Innovations with Ed Begley Jr., featuring Quabbin Wire and Cable Co., Inc. aired on the Discovery Channel.
Quabbin Video
Those of you who have visited the Quabbin exhibit at one of the many trade shows we exhibit at annually will recognize the infamous stomping boot. The point of the stomping boot is to smash Ethernet cable. One of the goals of our ruggedized Industrial Ethernet products is to survive a good boot stomping as well as a host of other hostile forces found in harsh environments. While really meant as a prop, the boot will destroy a standard office grade cable in short order. However after over 5 years on the road it hasn't been able to damage any of our DataMax® Extreme Industrial Ethernet designs. Take a quick look at the boot, it's a lot of fun! Then feel free to review the other more serious testing that takes place in the Quabbin Wire & Cable Laboratory.
This video shows a member of the Quabbin Wire & Cable Quality Assurance team testing incoming copper using the Keyence Laser Micrometer, a non-contact L.E.D. optical gauge used for diameter measurement of copper conductor at incoming inspection with resolution to 0.00001”.
UL VW-1 Vertical Wire Flame Test: The purpose of the UL VW-1 Vertical Wire Flame Test is to determine the flammability/flame retardant properties of cables. The ignition source is a flame generated by a device similar to a Bunsen burner. The wire sample is mounted in a protective chamber and the flame is applied for 15 seconds and then removed. The flame is then reapplied, either after 15 seconds or immediately after the flame on the sample self-extinguishes (whichever is longer). In order to pass this test the cable sample must self-extinguish within 60 seconds. Furthermore, the sample must not burn more than 25% of the Kraft indicator flag at the top and the surgical cotton at the base of the burner must not be ignited. This procedure is repeated five consecutive times for a total direct exposure to the burner of 75 seconds.
This video shows in house pre-testing being performed on a cable sample prior to submission to a regulatory lab. Towards the top of the cable is a light colored mark which represents the indicator flag. As you can see, by the second application of the flame the cable jacket has charred and hardened around the cable core. This is the desired affect from a flame retardant cable jacket. A failing test would usually show the cable jacket dripping away and exposing the cable core which essentially amounts to more fuel for the fire. However, when the cable jacket chars and hardens around the cable core, it protects the core from ignition by limiting the fuel available to feed the flame. Clearly noticeable in the video, subsequent applications of the flame self-extinguish even faster due to the lack of available fuel.
The Zwick/Roell® Tensile Tester measures insulation and jacket tensile strength and elongation. It performs strip force and trouser tear measurement as well as plots stress-strain curve for Modulus of Elasticity determination.
Torsion tests performed on Quabbin Part #5772 - 2 pair industrial ethernet cable and Quabbin Part #5077 - 4 pair double shielded cable. The test was a 360 degree twist total per cycle (180° in each direction) over 34” of cable. Three million cycles on each cable completed with no apparent degradation to the cable.
This test is a rolling bend test. The cable assembly is clamped near the start and end of the bend. All assemblies were terminated with AMP Cat 6 modular plugs. All assemblies were tested using a Fluke® hand held tester with patch cord adapters. Cat 6 limit lines were used so that performance changes would be more visible.
Two tests each were done on 4 pair Quabbin part number 5752 and 2 pair Quabbin part number 5772 IE patch cable assemblies. The first test was a 1 million cycle test and the second was a 10 million cycle test. All testing was done in a heated warehouse space. Temperatures ranged from 15C to 35 C. Humidity was uncontrolled and not measured. Cables were clamped using 4 bolts through a plate at each end of the flex stroke. Foam polyurethane was used to prevent damage to the cable and to provide strain relief at the clamp point.