SABorganic: Sustainable cable design in an eco-jacket

New SABorganic product line: ecologically sustainable data and control cables in a CO2-reduced outer sheath made of polyurethane based on 45% organic materials

Drag chain-compatible control and data cables focus on resilience, functionality, and safety. However, slim cable design with a smaller outer diameter and reduced weight is also becoming increasingly important. In its new SABorganic S 1000 product line, specialty cable manufacturer SAB Bröckskes has combined both features with a new type of cable sheathing made from bio-based polyurethane. This has enabled SAB to reduce the CO₂ footprint of this product range by an average of a quarter compared to comparable conventional cables.

As a developer and manufacturer of customer-specific cables for a wide range of industries, from robotics and industrial automation to construction machinery, railway, marine, and medical technology, and sensor technology, SAB Bröckskes is represented in over a hundred countries worldwide. With around 550 employees at its headquarters in Viersen, the company produces customized solutions "Made in Germany" that are precisely tailored to the respective applications in terms of design, material, reinforcement, number of cores, and cross-section.

Corporate goal: CO2reduction
An important corporate goal of SAB is sustainable production geared towards CO2neutrality. To this end, the specialist cable manufacturer introduced an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 in 2005 and an energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001 in 2011. Through the gradual expansion of its own renewable energy generation, the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources has been steadily increased, so that SAB can now cover around a quarter of its electricity requirements from its own PV systems. In addition, the company is actively involved in the regional energy efficiency and climate protection network and strives to continuously reduce the use of plastics made from fossil raw materials.

Lighter cable design – smaller outer cross-sections
Climate-friendly, sustainable aspects are therefore also becoming increasingly important in the development of new product lines. Examples of this are SAB's newly introduced drag chain-compatible data and control cables in the SABorganic S 1000 series, which are based on a completely modified cable design. This enables the manufacturer to meet industry requirements for lighter cables with smaller outer diameters. The weight of the cable has been reduced by using thinner insulation and sheathing materials. The lighter cable construction not only reduces material and processing costs as well as transport costs. It also reduces the energy required for drag chain applications, as less drive power is needed. Extensive testing and mechanical stress tests ensure that the new cable design can safely and permanently withstand demanding operating conditions with millions of bending cycles and tight bending radii. Designed for an expected service life of 20 years, the product line meets all current industry standards. Numerous versions have also been tested in-house for aging and chemical resistance, tear and break resistance, and UV, ozone, and temperature resistance, among other things.

New sheathing material – improved ecological balance
The innovative material used for the outer sheath, which the specialist cable manufacturer sources energy-efficiently from short, local supply chains, plays a decisive role in the improved ecological balance of the new SABorganic product line. In order to reduce the consumption of fossil resources in plastics production, 45% of the polyurethane (PUR) sheathing material is made from plant-based oil. This reduces the CO₂ footprint by an average of 25% compared to comparable fossil-based products. Thanks to the modification of the raw materials prior to polymerization, the product properties of the new, more climate-friendly cable are on par with those of conventional SAB drag chain cables. The processing of the material also differs little from conventionally produced polyurethane.

Advantages of PUR
The more climate-friendly PUR variant can be used in the design of many other products with cable sheaths made of conventional polyurethane. SAB has already produced a Cat 6 version in a 4x2x26 AWG design. In addition to polyurethane, other plastics such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with bio-based raw material content are now also available. However, in many high-stress applications, the advantages of a PUR sheath prevail, as the material is mechanically highly resilient and has good chemical resistance to mineral oils, alcohol-free gasoline, water, and many solvents.

Sustainable control and data cables
The new SABorganic product line is initially available as the drag chain-compatible S 1000 model series in Control and Data versions. For both versions, SAB offers numerous shielded and unshielded variants with three to twenty cores in cross-sections between 0.14 mm² and 10.0 mm². According to the manufacturer, other dimensions are available on request. The cables can be used in temperature ranges between -50/-40°C and +90°C and can withstand higher temperatures up to +125°C for limited periods of use. The halogen-free, flame-retardant sheathing material minimizes potential fire hazards. The flame retardancy complies with IEC 60332-1-2. In addition, SABorganic S 1000 is resistant to mineral oil-based lubricants and many chemicals. The new series has ozone resistance in accordance with EN 50396, is UV and weather resistant in accordance with HD 605, and is free of substances that interfere with paint wetting.

Conclusion
The increasing demands for sustainable, future-proof production and corporate management also extend to the control technology infrastructure. Effective CO₂ reductions can be achieved in this area, for example, by using cables with cable sheaths made of partially bio-based plastic. To this end, SAB Bröckskes has introduced its new SABorganic product line of drag chain-compatible data and control cables made from CO₂-reduced polyurethane. Since the savings potential can be calculated precisely, the measures can be quantified as compensation payments and documented in sustainability reports, for example.