Benefits of Using Flat Cable

Flat cables are very flexible and efficient. They are in high demand for smaller and thinner electronic devices in a variety of industries including aerospace, telecommunications, medicine, IT and robotics.  They are even used in household equipment.

The flat  cable was developed in the late 1950s. Engineers figured out how to use a new material, silicone rubber, to mold a flat cable containing multiple conductors of the same size. Its invention greatly improved product performance, reliability, packaging, and manufacturing in various applications.

Flexible and Light

Flat cables have high flexibility, making them extremely useful for applications that require frequent motion. Unlike in round cables, the bent radius in flat cables is minimal. Flat cables are protected individually, and are much lighter in weight than round cables, where the wire is wrapped several times with different materials.  These qualities make flat cables very useful for various applications like computers printers, medical equipment, etc.

Reliable

Flat cables have consistent electrical characteristics. The geometry of a flat cable is constant, which eliminates several common sources of wiring error and malfunction. Its conductor spacing is also fixed, making proper contact assignment as good as automatic.

Space Efficient

Flat cables take less than half the space of round ones. They can be easily stacked or layered because they are flat.

Convenient

Flat cables greatly reduce assembly and maintenance needs. Unlike round cables, they can be easily folded or bent. Installing them is also much easier because they can be fastened, taped, or installed by using adhesives or clamps. They can also reduce the number of separate conductors for power and signal that need to be managed, as they can be put together in a single flat cable.

Reduced Skewing Effects

A flat cable has continuous and consistent dielectric and its conductors have the same physical and electrical length, thus allowing signals to pass through smoothly. There are fewer delays between signals with the flat cable.