a shielding material which is placed around a cable. It increases its mechanical strength and protects it from electromagnetic interference. The shielding is composed of several small wires that are tightly wrapped around the copper conductor. It is designed in the shape of a conventional mesh tabular arrangement.
A braided net, or braid, placed over the stranded conductor is called a braided wire. This is typically accomplished by braiding together many strands of normal copper wire to obtain the required braiding coverage.
The usual coverage of braided wires is 80%. It can be modified to fulfill individual requirements. Three cores are available in braided cable for metal lighting accessories. Wires with smaller diameters for lower current ratings achieve greater flexibility. Ground straps are made by braiding several flexible wire strands together.
The main materials used for braided wire are silver-plated copper and tinned copper. The braided cable is mainly used for stability. The braided fabric stretches and bends without kinking, folding, or bending like tape does in flexible applications because of the crossed and interlaced threads.
It is a better electrical conductor and provides electrostatic shielding. It ensures the signal integrity of the cables. The number of carriers on the braiding machine determines its size. The range of braided cable wire is 16 to 48.
2. What are the benefits and demerits of braided wire?
Braided wire harness assemblies prevent abrasive elements from harming wire insulation. They also feature small apertures for air and fluids without damaging the insulated wires.
The additional benefits of braided wire are as follows:
- It protects the wire from additional UV radiation.
- It helps to protect the cable from electromagnetic interference.
- It helps to increase the mechanical strength of the wire.
- It helps to provide the flexibility to withstand random bending.
- It provides a low-resistance ground path.
- The wire can be kept from melting by lowering its temperature because of its great heat resistance. This may protect against dangerous circumstances.
- It provides extra protection against hot surfaces by resisting wear and tear.
- It is cheaper than other wires, like coaxial wires.
- It is light, waterproof, and fire-resistant.
The demerits of using braided wire are given below:
- It is less flexible than that of stranded wire. This is due to the braiding of many strands of normal copper wire.
- It is more expensive than stranded wire due to the complex manufacturing process.
3. What’s the difference between braided wire and foil shielding?
Braided Wire
Braided shield cables have woven mesh around the core. The mesh is created through stainless steel, bare or tinned copper wires, copper-clad aluminum, and aluminum-magnesium alloys.
Foil Shielding
It has a thin layer of metal, like copper or aluminum, connected to polyester. The polyester is wrapped with a thin overall layer of metal. The foil is unteared and in good condition, covering the overall components. Terminating the wire is not as easy as that of braided wire. However, a drain wire and a foil shield can make the termination easy.
The main differences between braided wire and foil shielding are:
Resistance Path
The braided earth wire provides the low-resistance path to the ground. Also, for the foil shielding, it provides comparatively high resistance to the ground.
Termination point
The shielded cable creates an easier termination point than that of a foil shield. The termination point is not as easy as that of braided wire. The termination can be made easy by the use of a drain wire and a foil shield.
Coverage of wire
The braided wire covers almost 70 to 80% of the strain wire, but the stranded wire covers the entire wire.
Electromagnetic Interference
The braided wire consists of copper wire, which has a higher conductivity than aluminum. Hence, it offers more protection from electromagnetic interference than that of stranded wire.
Costing
The shielded cable is a little bit more expensive than the stranded wire.
4. How do I cut the braided wire?
The braided wire can be cut in different ways:
- Use of stripping tool
First of all, the masking tape is applied over the wire and stripping tool i.e. color cord 3000 is used to cut the wire. The wire is measured and cut precisely so that the internal wire would not hamper. Then, the outer layer is removed and a piece of tape is used to prevent the covering of the wire from sliding/fraying.
- Use of razor blade
This is another method to strip the wire. The stripping of the wire is done using a razor blade. This method is the same as the stripping tool method. Only razor blade is used instead of stripping tool i.e. color code 3000.
- Use of super glue
In this method, superglue is used at the midsection of the stripping area. The glue is exposed over the wire and waits until the glue is dry. Then, the stripping tool is used over the glue exposed area and cut in such a way so the internal wire is not hampered. After stripping the wire, the glue is added to the end of the wire used to prevent the covering of the wire from sliding/fraying.
5. How Do You Choose the Right Wire?
The choice of the right wire among braided and stranded wires depends upon the properties of the wires:
Durability and protection of the wire:
Shielded cable is more durable than stranded wire because it is more flexible and has less wearing and tearing properties. Moreover, it is waterproof, which keeps the wire safe and free from wire.
The flexibility of the wire:
Stranded wire is more flexible than braided wire. This is due to having very small wires combined in the stranded wire, which provides more flexibility. Also, braided wire consists of strands of wire, which makes it less flexible.
The conductivity of the wire:
Both wires possess good conductance of electricity. However, the stranded wire provides a little less resistance as the surface area of the stranded wire is greater, and vice versa for the braided wire.
Shielding effect on the wire:
Braided wire provides better shielding of the EMI than that of stranded wire. It helps to protect the cable from electromagnetic interference.
Installation Procedure:
As the shielded wire is less flexible, it is more challenging to install as well as handle. Also, stranded wire is easier to install due to its greater flexibility.
Cost Effective:
Braided copper wire price is more expensive than stranded wire as the braiding manufacturing process is so complex. Hence, it requires the combination of several strands of wire. Hence, stranded wire is more cost-effective than braided wire.
Conclusion
Hence, tiny packed wires that have been wrapped in insulating material are called stranded wire. Due to their increased flexibility, stranded wires are perfect for connecting electronic circuit components. It is used in small areas where bending and twisting abilities can be useful.
Braided wire is a type of wire that resembles a jersey. It is placed around a cable to increase its mechanical strength. Also, it protects from electromagnetic interference. The shielding is composed of several small wires that are tightly woven around the conductor in a mesh form. Thus, it is concluded that both wires have specific importance as per applications. Both wires can be used in the different sectors as per client requirements.
FAQs
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Is braided wire better than solid or stranded wire?
Yes, braided wire is better than solid or stranded wire. Due to the properties of durability, elasticity, high elongation, high resistance, and wear resistance, the shielded wire is better.
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Are braided cables more expensive?
Braided cables are more expensive than stranded wire as the braiding manufacturing process is so complex. Hence, it requires combining several wire strands.
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Which wire is more durable?
Shielded cable is more durable than stranded wire because it is more flexible and has less wearing and tearing properties. Moreover, it is waterproof, which keeps the wire safe and free from wire.
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Which wire is more flexible?
Stranded wire is more flexible than braided wire. This is due to having very small wires combined in the stranded wire, which provides more flexibility. Also, braided wire consists of strands of wire, which makes it less flexible.
Which wire is more expensive?
The cost of braided wires is higher than that of stranded wires. This is because braiding requires a more difficult manufacturing procedure. It includes interlacing several wire strands.
