Drag Chain / Robotic Cable TPU Jacket | High Flex Fatigue & Low Friction

Short Description:

TPU for drag chain and robotic cable jackets with long flex life, low friction wear, stable precision extrusion, and optional halogen-free flame retardancy and anti-static performance.

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Product Detail

Drag Chain / Robotic Cable TPU Jacket

TPU cable jacket systems engineered for drag chain and robotic cables, where cables face millions of flex cycles,
repeated torsion and jacket-to-jacket rubbing inside energy chains.

This page focuses on high flex-fatigue life, low-friction wear resistance and precision extrusion stability
for smooth surfaces and consistent wall thickness.

Optional packages include halogen-free flame retardancy, anti-static / ESD, and matte / anti-block surfaces
to reduce noise, sticking and process risk.

Many drag-chain failures are not caused by “abrasion” alone.
The real root is usually an imbalance between flex fatigue, surface friction (stick-slip / blocking),
and dimensional stability (ovality / thickness variation) under real motion conditions.

High Flex Life
Low Friction Wear
Precision Extrusion
Torsion Resistant
Matte / Anti-Block
Optional HFFR / ESD

Typical Applications

Drag chain (energy chain) control cables for CNC machines and automated production lines
Robotic arm cables requiring high torsion and continuous bending performance
Servo / encoder cables needing stable jacket geometry and smooth surface
Factory automation sensor cables exposed to repeated motion and rubbing

Quick Grade Selection (Shortlist)

Choose “Flex-Life Focus” when

Small bending radius and high cycle target are the main risk
Torsion exists but jacket-to-jacket rubbing is moderate
You need smooth surface and stable geometry for dense packing

Choose “Low-Friction / Anti-Block Focus” when

Jacket-to-jacket rubbing inside chains drives early wear-through
Stick-slip / squeaking or blocking is a known issue on your line
You want lower friction to reduce noise and improve chain movement

Optional functions can be stacked on top of the base selection:
HFFR for compliance-driven automation projects, and Anti-Static / ESD for electronics or sensitive environments.

Note: Final selection depends on bending radius, travel distance, torsion angle, jacket thickness, and any HFFR/ESD/matte requirement.

Common Failure Modes (Cause → Fix)

Drag-chain reliability is usually limited by flex-fatigue + friction + geometry stability under motion.
Use the table below as a quick diagnostic.

Failure Mode	Most Common Cause	Recommended Fix
Jacket cracking after high-cycle bending	Toughness / flex margin insufficient for your bending radius and cycle target	Select flex-life focused grades; validate at real radius, speed and temperature
Jacket-to-jacket abrasion (early wear-through)	High surface friction and repeated rubbing inside chains	Use low-friction / anti-block packages; confirm wear under real chain routing
Stick-slip / squeaking (blocking)	Surface friction too high; matte/anti-block not optimized	Add anti-block/matte surface options; optimize cooling and take-up tension
Ovality / thickness variation	Extrusion instability, line drift, cooling imbalance	Use precision-extrusion positioned grades; stabilize temperature profile and cooling
Torsional fatigue in robotic routing	Repeated twist combined with bending and packing stress	Select torsion-capable jacket systems; validate torsion angle + cycles on finished cables

A reliable drag-chain jacket is designed to keep flex life and low friction wear while preserving
precision extrusion repeatability for low ovality and consistent wall thickness.

Typical Grades & Positioning

Grade Family	Hardness	Design Focus	Typical Use
TPU-CHAIN Flex-Life	~85A	High flex-fatigue life, low-temperature flexibility, smooth jacket surface, precision extrusion	Control cables and sensor cables in drag chains
TPU-CHAIN Low-Friction	~90A	Lower friction wear, improved abrasion, optional anti-block / matte surface for reduced noise	Energy chain cables with strong jacket-to-jacket rubbing
TPU-CHAIN HFFR (Optional)	~85A	Halogen-free flame retardancy with flex performance balance	Automation cables requiring HFFR compliance
TPU-CHAIN ESD (Optional)	~90A	Anti-static / ESD function with abrasion and flex stability	Robotic lines and electronics assembly environments

Note: Grade families are reference directions. Final selection depends on bending radius, travel distance, torsion angle, jacket thickness and any HFFR/ESD requirement.

Key Design Advantages

Long flex-fatigue life: designed for continuous bending and repeated motion
Low friction wear: reduces jacket-to-jacket abrasion inside drag chains
Stable extrusion geometry: supports consistent wall thickness and low ovality
Surface engineering: matte / anti-block options to reduce sticking and noise
Functional stacking: flex + HFFR, flex + ESD, flex + low-temperature (on request)

Processing & Recommendations (3-Step)

1) Dry

Dry compounds thoroughly before extrusion. Moisture can destabilize melt flow and reduce surface quality.

2) Control Heat & Shear

Maintain controlled melt temperature and avoid excessive shear. Stable melt behavior supports low ovality and repeatable thickness.

3) Validate on Real Motion

Validate on finished cables under real bending radius, travel distance and torsion angle, not only on short lab samples.

Geometry control: Use stable cooling and line speed control to reduce ovality and thickness variation.
Surface behavior: Matte/anti-block packages can change feel and friction: verify noise and chain movement on your setup.
Verification: Confirm flex + abrasion + torsion performance together under your routing conditions.

Is this page for you?

You will benefit most if:

Your cable runs in drag chains with high-cycle bending and repeated rubbing
You see cracking, wear-through, stick-slip noise, or blocking on jackets
You need stable wall thickness and low ovality for dense packing and smooth chain motion
You want a clear grade shortlist including optional HFFR / ESD / matte surface

Request Samples / TDS

To recommend the right drag-chain TPU, please share your bending radius, travel distance, cycle target,
whether there is torsion, and any requirement for HFFR / ESD / matte surface.
We can provide sample grades and technical data sheets accordingly.

To get a fast recommendation, send: