3 Considerations To Think About When Selecting Cord Grips

Whether you know them as cord grips, strain reliefs, cable glands, cable support grips, or cord connectors, by any name, these devices are used to relieve stress on the vulnerable part of the cable, preventing cable damage and failure, and enables electrical cables to be passed into an enclosure, through a bulkhead or into a piece of equipment.

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Cord grips provide strain-relief, vibration protection, and a liquid- and dust-tight seal while also preventing the cable from being pulled out of its installation.

 Everything You Need to Know About Cord Grips

When selecting a cord grip, you&#;ll need to consider the material you need (stainless steel, polyamide, nickel-plated brass, etc.), size, installation design (multi-cable panel mounting, click insertion, standard twist-to-tighten, in-wall installations), and more.

Components of a Standard Cord Grip

A standard cord grip includes a dome cap, seal, and body. The body includes lamellar &#;fins&#; that tighten around the cord for strain relief and protection. When installed, the cap will fit snugly over the body of the cord grip and should create a seal around the cable when optimally tightened.

What to Consider When Selecting Cord Grips

While every manufacturer has these standard components as part of their cord grip solution, there are differences between the actual design and ultimately, the quality. Let&#;s take a look at three things you should consider when selecting your cord grips.

1. Reliability of the Seal, Strain, and Vibration-Proof Performance

Most cord grips on the market feature a lamellar design and some type of locking mechanism that provides vibration protection, but the design of the lamellar fins and how they engage with the dome cap is important to consider.

For example, Figure 1 displays two cord grips with different lamellar designs. The cord grip on the left features lamellar fins that extend past the reducer bushing. The LAPP SKINTOP® is on the right and features lamellar fins that end in line with the reducer bushing. The liquid- and dust-tight seal that cord grips provide is compromised by the former design where the lamellar fins extend past the reducer bushing, typically creating seating and fit issues when installed, which renders the seal ineffective when in contact with liquids and dust.

Figure 2 shows the dome cap of each cord grip. In the inside of each cap, both cord grips offer an internal ratcheting system for proper locking engagement. The cap on the left has a ratcheting system that utilizes two circular nodules, while the SKINTOP® cap (on the right) uses four raised, ratcheting ridges that extend the length of the cap. These longer ridges grip the lamellar fins, ensuring a more secure and proper locking engagement and preventing the cap from loosening even when subject to severe vibration.

2. Quick and Secure Installation

Ease of installation on the job site is critical. The unique multi-trapezoidal thread of SKINTOP® cord grips requires just one twist to tighten the dome cap, automatically adjusting to the size of the cable and providing optimum strain relief and a liquid-tight seal. When the cap is tightened and the lamellar fins engage with the internal ratchet inside the sealing portion of the cord grip, the user will hear a series of clicks, signaling the secure grip after just one twist and that the installation is complete.

3. Inventory Reduction and Simplification

The potential to reduce the number of SKUs at your facility is crucial for cost savings and inventory optimization. The unique design of the SKINTOP® cord grips&#; seal and narrow lamellar fins provide for a 20% larger clamping range. With each SKINTOP® cord grip being compatible with a wider range of cables, you can manage fewer SKUs in your inventory, helping you simplify your operation and reduce costs.

Conclusion

While many cord grips offer similar features, not all features are created equal. Request samples of the different cord grips so you can see and feel the difference in quality. For any questions on strain relief cable glands, Lapp Tannehill is here to help. Request a sample, quote, or chat with us online for more information.

About LAPP SKINTOP® Cable Glands

LAPP&#;s SKINTOP® is the original patented cord grip and the superior strain relief choice since . Since then, the SKINTOP® product line has expanded from standard polyamide glands to include metallic glands and those for use in food and beverage applications, hazardous environments, high and low temperatures, and more.

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Available in PG, Metric, and NPT threading, SKINTOP® cable glands are offered in various styles including those for hard to reach wall enclosures and limited access spaces, continuous flex applications like moving machinery and robotics, areas where multiple cables must be inserted into a housing with minimum space requirements, and more.

The SKINTOP® difference lies in the three main considerations that you should think about when selecting a cord grip: the reliability of the cord grip, the ease of installation at your job site, and the ability to reduce and simplify your inventory due to the large clamping range of each cord grip.

Everything you Need to Know about Cable Grips

If you don&#;t work in construction, or aren&#;t an expert, it can be hard to know what certain tools are, what they do, and how they work.

That&#;s why The Ratchet Shop&#;s website is full of handy blogs and how-to videos to make sure that all our customers know how to use our tools safely and effectively.

In today&#;s blog, we&#;ll give you the lowdown on a highly underrated piece of kit: the cable grip. Read on to see our answers to your FAQs about cable grips.

What is a cable grip?

Cable grips are a type of lifting equipment that help, as the name suggests, grip cables. This portable lifting equipment is inexpensive to maintain and can be repaired easily in the field, so it&#;s a popular item in toolboxes.

What is a cable grip used for?

Cable grips are an excellent lifting equipment tool used for gripping and pulling. They are extremely useful in the tensioning of messenger wire ropes, metal rods and cables.

Cable grips are also a lot more common than people initially realise. If you&#;ve ever travelled in an air lift or gondola, you&#;ll know they work by attaching themselves along a long line of cable and travelling down it. To ensure they are securely and safely attached to the cable, cable grips are used to hold them in place, as well as guide the lift along the wire.

You&#;ll also find cable grips used in various construction and industrial sectors, particularly those that need to be able to lift heavy loads, from 500kg all the way up to those weighing kg.

Cable grips can also be used to support electric or structural cables for pulling, as well as when the job at hand requires the laying of electrical and structural cables - who knew one little grip could be used for so much!

What is a cable grip made from?

Cable grips need to be made from a strong material to help ensure they can take the heavy loads required from them. The vast majority are made from iron to help ensure this. Being both ductile and malleable, iron cable grips are suitable to manage both the strain and continuous movement often involved with the use of cable grips.

How does a cable grip work?

Cable grips contain strong parallel jaws that are able to clamp down firmly on the wire without slippage, fraying or other types of damage - reassuring when their primary purpose is to hold up cable cars and lifts!

Thanks to the cable grip&#;s guide, the grip is securely attached to the wire - and remains so throughout its entire journey up and down the wire.