In today’s wired and digital world, it is more important than ever for wires and cables to have the proper protection from their environments so that the delicate wires inside can continue to function well, whether the wires inside a car’s or an airplane’s engine, the wires inside a computer, or even the wires that are found in orbiting satellites high above the Earth. Wires must be protected not only for their own function, but to prevent hazards, such as electrical shock to people (common in the home and the workplace), and to prevent electrical fires that are caused by frayed wires touching flammable materials like drapes or carpets. The good news is that many manufacturers are making all sorts of cables and sheaths for wires to keep them safe, and these prot4ection units may be made of various materials like tight weave, silicone rubber fiberglass, heat resistant wire sleeve material, and more. On top of that, any wiring job should involve proper crimpers and their use so that wires can be attached to and from electrical components, and a good crimping job means that the wires work well, while a sloppy job may cause the wires to come loose, or their transmission of data may become corrupted. What are some trends and strategies in the wire world to make sure that everything stays safe and functional?
Wires, Safety, and Use
Any wire’s materials and handling will be designed for the maximum effectiveness of those wires, and to protect surrounding people and items from the hot wires inside, and the other way around. Electrical fires and shocks, for example, must always be avoided, and safe use and handling of wires can prevent this, but statistics show that some shocks or fires do still happen every year, such as at the workplace. To illustrate this point, it has been determined that every year among American workers, some 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries occur because of electrical hazards like frayed or exposed wires, which can cause shocks and fires. In fact, electrocution stands as the sixth leading cause of American workplace deaths. For the home, meanwhile, the safest wires and cables will be those in non-metallic sheaths, and any home built within the last 50 years will have them. These are also known as NM cables, protected by flexible plastic.
Other times, cables and wires are used for the wires’ own protection, especially in environments with extreme conditions. The engine of a vehicle is a good example. Inside, extremes of heat and air pressure can easily compromise exposed wires, and even flexible plastic sheaths will not be enough to protect them, so for these wires, durable, heat-resistant cables are used as well. These cables are hollow inside and this leaves enough room for the wires, while the cables’ tough weave can stand up to heat, pressure, and being jostled around, keeping the wires inside safe. The engines of buses and cars can make use of these cables, as can the engines of airplanes. In the latter case, some parts of the airplane may be exposed to extreme cold when the plane flies high enough, so the cables must protect the wires inside from that, too.
Crimping wires is another important job, and in the case of engines or other extremes, environmental splice crimpers can be used to get the job done in the context of heat or cold. For regular crimping work, the wire is stripped at the last inch of its cable, and the exposed wire is inserted into the end piece, and this assembly is placed into a crimp tool (either hand operated or machine powered), and pressure fuses the two pieces together. But for wires going into places such as engines or orbiting satellites, using environmental splice crimpers will be needed to keep the wires in good shape when doing their work, or the assembly may go faulty. For this reason, someone working with specialized parts like engines or space satellites will want to invest in environmental splice crimpers so that a good job can be done. Environmental splice crimpers may be provided by one’s employer, and that employer can order them online or through business channels to provide them to employees.
