motor and spindle cable size?

[paulus.v]

hello everyone,

I am trying now to sort out the electrical part... and cannot find information on the current ratings of cable sizes.

I will buy drag chains and flexible screened cables from Igus and don't know what size to chose for the cables. I know that thicker is safer but thick cables need bigger bending radius and I don't have to much space. I want to go with EasyChain series E14 with 38 or 48 mm bending radius.

My stepper motors are rated at 4A/phase. Will I be safe with 0.75mm² wires? Or should I go with 1mm²? Or even 1.5mm²? The longest cable will have 4.5m.

The spindle will be a 2.2KW chinese. Is 1.5mm² fine or should go 2.5mm²? Will be 5.5m long.

Thanks.

[Clive S]

hello everyone,

I am trying now to sort out the electrical part... and cannot find information on the current ratings of cable sizes.

I will buy drag chains and flexible screened cables from Igus and don't know what size to chose for the cables. I know that thicker is safer but thick cables need bigger bending radius and I don't have to much space. I want to go with EasyChain series E14 with 38 or 48 mm bending radius.

My stepper motors are rated at 4A/phase. Will I be safe with 0.75mm² wires? Or should I go with 1mm²? Or even 1.5mm²? The longest cable will have 4.5m.

The spindle will be a 2.2KW chinese. Is 1.5mm² fine or should go 2.5mm²? Will be 5.5m long.

Thanks.

Hi. If this helps I have gone with Igus chain part No. B15.038.038.0 50mm wide. 1mm 4 core cy cable for the steppers and spindle with no problems. Re the chain you have to allow in the width for two water pipes say 7mm plus cy cables and home switch cable etc. ..Clive

[paulus.v]

Thanks for the replies.

Hi. If this helps I have gone with Igus chain part No. B15.038.038.0 50mm wide. 1mm 4 core cy cable for the steppers and spindle with no problems.

The series B15 or 10 (non-opening) are way better than the E14. Allows three times more fill weights and unsupported length and is only 10% more expensive.

Regarding the cables, as I need to keep the bending radius low (48mm) I found only one cable (CF10) with the minimum bending radius at 5 x dia and also for maximum duty loads but is double the price of the cheapest shielded.

I made a nice filling and partitioning drawing..

[EddyCurrent]

Also if you put one pipe between the stepper cables and the spindle cable, then one pipe between the spindle cable and the switches/limits cables, this will help with reducing electrical interference.

[paulus.v]

Why would I be needing an opening drag chain? Am I missing something?

As I will connect everything directly, from steppers to drives, sensors to BOB, etc. I don't see the need for plugs or having to take the wires out...

Probably for the smaller 'portable' machines.