How to Make a Coiled Cable

May 2, 2011 - PRLog -- We have all seen them, a coiled cable that makes connecting two electronic devices so much easier.  The benefits of a coiled cable are numerous, but the main purpose is so that a big pile of excess cable doesn’t lie around and get tangled.  A coiled cable can also be called a coil cord, coiled cord, curly cord, coiled wire or stretch cord to name just a few other names.  All these names are used in this article, but they all mean the same product. The question, how to make a coiled cable? Is answered below in four steps.

As with many things experience plays its part, so it is always best to consult with experts like Meridian Cable.


STEP ONE is to make a cable.  This can be as simple as one conductor or as complicated as a cable Meridian Cable recently made.  That coiled cable had 15 conductors; five twisted pairs, two 14 awg conductors, two 18 awg conductors and one 50 ohm coaxial cable.  Most coiled cables are not this complicated, but Meridian Cable can do it.

Since a coiled cable acts as a spring it is critical when making the cable that all the conductors are constructed right.  Things to consider are the size of the conductor stranding, the twist of the stranding, the direction in which the conductors are bundled and the insulation material used to name a few.

The final cable consideration is the outside jacket material.  This is critical because this is where most of the “coil” action in a coiled cable occurs.  Meridian Cable uses the following materials; polyurethane, thermoplastic rubber, thermoplastic elastomer and polyvinyl chloride.  Each material has applications it is suited for and these can range from medical uses to simple industrial control situations.

STEP TWO is to wind the cable onto a rod.  During this process the coiled cord starts to look like the final product.  The cable is wrapped around a rod the can be a small as 1/4 of an inch to a large as 3 or 4 inches in diameter.  The size of the rod creates the inside diameter (ID) of the coiled cable.  A small ID creates a coiled cord with more spring action and a larger ID creates less spring action.

STEP THREE is heat treating.  Since the outer jacket material is thermoplastic it can be softened with heat.  However too much heat will melt the material and too little won’t change anything.  The goal is to heat the material JUST hot enough and for JUST the right amount of time to get it to stay in the coiled shape.  This requires some experience and know how because if it isn’t done right then the coiled cord won’t perform correctly.

STEP FOUR is reverse winding.  During heat treating the material on the outside of the coil cord is lengthened and the material on the inside is shortened.  When the coil cord is reverse wound, or turned inside out, the force pulls the coils together giving the coil cord the spring action.  

While these are the basic steps in making a coiled cable there are a lot of details that need to be considered.  A few things to consider are how many cycles will the coil cable experience, what kinds of environment will the coiled cable endure and what electrical properties are vital for proper performance.  Meridian Cable has the experience to talk you through the design considerations and show you how a quality coiled cable performs.  Call or email us and we will be happy to design your next coiled cable.

Bud Kinzalow – Meridian Cable

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Meridian Cable, http://www.meridiancable.com/, designs, manufactures and delivers custom coil cords, http://www.meridiancable.com/coil-cords/standard-coil-cords/, and cable assemblies worldwide. Meridian Cable's headquarters is in Glenview, Illinois and they have operations in China and Hong Kong.