How to Extend the Life of Your Electric Wire and Cable?
Posted on January 21, 2020
Jacob Luiz
In the aviation and aerospace industry, it’s essential that those working in the maintenance and supply chain sectors take care of the tools and resources being used. Even things as simple as electric wires and cables can suffer damage from overuse and while they may be readily available at some stores, they should still warrant great care. Replacing too many tools can accumulate financially, so it would be wise to do everything possible to extend the life of such tools. Below, you can read some helpful tips on ways to make your cables and electric wires last longer.
Maintain Records of the Cables / Wires in Your Possession
A helpful tip for almost any item significant in price or functionality, saving paper records and documentation can potentially help you extend the life of your wires. Not only should you document the date of the installation for your cables or wires, you should also make notations of the causes of every single failure that may occur. This helps you pinpoint failure at its root cause, highlight areas where the biggest issues occur, and aids with developing a preventative plan to catch failures before they occur.
Make Cable Reel Adjustments
From time to time, it’s advisable that you reverse the cable ends to prevent one end from experiencing prolonged exposure to high temperatures and other harsh environments. Another recommendation that experts give for cable life extension is maintaining proper tension with your cables and keeping them tied to prevent from backs pooling. Lastly, ensure that you’re aware of any
voltage drops because if it is left unaccounted for, it can lead to
engine overheating or machine failures.
Control your Environment
You can extend the life of your cables simply by controlling the environment they are in. This can be implemented by simply avoiding any kinking or twisting, and also by avoiding any heavy machinery from
rolling over the wires. Finally, and very importantly, keep the wire and cables away from any elements the application does not have to be exposed to (e.g. direct flame).
