Cable conduits
Corrugated tubes / corrugated tubing
What is a corrugated tube?
A corrugated tube or corrugated tubing is a ribbed empty conduit made of plastic that is mainly used to protect cable harnesses. Depending on the application purpose, the corrugated tubing is made of different materials, usually plastics. The ones most frequently used are polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA). In addition, however, corrugated tubing can also be made of polyurethane (PU) and various metals such as steel or brass.
Structure of a corrugated tube
The materials from which the corrugated tube are made are hard and inflexible in their natural form. If they were to be used to make a simple tube such as an empty conduit, this would be rigid and not supple. The high degree of suppleness and resulting flexibility of the corrugated tube is due to its periodic corrugation. This periodic corrugation creates the characteristic corrugation of the corrugated tubing, which in the end is nothing more than a recurring change in diameter. This corrugation enables the high flexibility of the protective tube without sacrificing the robustness of the hard plastic.
There are two different types of winding in the corrugated tube. The first is the spiral winding, where the grooves are arranged around the tube like a spiral. The second is parallel winding, where there are many small corrugations across the direction of travel.
Our practical overview poster on the subject of corrugated tube / corrugated tubing gives you all the information you need at a glance. For example, in the features line you can see immediately which corrugated tubing is the most suitable for your application. Then you only need to select the right diameter (OD) and you have the right tubing for your application. If you also need a connector, you can select this immediately from the poster. All you need to do is read off the connector on the basis of the tubing diameter selected and decide whether the connector should be straight or angled, for example.
Areas of application for corrugated tubes
Corrugated tubing is most frequently used in electrical engineering. There, it is mainly used to protect cable harnesses and electrical wiring. In addition, corrugated tubing is also used in many other industries, such as automation, plant construction, equipment construction and mechanical engineering, for rail vehicles, shipbuilding, vehicle construction.
The corrugated tubing owes these diverse application possibilities to its special advantages. For example, the corrugated tubing functions as an empty conduit in electrical installations. This allows cables to be laid permanently, but makes them easy to replace in the event of damage. This is an advantage especially in building installations. The cables are not set in screed or in concrete in the wall, but are pulled through the cable conduit.
Another area of application for the cables is outdoors. There, the corrugated tubing protects cables e.g. from damage caused by animals such as martens or other rodents. The cable conduit’s robustness and high corrosion resistance are particularly useful outdoors. As a result, the corrugated tubing hardly ever needs to be maintained or replaced. In addition, it is very affordable to purchase.
What needs to be considered with corrugated tubing?
Before corrugated tubing is purchased, several things need to be considered. First of all, you should know how many cables you wish to route through the cable duct. Then, of course, it depends how thick the cable bundle is overall, since the inner diameter of the corrugated tubing depends on this. In contrast to the outer diameter, the inner diameter indicates how much space the electrical conduit has inside. Choose a diameter that is not too small, so that the cables can be threaded and pulled through easily.
Then you should decide whether you want to use a closed tube or perhaps a split corrugated tube, which is particularly suitable for assembled cables. If you want to lay cables for a television set or stereo system in the wall, a multi-media conduit may be the right choice.
Another important property is the bending radius. This indicates the minimum radius in which the protective tube can be bent. As a rule of thumb – the smaller the diameter of the tubing, the smaller the bending radius.
You should also note that the corrugated tubing is supplied without a specific connection. If you subsequently want to extend or branch off the corrugated tubing, there are special corrugated tubing connectors and Y- or T-distributors available for this purpose. Clamps or spacers required for fixing to the wall also need to be purchased separately.
FAQ - frequently asked questions about corrugated tubing
What diameters of corrugated tubing are available?
Corrugated tubing is available with diameters from 10mm through to jumbo tubing with a diameter of up to 106mm.
What are corrugated tubes needed for?
Corrugated tubes are needed wherever cables need to be bundled, routed or protected.
What materials are corrugated tubing available in?
Corrugated tubing is made of PA 6 or PA 12. PA 6 is used by default for manufacturing corrugated tubes. Different materials are used depending on the application and specification.
What colours is corrugated tubing available in?
Different colours such as black, grey or orange have become established.
What should be taken into account for selection?
When selecting suitable corrugated tubing, the focus should be on the area of application. In addition, features such as flexibility, pressure resistance, necessary approvals or size are decisive.