Different Kinds of Cable Tie Solutions – Which Do You Prefer?

When you first saw a cable tie, you might feel nothing special about it. It’s just a tie for holding cables together, what more could it be? But the fact is that if you want to completely get rid of messy cables, cable ties are of great importance. They are generally inexpensive, and can be ordered in various colors and sizes. There are many types of cable ties on the market. Different types are made for various applications. Using the right cable tie can speed up your working efficiency. This article will introduce some common cable tie solutions. Maybe one of them is perfect for your project.

Self-locking Cable Tie

Self-locking cable tie has the classical oval lock structure for easy installation. It is the most common cable tie consisting of a flexible nylon tape with an integrated gear rack, and on one end a ratchet within a small open case. With a good locking design, cable tie can provide firm locking for the cables. This kind of cable tie is shorter and thinner for small spaces and light wire management. Its curved tip is easy to pick up from flat surfaces and allows faster initial threading to speed installation.

Stainless Steel Cable Tie

Stainless steel cable tie is used when there is liquid involved and when extreme temperatures are involved. This cable tie can withstand temperature ranging from -100 to +1000 degrees Fahrenheit. The stainless steel cable tie has a tensile strength of 100 lbs. And it has the capability to endure most chemicals that will cause corrosion. It can be used for the most extreme environment or where additional strength, security and fire resistance are required.

ID Marker Cable Tie

ID marker cable tie or identification cable tie features a large marker area for the imprinting or handwriting of cable assembly numbers and other vital information, making cable and wire identification in an extensive range of applications a fast and easy task. Whenever cable colors are not enough for cable identification, ID marker cable tie plays a part.

Mount Head Cable Tie

Mount head cable tie combines the zip tie and mounting eyelet together. It allows you to bundle cables and then mount them to a surface using screws, nails, clamps or clips. Surfaces including walls, ceilings, server racks, trailers, vehicle chassis, and other areas are able to handle the cables easily with mount head cable tie.

Releasable/Reusable Cable Tie

Releasable cable tie is actually reusable nylon self-locking cable tie. The common nylon cable tie can only be used once. If you need to re-bundle or rearrange the cables, then releasable cable tie is your best choice. By pressing the latch on the tough of cable tie, it can be easily released from the cables.

Velcro Cable Tie

Velcro cable tie or hook and loop cable tie is made of a self-attaching hook and loop material. It is reusable and adjustable to support frequent moves, adds, and changes of cables. Usually sold in rolls, velcro cable tie can be easily cut down to any length you want. No matter for factory devices or household appliance, velcro cable tie is very convenient to be used for cable management. It also has many other types with different shapes such as the T type velcro cable tie, the voltage type velcro cable tie and the buckle velcro cable tie.

Conclusion

Cable management is especially essential for device installations where large amount of cables are needed. As a cost-effective tool, cable tie can be simply mounted to arrange the cable mess which enables higher performance of devices. The above options are some common types in the market. You should choose the right cable tie according to your actual application.

Source:http://www.fiber-optic-cable-sale.com/different-kinds-of-cable-tie-solutions-which-do-you-prefer.html

Take Cable Management Seriously

In a data center, it is common to see messy cables all over the place. Finding out the right cable becomes a nightmare. However, there are also good examples for well-organized cables that eliminate all the redundant operations due to cable mess. This is the magic of cable management. Typically, cable management is a solution used for the installation of equipment in order to secure cables for electrical services. An orderly data center will greatly enhance the working efficiency and ordinary people are more willing to work in a tidy environment. Therefore, cable management is very necessary for data center cabling.

Benefits of Cable Management

With the help of cable management, there are many advantages that facilitate the work in data center:

1) Ease of Cable Connection

A good cable management can not only provide access to cables but also to devices they are connected to. If cables are tangled together, it will increase the difficulty for handling devices. And working hours are extended for a simple task. But if your cables are well-managed, the connection between cables and devices will be clear to see so as to finish work in a shorter time.

2) Avoid the Risk of Fire

If cables are not under maintenance for a long time, sparks will be easily caused in tangled cables. And the worst result will be a fire. In addition, when a person passes by the cable mess, he is more likely to be stumbled by the cables. Thus the risk of fire is also immensely increased. To avoid such situation, cable management takes an important role for fire safety.

3) Convenient Troubleshooting

While doing the routine troubleshooting in data center, cable testing is one of the steps. However, a huge amount of messy cables makes such a simple task into a complicated one and you have no idea how long it will take to finish the job. But thanks to cable management, you can easily maintain and change cables in order. The process is more convenient if cables are organized well.

Suggestions for Good Cable Management

To achieve a good cable management, here are some useful suggestions:

1) Let in Airflow

Enough airflow will reduce the temperature of surroundings and components for lowering the risk of fire. But the tangled cables will block the air from flowing. Therefore, sorting out the cables to leave enough space for air flowing is very essential. Also, fans can be used as a way to create sufficient airflow to cool down the temperature more promptly.

