Traditional cables found in food manufacturing equipment tend to deteriorate over time due to a variety of reasons. As there are strict hygiene standards to be followed in the industry, machinery are regularly disinfected and sanitised often through rigorous means. Contact with detergents, disinfectants and hot fluids can lead to cracked surfaces on the cables and decreased tensile strength. This leads to poor insulation performance and eventually equipment failure.

To provide a solution to this manufacturing concern, OKI Electric Cable has launched the OH Cable. The product is designed to withstand rigorous cleaning processes and food sanitation methods. It is resistant to cleaning fluids, edible fats and oils. The special elastomer applied on the jacket complies with requirements set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Food Sanitation Act.

OH cables are made-to-order, with the conductor size, number of cores can be customised dependent on equipment specifications.

According to Hideo Yamaguchi, OKI Electric Cable president, “The OH Cable developed by OKI Electric Cable incorporates a special elastomer with outstanding chemical resistance to impart excellent durability against the detergents and disinfectants used in cleaning, as well as against the special machine oils used in the drive components of food manufacturing equipment and the oils and fats generated during food processing. The cable exhibits virtually no physical degradation in accelerated testing simulating 30 years of continuous use under standard operating conditions, which helps improve the reliability of food manufacturing equipment.”

Tokyo-based OKI has been operating since 1881, manufacturing a variety of information and telecommunications solutions across different industries.