Key Technical Concepts – What You Need to Know about cables - Five critical engineering factors + brands of LAPP - EPIC®! SKINTOP®! ÖLFLEX®! ETHERLINE®! UNITRONIC®!
1. Cable Type Abbreviations (The German Norm)
Most LAPP cables use standard German/European letter codes printed on the outer jacket (e.g. ÖLFLEX® CLASSIC 110 3G1.5):
3G1.5: 3 conductors, 1.5 mm² cross-section. The “G” stands for Grün-Gelb (includes a Green-Yellow ground wire).
If it says 3X1.5, it has no ground wire. Y: PVC insulation.
11Y: Poly-Urethane (PUR) insulation (abrasion-resistant for harsh environments).
C: Copper braid shield (EMC – Electro-Magnetic Compatibility protection against EMI – Electro-Magnetic Interference).
2. Static vs Dynamic Applications
Fixed Installation: Standard cables designed to sit still inside walls or conduits.
Flexible (Occasional Movement): Basic machine wiring.
Continuous Flex / Drag Chains (FD suffix in LAPP): Specially engineered cables for millions of bending cycles inside energy chains or robot arms. Using a static cable in a drag chain will break the internal conductors quickly (known as the “corkscrew effect”).
3. Bending Radius
Datasheet – minimum bending radius (e.g. 15 x outer diameter).
Bending a cable tighter than specified damages the internal twisting pattern and degrades electrical shielding.
4. Jacket Materials & Environments
PVC (Poly-Vinyl Chloride): Standard indoor use; budget-friendly, good oil resistance in basic industrial environments.
PUR (Poly-Urethane): High mechanical strength, notch/tear-resistant, highly resistant to cut-oils and abrasion.
Ideal for machine tools and robotics.
TPE (Thermo-Plastic Elastomers) / Rubber: Extremely weather, UV and temperature-resistant for outdoor or heavy-duty industrial use.
Halogen-Free (H or ROBUST): Required in public infrastructure (train stations, airports) to prevent toxic gas emissions during a fire.
5. Approvals & Standards
IEC/VDE: European industrial standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission & Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik e.V.
UL / CSA: Required if machines are exported to the US or Canada to comply with the North American Underwriters Laboratories and the Canadian Standards Association.
LAPP manufactures dual-certified cables (e.g. ÖLFLEX® 191) to satisfy both norms.
