As a provider of customised solutions in the special cables segment, LEONI has developed another complex product through to market readiness that combines two functions within the demanding environment of engine compartment wiring: first, it serves as a control cable on the turbocharger (high operating temperature); secondly, as a CAN cable for electronic control purposes.
The foil-shielded cable with a conductive core for connecting shows specific electrical properties and fulfils increased thermal demands. The core and jacket materials must conform to the thermal requirements of temperature class D pursuant to the ISO 6722 automotive standard, which equates to a continuous use temperature of 150 °C across its service life (3,000 hrs). This is why we use the high-performance material ETFE (a fluoropolymer) for the core insulation. It boasts excellent thermal, mechanical and chemical durability.
An integrated conductive core contacts the aluminium foil, which serves as shielding with 100% coverage. A special feature is that the material of the conductive core, polypropylene (PP), also withstands the continuous use temperature of 150 °C – a LEONI unique selling point: Up to now, temperatures of 105 °C to a maximum of 125 °C were the norm. The flame-retardant jacket material consists of (electron-beam) irradiation cross-linked polyethylene (PE) where we did without DecaBDE-based flame retardants. The advantages of this separate crosslinking process are maximum extrusion speed (regardless of the required crosslinking speed) as well as the recycling of the waste material not crosslinked. Moreover, and in contrast to silane crosslinking, this does not require an activator, meaning that no ‘foreign substance’ is added to the material. Electron-beam crosslinking is therefore a method by which certain polymers can be given the properties of comparatively expensive, usually difficult-to-process high-performance polymers. The approval that LEONI recently received from VW for this special cable is a milestone. We are able to tailor further solutions to individual customer requirements in the > 150 °C temperature range.
