Strain relief what is it

In business-to-business B2B marketing, the term is also being used to describe a growing market segment for information technology IT View Full Term.

By clicking sign up, you agree to receive emails from Techopedia and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A strain relief is a standard fixture for electrical cables that functions as a feature for relieving the stress from the cable connections themselves to prevent them from breaking. It is located in the base of the connector where the connector meets the cable and usually comes pre-molded as part of the connector itself.

It is the part of the connector that looks like a sleeve over the cable and is often segmented to allow some limited bending without problems. The strain relief, as the name suggests, relieves a cable of stresses and tensions that could break the conductor inside or the connection between the plug or connector and the cable. It is an essential feature for the mechanical and electrical integrity and overall performance of all types of electrical cables.

Think beyond minimum bend radius and strength of materials to how this will look and feel to the person using this cable every day. Some designs need classic industrial chic, and metal springs become an obvious choice. For others, sleek minimalism is the order, and solid strain relief wins. The multi-directional segmentation can fit with a playful, funky look.

For consumer products, this can be a chance to really stand out. Your design is almost complete. The options are simple: molded or slide-on. Molded designs incorporate the strain relief directly into plug design, creating a robust unit. While this is attractive and can be very effective, it might require expensive 2-shot molding, and so is best for designs which will be produced in high quantities. Slide-on designs are simpler, and can interface with existing plug designs. Many designs are available as off the shelf parts, and so are a great option for new products where your company is not ready to commit to custom tooling.

There are a few areas where you should pay more attention. Both the medical and food industries have special requirements for cleanability and materials. If your cables will go into harsh environments, you may need to use special materials, and also consider using much larger bends for extreme heat where electrical resistance increases or extreme cold where brittleness increases. Each application has its own demands. All products go through iterations of design-build-test, and strain relief is no exception.

Happily, most designs can easily be tested using 3D printing. For designs intended to be manufactured from an elastomer, try printing in a rubber-like material for testing. If your design is destined to be made of a rigid yet flexible plastic, you can print in a strong and flexible nylon material. Designs which will be molded can be printed in halves and glued together, while slip-on designs can be tested in nearly their final form. Easy to design and vital to success, strain relief is just a matter of calculating your minimum bend and choosing the right style for your application.

Make sure that the only spark felt with your product is from customers falling in love with a great design. Introducing Fictiv Enterprise: A new partnership solution for the speed you want and the security and quality you need. Discover Enterprise. Capabilities Industries Enterprise Resources Company. Log In. CNC Machining Tight tolerances and finishing capabilities, as fast as 2 days. Injection Molding Production-grade steel tooling, as fast as 2 weeks.

Urethane Casting Production quality parts without the tooling investment. Plastic Materials. Metal Materials. Processes Available. Finishing Options. Secondary Options. Robotics Accelerating new product introduction for the robotics industry. Consumer Products Accelerating new product introduction for the consumer products industry. Strain relief is also an important topic in energy chains. The answer: all of them.

Or almost all of them. It always depends on the intended use. Simply get in touch with us. Country Sites.

Dear website visitor, you are about to leave the German website of the Lapp Group and are therefore subject to the privacy provisions of the selected website. This makes the assembly time shorter, but does not guarantee a water-tight seal or the cord may not be as secure as the slide-on one. Specific body styles are available for many different applications. They are designed to eliminate the possibility of the power cord kinking when the cord is pulled at extreme angles B.

The spiral shaped spring wraps around the cord and adds strength to the cord where it is most vulnerable to damage. Each one has a specification of either a specific cable outer diameter size or a range of cable outer diameters it will fit. Different types of mounting threads that are available include: NPT National Pipe Thread which is the American standard; PG Stahlpanzerrohr-Gewinde; also called Panzergewinde which is the European standard German military thread ; and metric, which is a general purpose thread used worldwide.

The thread system chosen depends on the location the equipment will be used. The PG thread is typically for replacement parts for existing installations.

Interpower also offers conduit for use with nipples or elbows. Wires or cable are threaded through conduit in situations where the wire and cable need extra protection from elements or physical damage or where users may need to add additional wires at a later time.

To help address this issue, the International Electrotechnical Commission IEC has created a classification system IEC designating degrees of protection regarding enclosures of electrical equipment against the invasion of contaminants, such as dust, dirt, or moisture, plus other foreign bodies e.

The first digit indicates protection against solid objects intruding into an enclosure.