Their products are used even in the most demanding applications to meet all customers’ requirements and easily demonstrate their superiority over competitors’ assortment. The excellence of the innovative solutions presented in this text is best confirmed by the long-lasting and trouble-free operation of systems in which they are used. The ThermoThin and SpaceMaker wiring ensures trouble-free operation, but also significant space savings.

Belden and Alpha Wire – highest-quality cabling solutions

When speaking of an innovative approach to the manufacturing of industrial cabling, Belden is the name that immediately springs to mind as one of the global leaders in the field. Alpha Wire, a brand supplying a diverse range of heavy-duty cabling, is an essential part of the manufacturer’s portfolio.

Belden is a global giant in the field of network and connection accessories, as well as cabling. Established in 1902, this US company has been present on the markets in both Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. Thanks to its advanced know-how of network infrastructure, Belden meets the needs of even most demanding investors.

Alpha Wire is a company with similar market experience, as it has been supplying the American market with its products since 1922. Alpha Wire offers an extensive portfolio of products that are widely used in various fields of industry, medicine, as well as aviation and defence.

The high product quality is the best advertisement for the brands described here, and the users’ trust backed up by more than a century of operation on the world's largest markets proves that it is true to the facts.

SpaceMaker cabling – innovative technology by Belden

In order to keep up with the latest trends and meet the requirements of excessively cabled factories, Belden has created a really interesting product, a must-have for such facilities. Why is this solution so appealing? Well, as we know, well-thought-out and compact electric installations save space as well as money, i.e. the longer the wire, the higher the installation and operation costs. The new SpaceMaker cable offered by Belden solves those problems, as it is much smaller, but offers the same performance and durability, and even better flexibility. As per the manufacturer’s specifications, the SpaceMaker’s surface is only half of the traditional solution offered by competitors, and – thanks to the application of the proprietary splicing technology – the cable has a bending radius that is up to 74% greater than other products currently available on the market. In terms of the requirements resulting from limited space available in manufacturing plants, Belden cabling can be used to replace extensive systems with much smaller and more flexible installations. Now, a switch cabinet or wires routed to a machine can be arranged properly without taking up too much of the precious space.

Belden lead & hook-up wires

If the figures quoted above are not convincing to you, note also that the SpaceMaker product line also contains reinforced AWM multi-conductor and multi-pair solutions, and the results of the tests conducted by the manufacturer prove their high durability, even for one million bending cycles. Moreover, Belden offers 10-year warranty coverage. SpaceMaker meets a number of stringent requirements specified in electric standards for industrial machinery, as per NFPA 79. Systems created with the cables from this series are designed to operate even in the harshest industrial environments.

In response to their customers’ feedback, Belden has also expanded its portfolio with a number of new, most sought-after cable sizes, in shielded and unshielded versions.

Belden assortment in the TME product catalogue and key product features

The TME product catalogue contains a number of Belden products. In terms of the most important features of Belden cabling and wiring, the safety of use is the first and most important one. After all, it is the key parameter for cabling solutions to be successfully marketed. All products come with necessary certificates proving compliance with stringent quality standards. The broad range of working temperatures (from -70°C even up to 200°C) makes these cables suitable even for the harshest environmental conditions. The available product range facilitates selecting a correct conductor cross-section ranging from 16 to 28 AWG. Taking into account the system voltage parameters, the Belden product assortment available in the TME product catalogue includes solutions designed for 300 V and 600 V applications. The insulation is made of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), a tried-and-tested material that is resistant to external factors.

A good example of a solution included in the TME product catalogue is the lead wire with the part number 83001 0021000. Designed as a copper, silver-plated stranded wire, it can be used within the full temperature range, i.e. from -70 to 200°C. It is not shielded, and its conformance to the MIL-W-16878/4, UL 1213 and VW-1 standards confirms its high safety level. This solution is suitable for systems with rated voltage of 600 V. Its insulation is red, thanks to which it is easy to distinguish among cables used in various system circuits.

83001 0021000 wire by Belden

Alpha Wire – extreme durability despite inconspicuous appearance

Alpha Wire also offers solutions that are extremely durable, yet considerably smaller than those available on the market. They include the extremely popular ThermoThin hook-up wire. As ThermoThin is especially designed for the oil and military industries, it is suitable for operation in extreme temperatures ranging from -150°C to +300°C. Similarly to Belden products, Alpha Wire designs are driven by the idea of miniaturisation. Thanks to that, customers are offered a product with a cross-section that is smaller even by 35% in comparison to classic PTFE solutions. Moreover, as stated in its technical product sheet specifications, ThermoThin is resistant to sunlight, water or chemicals. Such product characteristics offer a great potential for use in many aggressive industrial environments, including heavy industry.

ThermoThin wiring by Alpha Wire

ThermoThin R2632-BL001 wire

Depending on customer’s needs, the wires can be made as a copper, nickel-plated solid or stranded wire. They are insulated with ECA fluoropolymers or PFA teflon. A wide selection of conductor cross-sections, i.e. from 16 to 36 AWG, makes it possible to select a proper solution for each application. The Alpha Wire products available on the TME site include items conforming to the UL11905 standard.

The 2632-BL001 cable is one of the Alpha Wire products included in the TermoThin series. With the 32 AWG conductor cross-section, this product is designed in a form of a copper, nickel-plated wire. As it is resistant to temperatures ranging from -150 to +300°C, it can be used in the most demanding applications. It is designed to operate at 600 V and is insulated with resistant PFA sheathing.

Smaller is not necessarily worse

Large industrial machinery requires extensive electric systems operated by a control cabinet. A multitude of components protecting expensive equipment in the event of overvoltage, short-circuit or other electrical fault, as well as metering systems or emergency power supply modules are essential for its correct and safe operation. Designing an electric cabinet that is compliant with the applicable regulations, while at the same time being well-thought-out and convenient for users, often proves to be a challenge for the engineer in charge of a project. After all, plenty of wires need to be fitted into a relatively small space, all that with maintaining order and ergonomics in mind. The solutions presented above will cater for such needs and facilitate the installation of even an extensive electric system in an orderly and user-friendly manner.