LANDENBERG, PAW.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. has released the results of a cable particulation study conducted with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering, and Automation IPA located in Germany. Four different cable systemstwo Gore high-flex flat cables, one round cable chain, and one Gore trackless cablewere utilized to determine their particulation for ISO cleanroom certification. In addition, two non-metal cable chains, a low-vibration cable chain, and a link- and pindesign traditional chain were chosen to identify the origin of possible particulation with the two Gore flat cable chains.
According to the company, friction reduction in the creation of cable systems plays a crucial role in obtaining low particulation. Fraunhofer determined the number of particles for each cable at three measuring points, which resulted in zero particulates for the trackless cable and high-flex flat cable in the low-vibration chain. The traditional chain with high-flex flat cables produced a particle rate of 0.1 to 1.7 particles per cubic foot, which varied with speed. The round cable with the conventional chain also experienced changes from velocity. It issued 0.0 to 2.5 particles per cubic foot.
By testing the same flat cables with differing cable chains, the researchers found that only the cable chain caused particulation. Fraunhofer then concluded cleanroom certifications affected by velocity, which gave these results: Gore trackless cable and low-vibration chain with Gore high-flex flat cables as class 1, a conventional chain with Gore high-flex flat cables as class 5, and a conventional chain with round cables as class 4. According to Gore, the study maintained that the Gore flat cables and trackless cable resulted in much less particulation. More details on this study can be found at gore.com/particulation or on Gore's web site, gore.com/electronics.