Retractile Cords
Cole Wire offers retractile cords, also know as coil cords that are composed of cordage (SOOW, SEOOW, SJOOW, SJEOOW, SJT, SVT, PVC, TPE or TPU) formed and cured into a helical shape in such a manner that after having been stretched or extended one or more times it comes back to it’s original retracted length. The conductor size (28awg up to 8awg standard) and count (from a single conductor up to as many as 15 conductors in smaller gauges) as well as the insulation and jacket will vary according to the individual application. The construction is designed to account for the mechanical stresses applied during the extension/retraction cycle expected for the cord, as well as the electrical and environmental performance required.
Retractile cords have many uses and can be used in rugged duty applications in an industrial environment, light duty applications indoors where appearance is important or outdoors where resistance to sunlight and weather including very cold temperatures is required. To specify a particular retractile or coil cord you must understand your application and the mechanical and electrical performance required, as well as the environmental conditions in which it needs to perform.
The rule of thumb for the ratio of extended length to retracted length is 5:1. Please note that fully extending a retractile cord to the point that it completely, or even nearly straightens the cordage out could damage the cord to the point that it will no longer retract satisfactorily.
Either end of the retractile cord is called a tangent. Standard tangents leads are cut blunt 12" long (from the end of the coiled area to the blunt end of the tangent) on 12" retracted lengths, 6" long on longer retracted lengths unless otherwise specified. Custom tangents in length and cut are available. For custom tangents additional dimensions include ROJ (removal of jacket), cutback of individual conductors or other cordage components and strip length (the length of insulation removed from individual conductors for tinning or application of contacts).
ROJ may be specified to remove a certain length of jacket material from the end of the cable, or leave a certain length of jacket beyond the end of the coiled section or some other feature. The ROJ will be performed in such a manner as to remove the jacket only, and in some cases a paper separator or shield, but to leave the remaining cable core undamaged. Cutback may specify to cut fillers, stay cords, or other components back to the jacket edge, or may specify a distance from the jacket edge. In some cases, individual conductors, or other components may be specified with different cutback lengths to accommodate a specific application. Strip Length defines the length of the insulation that must be removed. This is done generally in preparation for some additional step such as twisting and tinning the strands of the conductor or applying a contact by some method such as crimping or soldering.
Available types of Retractile Cords include: