Flexible Cord – also known as Flexible Cable, high-flex or continuous flex cable, or Flex Cord is one of the less understood cables in our product catalog and can require a lot of technical knowledge to know which kind and what options to select. That could be because the use for Flex Cords is vast and the need for selecting the right type is high lest you run a safety hazard. That’s why we wanted to offer this article to provide some education about our Flexible Cord products and how Kalas is a superior choice to supply your flexible cord needs.
What is Flexible Cord?
To put it simply, flexible cords are often the cable used to take power from a source directly to its end-use application. Examples of that could be for use in lighting fixtures, small and large appliances, vacuum cleaners, and more. At Kalas, we manufacture three cables in our Flex Cord category – they are our Extra Hard Service Cord, which we understand is a deceiving title since “Extra-Hard” and “Flexible Cord” seem to be contradictions which we will explain, Hard Service Cord, and our SVT/SVTO cords. The reason the first two products listed have the word “Hard” in their title while technically being Flexible Cords, is that term signifies their jacketing is up to withstanding “hard” use. These two cords, our 600V Extra Hard Service Flexible Cord and our 300V Hard Service Cord, are supremely jacketed to safely distribute power and withstand the often-significant bend radius required when using or installing Flexible Cords.
For example, think through a common service cord like one that plugs in a small appliance in your home – that cord may be used over and over, and you may bend it into a tight space to fit into your outlet. Therefore, it would be important that your cord is constructed safely enough that the copper stranding and insulation within it is built properly so it will not fray and will be able to stay as good–as–new over the life of the appliance. That’s what our “hard” flexible Cords provide. Below we will describe the unique qualities and variety of Flexible Cords we offer so you can better determine which would suit your application the best.
Extra Hard Service 600 Volt PVC & TPE Flexible Cord
First, we will talk through our Extra Hard Service 600 Volt PVC & TPE Flexible Cord. This cord is one of the products with the most selection when it comes to choosing your gauge and various options. That means with Kalas you can create the exact small or large enough cord to power and withstand the use your application reqiures.
We offer 18/2, 18/3 18/4, 18/5, 16/2, 16/3, 16/4, 14/2, 14/3, 14/4, 12/2, 12/3, 12/4, 10/2, 10/3, 10/4, 8/3, 8/4, 6/3, 6/4 , 6/3, 8/1, 4/3, 4/4 gauges and special stranding upon request. You can also select bare or tinned copper as your conductor which can give you an option that is able to withstand corrosion or soldering to a higher degree. Lastly, we also offer our customers the option of jacketing with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or a TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) material which can give you a little more assurance of resistance to abrasion as well as chemicals.
So depending on your use, you can create the exact 600 Volt Flexible Cord you’ll need. Each cord is insulated with PVC, meets the UL and CSA requirements for your selected construction so you can be confident in the quality, safety, and reliability of the cord you receive. We can manufacture each cord to your liking to be ST, STO, STOO, STW, STOW, STOOW, SE, SEO, SEOO, SEW, SEOW, or SEOOW. We realize that’s a lot of information and can be confusing – all that to say, we are here for you, knowledgeable, and able to create the exact 600 Volt Flexible Service Cord you need.
300 Volt Hard Service Cord
Second, we would like to highlight our 300 Volt Hard Service Cord which is also available with your choice of a bare or tinned copper conductor and with PVC or TPE jacketing, insulated with PVC and constructed to meet UL & CSA requirements. This product we can manufacture for you in gauge 10-18 with 2, 3, or 4 conductors. The reason you would select this cord over our 600 Volt really depends on your job. We highly recommend viewing and understanding the NEC (National Electric Code) which goes into detail as to what cord you need, but typically our 300 Volt Flexible Service Cord is placed in small appliances like space heaters, electric fans, and similar small electric devices. The benefit of ordering flexible cord from Kalas, is that you get expertise and options. We can manufacture your cord to be SJT, SJTO, SJTOO, SJTW, SJTOW, SJTOOW, SJE, SJEO, SJEOO, SJEW, SJEOW, SJEOOW, SJT-R, SJTO-R, SJTOO-R, SJTW-R, SJTOW-R or SJTOOW-R or 18/3, 16/3 and 14/3 fillerless cord – all of which will be manufactured with the same excellence that comes from our 60-year history in manufacturing copper wire & cable and our vast team of highly specialized engineers. Quality you receive when you buy from Kalas which other companies may not be able to.
Both of our 600 V and 300 V Flexible Cords can be customized to have special stranding, non-wicking polypropylene, reinforced paper, or jute fillers and customizable inkjet print legend or PermaPrint™ indent print that will last the lifetime of the cable. Simply reach out and let us know what you need and we can make your cord a reality.
SVT & SVTO Cords
Lastly, we want to highlight our SVT & SVTO Cords. SVT stands for Service Vacuum Thermoplastic and SVTO stands for Service Vacuum Thermoplastic with Oil Resistant Jacketing. This cord is used in Vacuum Cleaners, Food processors, or Office Equipment for the most part. It comes with a bare copper conductor insulated and jacketed with PVC with an operating temperature of -40°C to 105°C.
You can order this cord in 18/2, 18/3, 17/3, 16/2, or 16/3 gauge all of which will be manufactured to meet the UL Standard 62 for Flexible Cord and CSA requirements give you the reliability and assurance you need to assure end-users of safety. The 18/2 and 18/3 gauges can be fillerless enhanced with a micro-poly strength member for mechanical strength.
The composition of this cable provides excellence in durability because the conductors within are twisted with or without fillers. This twisting of the strands offers a tensile strength that can withstand high usage and bending – a perfect construction for something like a vacuum cord which needs to remain safe and reliable when frequently yanked and turned every which way! We also offer this with non-wicking polypropylene, reinforced paper, or jute fillers and custom print.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped to increase your understanding of our Flexible Cord selection, why we call them “Hard” Service Cords and helps anyone in the market for these types of cables to see the superior construction, customization, and support ordering from Kalas provides. We can handle any question you may have regarding our Flexible Cords and have highly attentive, informed, and educated customer service representatives that help make your experience of creating and ordering Flexible Cord from Kalas a positive experience.
So, if you’re confused or just want to talk through options for any of these cables, reach out today. We would love to provide the answers you need or if you’re ready, we can give you quotes and lead times right away.
Thank you for choosing to research your cable before buying. Safety is of the highest priority with these cables and we want to help everyone receive the quality they need when ordering and using Flexible Service Cords!
