Problem solved: signal failures due to cabling errors

Been experiencing small, short-term malfunctions for some time? Not yet found the cause? Chances are there is a problem with the cables. Not properly connected, incorrectly crimped, loose cable cores, damage or a missing shield: these can all cause unpredictable failures. With a few simple procedures, however, this can easily be remedied and prevented.

Our field service engineers regularly encounter discoloured cables, improperly terminated cables or loose screw connections. In most cases, they can see this after just one look inside a control box, as most faults in cabling are visually detectable, but they are nevertheless an unpredictable cause of signal failures.

Recognising cabling errors

Recognising cabling errors is not complicated if you know what to look for. For example, if coloured cables lose their colour until they are completely white, something is definitely wrong. This means that a non-UV-resistant cable was used. When the sheath discolours, it also loses its internal strength. The sheath comes off, exposing the conductors or shielding of the cable. This can have major consequences: short circuits, failures due to external influences or even fire.

Loose copper cores are also easily observable. If plus and minus are relatively close to each other, a short circuit or overload can occur. This can result in electronics failure, loss of signal, electrocution or even fire. It can also give a shock to the person operating the machine.

Vibrations cause damage

A failure is usually due to a combination of factors. In installations with lots of vibration, for example, screw connections can vibrate loose. These same vibrations can cause copper wires to loosen from the wire end sleeve (if it is not properly crimped). This can often be one of the causes of a problem.

The advice of our field service engineers is to inspect a control box once in a while and check the screw connections. It is important to address obvious issues immediately to avoid failures. Consider tightening screws, re-crimping cables and replacing wire end sleeves where necessary. This will help to prevent unexpected downtime. Visual inspection of a control box can be easily scheduled for a periodic maintenance stop.

Insight thanks to risk analysis

When our field service engineers perform an on-site inventory and evaluation, they incorporate the risks they encounter into a risk analysis. The same applies to cable anomalies with their corresponding solutions. While providing on-site service, our engineers check all cables, make sure they are back in order, tighten all screws and sometimes clean the boxes as well, if necessary.

This prevents unforeseen downtime in your production lines. Problem solved!