Selecting a flexible cable or flexing Cable?

While it may seem there should be no difference between a Cable described as flexible and one described as flexing, actually there are big differences in the design, manufacture, and application between them.

A flexible cable allows for easier installation in a control panel or machine as it can be easily bent and routed as needed. However, once routed and installed a flexible cable will generally be static during its service life.

A flexing (or more descriptively continuous flexing) cable during its service life will be exposed to continuous motion in the form of rolling, bending, torsional, or variable flexing operations. To provide a long service life under these rigorous applications especially when exposed to harsh industrial environmental conditions, special design and manufacturing characteristics are required to produce a continuous flexing rated cable.

Additionally, factors such as temperature, velocity, acceleration, travel distance, minimum bend radius, torsion, and minimum number of cycles must be considered when selecting a continuous flexing rated cable for a specific application.