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How we test a conductor before it ships
Resistance, diameter, tensile strength, swing life and solderability are checked together, because hitting one at the expense of another is not a pass.
Resistance per unit length and outer diameter are measured along the reel rather than at one point, because the failure mode that matters is drift over length rather than error at a sample.
Tensile strength is pulled to failure on samples from the same run. Swing life is tested on a flex rig that reproduces the motion the conductor will actually see, which is different for a headphone cord and a speaker lead even though both are tinsel.
Solderability is checked last and is the test most often skipped by suppliers, because it fails for reasons that have nothing to do with the conductor's construction: storage time, plating thickness, surface contamination. A conductor that meets every mechanical target and will not take solder cleanly has still failed the customer's assembly line.
Specifications
| Measured along the reel | Resistance per unit length and outer diameter |
|---|---|
| Tested to failure | Tensile strength on samples from the same run |
| On a flex rig | Swing life, reproducing the real motion |
| Checked last | Solderability |
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Copper foil wound over a textile core moves the bending strain off the metal, which is why flex life is an order of magnitude different.
Choosing the fibre core: aramid, polyester and the alternatives
The core carries the tensile load and sets the flex life, which makes it a bigger decision than the copper wrapped around it.
Conductor metals and alloys: what we work in and when each applies
Copper is the default, and the alternatives are chosen for weight, temperature or a qualification requirement rather than for cost.
Send us the targets your conductor has to hit
Tell us the resistance, outer diameter, tensile strength, swing and solderability targets together. Samples are available with no minimum order quantity.