2) Clean the Dust

A good cable management is always along with dust cleaning. If too much dust enters through the components, the efficiency of devices will be influenced. But the best part for a good cable management is that the open surfaces exposed to dust are greatly reduced, so the cleaning process is a lot easier.

3) Neat Appearance

First impression is always important for the judgment of a good cable management, thus keeping a nice appearance is necessary. The basic rule of managing cables is to make them in a neat order. Then a little imagination can be added to make the appearance more creative.

4) Use Proper Tools

Proper tools are needed for cable management because they can improve the efficiency of your work. Tools like cable wrap, screwdriver, wire scissors, pliers, cable ties, rubber band, etc. are recommended. These instruments makes the process more convenient and easier.

Conclusion

You may think of cable management as a tedious and time-consuming task. But as for the long-term benefit, cable management can prevent device from damage and save time for routine maintenance. Thus better take it seriously for the best of your work in data center.

The article originates from http://www.chinacablesbuy.com/take-cable-management-seriously.html.

Have You Chosen the Right Cables Ties?

You can frequently find racks, frames or panels in the cabling system. They are necessary components for cable management. However, sometimes you may easily forget about a small but helpful tool for cable management - that is cable tie. People’s first impression about cable tie is always a self-locking and colorful plastic strip. They think cables ties are pretty much the same. Seldom have they considered about whether they are choosing the right cable ties or not. In fact, cables ties have many different distinctions in construction, material, color, size and some special features. So do you want to know if your selection is right? Don’t worry. The following parts will give the explanation.

Cable ties have to be able to meet the most varied demands these days as they are used in the widest range of operations – from the simple bundling of cables with cable ties to the absolutely specific use of cable ties under extreme conditions. Thus, many factors are taken into consideration during the design of cable ties.

Construction

Cable ties can be classified as either one-piece or two-piece construction. One-piece cable ties typically have a plastic locking device molded into the head of the tie. The locking device ratchets the notched strap to tighten and lock. This design has a lower cost of manufacturing and is used for general applications around home or office. Compared to one-piece cable ties, two-piece cable ties are with higher performance. They consist of a stainless-steel locking device embedded into the head of the tie, and a smooth locking strap. This design offers high tensile strength, and resistance to mechanical and environmental stress for applications that require greater performance than what a general cable tie offers. In addition, the smooth, infinitely adjustable strap also allows for the exact bundled tightness. The head of the two-piece cable tie engages the strap when installed, and permanently locks in place. With a lower profile and smoother cross-section, the uniform cross-section distributes stress across the strap more evenly than with one-piece cable ties. Thus, the two-piece cable ties are more resistant to brittleness and breakage in harsh environments, particularly appropriate for harsh conditions, such as ultraviolet exposure, extreme temperature, and exposure to moisture or chemicals, as well as for applications where retrofitting is not an option.

Material

The material design of different cable ties also needs to consider for different applications, such as occurring indoors or outdoors; the environment’s temperature range; the presence of moisture, chemicals and radiation; flammability issues; and cost. Cable ties are available in a wide range of materials, each with its own specific properties. Among them, the most common type is nylon cable ties. Nylon ties can offer good resistance to weather and ultraviolet rays in lower temperatures. In addition, for applications in harsher environments that require extra durability in the face of heat, chemicals and other corrosive elements, there are stainless-steel cable ties.

Color

The most commonly used cable ties are white and black. But colorful cable ties are also popular with users. These cable ties with rainbow colors are very useful when you are trying to color-code your cables, or just want to match the ties to your equipment. Moreover, you can use different cable ties to mark different cables bunch which is convenient for cable management.

Size

When using cable ties, you should also consider the size and shape. First, be sure to measure the diameter of the cable bundle you’ll be tying and decide the length. In general, to buy cable ties with a little longer length is better. Because no one wants to find out at the last minute that the cable ties are too short to use. In addition to length, width or shape are also important considerations to choose optimal cable ties for your cable bunch.

Special Features

Though the standard-design cable ties can meet most of our requirements, sometimes, we still need something special for special applications. For instance, most cable ties lock permanently, but sometimes, we would prefer to looking for a solution that cable ties can be undone without actual cutting. Then, releasable cable ties have been launched in the market. In a releasable cable tie, the built-in locking tab can actually be disengaged, allowing the tail end of the tie to be pulled free from the head. Releasable cable ties tend to cost a little more than the standard type, but they save money and are more eco-friendly in the long run because you can reuse them over and over instead of just throwing them away. Additionally, for different special applications, there are mounted head cable ties, marker ties, etc.

Conclusion

It is very unprofessional to use random cable ties for your cable management. Knowing the secrets about cable ties can lead you to choose the matching cable ties for your applications. This will greatly reduce the unnecessary problems during actual practice. Actually, no matter cable ties or other assembles, each component of cabling system should not be underestimated. The right selection will greatly increase the efficiency of a cabling system.

Article source: http://www.fiber-optical-networking.com/chosen-right-cables-ties.html.