Design for Safety: Prevent Wire and Cable Failure and Fatigue
September 9, 2020
Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems Solutions for Safe Machine Design
Whether it is a retrofit to an existing machine or an innovative new design you are introducing to the market, diligent wire and cable management improves machine safety. By reviewing the following points, you will add simple, yet high value safety and quality attributes to your machine design.
Do you need to reduce load at the cable-enclosure juncture?
Within your machine design, identify all points where a cable rests outside of an enclosure. The acute bend in the cable where it meets the enclosure is a point of stress, known as the rigid fatigue point. By including a mesh strain relief at this juncture, the load will be distributed across the cable instead of concentrated at a single point. With the load more evenly distributed, you increase the life of the cable. Additionally, the bushing seal within the strain relief grip keeps out oil, water, and other contaminants that might short the system ultimately causing injury or expensive downtime.
Do you need to reduce load and create a watertight connection?
Like strain relief grips, cord connectors also relieve stress at the juncture point where the cable interfaces with the panel. In addition to strain relief, Kellems Cord Connectors protect against pull-outs and create watertight seals. This liquidtight connection is ideal for food processing, oil and gas, water/wastewater, medical, and marine applications.
Is your design at risk of a high-pressure hose failure?
If your machine design includes high pressure, flexible hose lines you will want to protect against the potential failure of these hoses. The rupture of a high pressure, flexible hose results in the hose whipping violently, causing damage to the machine, or worse injury to a person. Kellems Hose Containment Mesh Grips not only reduce pressure at the cable-enclosure juncture, but for fluids and gases under high pressure they will also keep the hose in place preventing additional damage to the machine or injury to a person.
Upon installation, will your machine be connected to overhead power cord?
Typically, not considered until machine installation, support grips will remove strain from cables that drop down from the ceiling. Cable drop downs are under constant strain from the weight of connecting devices, in addition to increased stress caused by torque created by an angle to the power connector or being pulled across the production floor. These stresses can damage cables and threaten pullout from the connections. The mesh design of Kellems Support Mesh Grips provides equal distribution of the load across a larger surface area, eliminating a concentrated point of strain. This increases the life of the cable and minimizes risk of pullout, ultimately avoiding costly maintenance and production downtime. While mesh support grips are typically not part of the actual machine design, it should be considered during installation.
Which Kellems Wire and Cable Grip Solutions Best Fit my Application?
Comparison of Kellems Wire and Cable Grip Solutions
| Cable and Wire Grip | Product Application | How does this product increase safety? | Catalog |
 | Specific applications include the wiring of electrical enclosure, such as crane and hose pendant drop stations, bus drop installations, hand tools, extension cords, construction equipment, processing equipment and material handling equipment. | Bushing seals out oil, water, and other contaminants that can short out the system which can cause injury or expensive downtime. | Kellems Strain Relief Mesh Grips |
 | Specific applications include the petroleum and oil refining, beverage processing, chemicals and fertilizers, waste control operations, food and sugar processing, paper and pulp mills, marine and oceanographic, mining, engraving and photography, medical equipment, and distilling and brewing industries. | Lubricated neoprene bushing compresses easily for a liquidtight seal and added pull-out protection. | Kellems Cord Connectors |
 | Specific applications include flexible hose systems which transmit fluids and gases under pressure. | Kellems Hose Containment Grips are used on high pressure, flexible hose lines to prevent the hose from whipping violently in the event of hose failure at the fitting. These grips will prevent serious injury to personnel and damage to equipment by holding the hose in place in the event of hose failure. | Kellems Hose Containment Mesh Grips |
 | Specific applications include buildings, poles, excavations, mine shafts, towers, elevators, electrical potheads, terminators and other structures. Support grips are used indoors or outdoors on any application that requires supporting cable, metal rods, hose and tubing. | Kellems Support Mesh Grips conforms to shape of cable, removing strain from individual conductors and minimizes the opportunity for electrical accidents and power failure. | Kellems Support Mesh Grips |
What tools are available to help me with Kellems Cable and Wire Grips product selection?
Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems’ extensive wire management offering is best viewed via the Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems Online Catalog. In Section X Wire Management Products you will find detailed selection guides for the complete offering including Pulling Grips, Support Grips, Fiber Optic Cable Grips, Strain Relief Grips, Cord Connectors, and PolyTuff Liquidtight Conduit and Fittings.
Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems also offers a Kellems Selector App available via the App Store or Google Play. This product selection tool easily directs the user through the Kellems product offering determining if the applications requires a mesh grip, cord connector or liquidtight solution. You can preview this tool by watching the Kellems Selector App video or download the Apple or Android version via Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems Apps, Tools, and Configurator page.
Buckles-Smith Electric is Northern California’s Premier Partner in Safe Machine Design
Here in the Bay Area you have access to an experienced team of Buckles-Smith Product Specialists that can support various aspects or your machine design. In addition to Hubbell Wiring Device-Kellems, we partner with the best manufacturers across the world to bring the most valuable solutions to our customers. Whether it is related to safety or technical application, the Buckles-Smith Electric Team is here to support you in helping you determine and select the best solution for your design. Reach out to a product specialist to answer any questions regarding the safe design of your machine.