Published: 2026-08-25
Many buyers are stunned the first time they see the price of polyurethane cables — they are considerably more expensive than ordinary rubber-sheathed cables. But when you do the overall calculation, PUR cables often save more money.
Ordinary rubber sheaths (such as natural rubber and CR) gradually swell, become sticky, and crack in environments with oil, cutting fluids, and acids or bases. Under drag chain conditions, they need to be replaced after about one year, and the labor cost for downtime and production loss far exceeds the price difference of the cable itself. Polyether-type PUR sheaths have oil resistance, wear resistance, and hydrolysis resistance several times higher than rubber. In mechanical processing and automated production line scenarios, their lifespan generally reaches 3-5 years.
Comparison of several key indicators (for sheath materials of the same specifications):
Wear resistance: PUR is about 5-10 times that of natural rubber
Oil resistance: PUR resists mineral oil and cutting fluid, rubber swells easily
Hydrolysis resistance: Polyether-based PUR can be used long-term in humid environments, while polyester-based PUR is not resistant to hydrolysis.
Low-temperature toughness: PUR does not harden or crack at low temperatures, suitable for cold storage and outdoor use in northern regions
It should be noted that PUR is also divided into polyether and polyester types: polyether must be chosen in humid or hydrolytic environments; In dry but heavily oily environments, polyester is more wear-resistant. Choosing the wrong type will shorten PUR's lifespan.
Selection recommendation: For mobile power supply scenarios such as drag chains, robotic arms, and machine tool processing, prefer polyurethane (PUR) sheaths of the polyether type. Shanghai Suoqi polyurethane cables are designed according to polyether formulations, supporting customizations for oil resistance, acid and alkali resistance, and hydrolysis resistance, and can provide service life comparison test data according to working conditions.
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).