multiheaded cable assembly

[monkeysolder]

Hello -

I am making some multiheaded cables - Basically a 10 pin connector at one end and about 7 different connectors on short lengths of cable branching out at the other end. They are small quantity so custom molding is probably out of the question.

Does anybody know of any way to effectively shrink tube the whole thing? Maybe some sort of multiheaded custom shrink tube? I am worried about the junction between the spliced on connector cables and the main cable being ugly and unreliable. All suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

 

[itsmoked]

Well from the hip; You realize that billions of cars have been built with taped cable harnesses.

When every car maker uses the same method for 100 years it should give pause.

You could use high quality electrical tape. The best is "Slipknot Grey" but any 3M would work fine and would even allow you to choose from up to about ten snappy colors. Tape the splits back to the main then tape the main, "Look maw no visible joints!" You could also color code the seven branches!

Or you could use 'roll' shrink tube. Shrink tube the branches and the main as you go then tape the joints. This will be a bigger pain because, face it, shrink tube is a bit of a pain and then won't be as flexible.

Lastly you could use the spiral wrap as long as the cable isn't hugely different than the branches you can spiral wrap the cable then spiral the branches bringing the spiral back onto the main for a short distance.

DO NOT consider the slit conduit as connecting branch points look like cr@p!

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[monkeysolder]

Heh... I would love to use electrical tape, but our customer does not care for it. I'm thinking I will just bundle all of the wires together at the junction with some BIG shrink tube and a zip tie and see how it looks.

 

[itsmoked]

You won't like it... Tell your customer to wake up to reality..
(Don't I wish)

Suggestion: Make up a mini harness with blue or red or purple electrical tape and one with any other method. If ethstetics have anything to do with it, he'll like the graphic demonstration.


Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[monkeysolder]

The only thing about electrical tape is that this cable is environmental (buried underground at times). My concern would be that the electrical tape would begin to unwind.

As always, thanks for your suggestions. I think I'll try your idea of a visual mockup of the different options.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

At my "other job", we use flex-o sleeving, which is a nylon braid that acts like one of those Chinese fingercuffs. Very durable, can be had in multiple colors, and easily cut with a pair of household scissors. To terminate gracefully, a short piece of shrink tubing is applied at each end.

Here's an example:

http://www.techflex.com/prod_PTN.asp

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[monkeysolder]

Hmm... the shrink tube doesn't look too bad after all. Looks like one of those Hydra things that grow in ponds.

 

[monkeysolder]

Ah yes - I am familiar with the flex braid sleeving - That may be another thing to try if I have a way to protect the inside wires against moisture and stress.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Shrink tube isn't the best solution for moisture/stress, either. Give us some clues as to the final environment. Whatever it is, your weakest link is going to be at the joints, so unless it's molded or very well wrapped, you're going to get moisture ingress.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[itsmoked]

If it's in dirt... you need better protection than anything we've mentioned.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[RobWard]

Cold you use something like this?:

http://rs

http://www.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/sea...feglcefeceefdffhdgmo.0&cacheID=ukie&Nr=avl:uk

Rob

"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams

 

[itsmoked]

Hey Rob that link is a weird one. Seems you can't link to the items. Got another supplier of the same that you can link us too?

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[RobWard]

Weird. Now it won't let me see the product at all via the link. It's for reasons like this that I always use the catalogue to search for products and then order online when I know what I want. (Actually they've p*ss*ed me off so I'm not ordering from them at the moment, but I still use the catalogues to look things up, even if I then use another supplier. Hey ho.)

Oh well:

Go to

http://rs

http://www.com

In "Find Products" search for RS stock number 2659569

Also try 2196620, which is slightly different.

***NOTE*** these come in different sizes with different numbers of breakouts.

But, looking again, even better might be 4330490, as it says these are watertight.

(I've not used these so cannot vouch for them personally)

Hope that helps.

Rob





"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go past." Douglas Adams

 

[itsmoked]

Hey that worked.

Pretty cool!

Oh heck look at that price!!! gak!gack!

You could buy 5 rolls of tape for that price.

I want to know more about monkeysolder's job because I cannot imagine anyone "making" a multi-tap cable for burial.. Why on earth?

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[monkeysolder]

It's going to be buried under 3 feet of dirt, possibly muddy and very likely waterlogged.

 

[VEBill]

I'd individually heat shrink each individual connection using that special heat shrink tubing with the oozing glue. The advantage is that you might actually get a waterproof seal where each bit of heat shrink tubing has only one or two wires emerging from each end (with care, the glue can still form a good seal around even a couple of wires, but not ten...).

The outer layer of the harness then becomes just for overall appearance and can be anything.

 

[monkeysolder]

Oh I would definitely be doing that. Also will probably dab the outer layer of shrink tube with silicone grease to keep water out.

 

[itsmoked]

Yur dreaming.

You have to assume anything buried in dirt will be essentially submerged in a hostile chemical brew. Anything short of dipping the entire thing in hardening flexible liquid goo that dries with ZERO DEFECTS like liquid silicon or maybe that stuff you dip tool handles in will become full of this water chemical brew. If you are going to try to use melt-wall shrink tubing you will never get reliable joints on the multiple branches.

You better closely reexamine the tape method.

You should also consider that gofers et'al vector in on this stuff like it's candy.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.-

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[analogkid2digitalman]

All your connector sockets/pins connections will also be susceptible to environmental nasties.

Gophers- yum, I trap em all the time
AK2DM 100, Gophers 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It's the questions that drive us"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[monkeysolder]

I will look at the taping method again. As for gophers, it's just a short run of cable so I will instruct the customer to pee on the cable site before burying it.