Published: 2026-08-22
Cables are not 'indestructible.' Many companies store cables for two years and then use them, only to find the sheath cracked, the insulation hardened, or even moisture penetration—good cables have become scrap.
The culprit of cable aging:
First is **ultraviolet rays**: Cables exposed to sunlight for a long time experience breakage of the sheath's molecular chains, surface cracking, and embrittlement. This is the biggest killer for outdoor stock.
Second, **high temperature**: Excessively high warehouse temperatures accelerate insulation aging; for every 10°C increase in temperature, the aging rate approximately doubles.
Third is **humidity**: the cable ends are not sealed, moisture seeps in along the gaps in the core wires, insulation resistance decreases, and it breaks down when powered on;
Fourth is **ozone and chemical gases**: Rubber sheaths are sensitive to ozone, and they age faster when close to transformers, motors, and other discharge equipment.
Proper storage methods for inventory cables: keep away from light, ensure ventilation, maintain a temperature of 5-35°C, seal the ends to prevent moisture, store off the ground, and regularly (every six months) rotate the reels to prevent localized compression deformation. Measure insulation resistance before use: the insulation resistance of low-voltage cables is generally not less than 1 MΩ/km (specific standards apply). Do not risk energizing cables that do not meet this requirement.
To determine if a cable is usable, you can 'look, feel, and bend' on-site: look for any cracks on the sheath, feel if the surface is sticky or hard, and bend it 90° to see if it cracks. It is only recommended to use the cable if all three checks are normal.
Shanghai Suoqi Cable can provide the production date and warranty information for all factory shipments, and can assist in assessing the cable condition for long-term storage or before use.
* (Content generated by AI, for reference only) *
About Shanghai Suoqi
Shanghai Suoqi Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. is a specialized cable enterprise focusing on the research and development, design, production, and sales of special flexible cables. The company's products cover a series including reel cables, flat cables, drag chain cables, encoder cables, polyurethane cables, seawater-resistant cables, seawater-resistant network cables, and high-altitude vehicle cables, which are widely used in ports machinery, mining, industrial automation, marine engineering, and other fields. For more product information or inquiries, please call 13311756197 (same number on WeChat).