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Control Cables

Performax®

Engineering Resources & Design Guides

Our engineering team has applied their years of industry experience to develop resource documentation for each of our product lines.

Cable Assembly Network

Our Worldwide Cable Assembler Network can help you with your mechanical motion control solutions.

Online Catalog

Don’t need a custom design? Download our digital catalog to see all of our available cable and linkage assemblies.

Performax®

Performax Push Pull Control Cable Blue Max

The Performax® line of push-pull cable solutions offer application driven performance to optimize any project. Using Cablecraft’s proprietary designs, we have developed a line of control cables that will save development time and costs while improving performance. Whether your application demands high compressive strength, maximum efficiency or increased flexibility, the Performax® line of control cables can be engineered to your application requirements. With state-of-the-art cable manufacturing facilities and equipment and stringent, in-process controls, you can be assured your Performax® control cable will perform for years to come.

Benefits of Performax® Control Cables

  • Patented design for maximum efficiency
  • Industry-leading compressive strength
  • Superior flexibility for difficult routing applications
  • Low backlash for minimum lost motion
  • Maximum corrosion resistance
  • Consistent performance
  • Positive operator response
  • Full complement long lay conduit
  • Environmentally robust, standing up to the harshest conditions

Not sure which Performax® control cable is right for your application? Use the descriptions below and then talk with the Cablecraft Engineering team. They can help you design the right cable to meet your application requirements.

Products

Flexible Series

Not all motion is in a straight line. Control cables are designed to transmit motion in a non-linear path, but the typical control cable is limited in the number of bends and the degree of radius for each of those bends before efficiency declines. The Flexmax line of control cables feature advanced conduit design combined with flexible materials and core wire, producing superior flexibility.

Features/Benefits

  • Conduits engineered for maximum flexibility using proprietary designs and materials
  • Designs accommodate a variety of cable constructions ranging from 7×19 to solid wire
  • Outer jacket materials engineered for the application, whether UV protection, abrasion resistance or enhancing flexibility
  • Liner materials and lifetime lubrication for improved efficiency in tough routing conditions
  • Bend radii as low as 1.5″ can be achieved in certain applications

Efficiency Series

Cablecraft’s efficiency series – Excelmax – is designed with optimal performance in mind. Utilizing proprietary designs combined with state-of-the-art materials, the Excelmax cables are designed to maximize tension and compression efficiencies while maintaining minimal lost motion.

Features/Benefits

  • Patented hexagonal shaped core wire extrusion for maximum efficiency
  • Application proven liner material provides lower co-efficiency of friction
  • Lifetime lubrication to stand up against the rigors of frequent use
  • Corrosion resistant materials for the harshest environments
  • Polypropylene outer jacket for abrasion resistance
  • Sealed to prevent contaminants degrading performance
  • Rated at -18℃ operating temperature

Strength Series

Need the strength of a rod to push high loads but the flexibility of a cable? Most cables will collapse under the pressure, but not the Forcemax. The Forcemax control cable is specifically designed for high compressive loads. Utilizing long lay conduits and ArmoAny of our standard cable fittings, either zinc die-cast or steel, can be combined with the Performax® line of proprietary designed cable and conduit, providing you with a high performance push-pull cable assembly with minimal development costs. Or, our Engineering team will design the fitting that mates with your components for a truly customized solution while maximizing the desired performance.red core wire, Forcemax will get the job done.

Features/Benefits

  • Double wrapped Armored core wire for compressive loads greater than 200 lbs.
  • Long lay conduit with a full complement of lay wires
  • Tough outer jacket binding materials for added layer of durability
  • Lifetime lubrication to maintain ease of use under high loads
  • Superior column strength for positive operator response

FITTINGS

Any of our standard cable fittings, either zinc die-cast or steel, can be combined with the Performax® line of proprietary designed cable and conduit, providing you with a high performance push-pull cable assembly with minimal development costs. Or, our Engineering team will design the fitting that mates with your components for a truly customized solution while maximizing the desired performance.

CONDUITS

Every push-pull assembly application has unique requirements. Performax® offers a full line of conduit choices to meet your specific needs. Whether it’s flexible routing with good compressive strength or a more rigid application with good crush resistance, we have the right design for you. Our conduits include Braided, Round Wire and Flat Wire Bowden, Long Lay and reinforced Long Lay. Optional liner materials are also offered to meet your application requirements.

Like our cable fittings, Performax® offers our standard shuttle-molded, zinc die-casted or steel conduit fittings. Or our Engineering team will design the fitting that mates with your design for a truly customized solution while maximizing the desired performance.

PROTOTYPES

Prototypes are available and are an invaluable way to finalize the dimensional and tolerance requirements of any assembly. Life cycle and durability testing can also be conducted on prototypes, prior to production. Contact us to request a prototype.

DESIGN

You can get started by using our design considerations or you can download our Motion Control Design Guide to help analyze and define your application specifications. Then contact our Engineering team to discuss the details of your project and they will help you determine the right Performax® push-pull cable for your application.

Design Considerations

Push applications are the most difficult to accomplish with ordinary cable assemblies because of the required column strength of the wire or cable core.

  1. In all but the lightest of loads, a solid wire or Armored Core must be used for pushing applications. A 1×7 or 1×19 cable may be used for very light load applications.
  2. The cable assembly routing in the final application needs to have as few bends or turns as possible with large, generous radii although stranded core will be more forgiving.
  3. Working loads should be highest in the pull direction. In the compression mode the loads need to be specified at 50% of the pull load unless using Armored Core which will yield a higher compression to tension ratio.
  4. The travel dimension should be limited to 2 inches or less.
  5. Remember that the amount of cable travel will be dependent upon the total number of bends in the system as well as the difference between cable outside diameter and conduit inside diameter. This is known as lost motion in the cable assembly.
  6. Cablecraft has a large number of zinc die-casted and steel swaged cable end-fittings and steel or molded conduit end-fittings to simplify your design. Custom cable and conduit end-fittings can also be considered.
  7. The alignment of the push-pull cable as it exits the conduit to the final attachment point must be as straight as possible.

APPLICATIONS

  • Throttle
  • Shift
  • Clutch
  • Cowling
  • Brake
  • Fuel Shut Off
  • Chute Release
  • Rudder Control
  • Flap Control
  • Yaw, Pitch, Roll