- Cable Construction and Dimensional Testing
- Conductor Resistance Testing
- RoHS Compliance Testing
- Cable Insulation Tensile Elongation Measurement
- Shrinkage Tests for Cable Insulation
- Cable Hot Set Testing
- Cable Pressure Testing High Temperatures
- Cable Heat Shock Testing
- Cable Insulation Resistance Testing
- Vertical Flame Test
- Smoke Density Testing for Cables
- Cable Cold Bend Testing
- Cable Cold Elongation Testing
- Gas Emissions Testing for Cables
- Cable Spike Testing
- Cable Tensile Testing After Ageing
- Sheath Resistance Testing
- Mechanical test for Flexible Cable
- Cord Bend Testing
- Cable Snatch Testing
- Cold Impact Test
- Shore A Hardness Cable Testing
- Flex Test for Lift Cables
- Cable Solder Ability Testing
- Crimp & Lug Testing
Cable Cold Bend Testing
The Cold Bend Test is conducted according to IEC 60811-504 and is designed to assess the performance of electrical cables at low temperatures. The test must be carried out on samples of insulation and sheathing material no more than 16 hours after the extrusion or cross-linking process has been carried out.
The test methodology requires a low temperature chamber capable of maintaining the specified test temperature and bending apparatus as described in IEC 60811-504. The sample should be of sufficient length to achieve the specified number of rotations around a mandrel that has a nominal diameter of between 4 and 5 times that of the test sample. As such, the cables themselves will generally have an external diameter of no more than 12.5mm. Cables with a larger diameter will be subject to a Cold Elongation Test as described in IEC 60811-505 instead.
The sample is clamped at the top to the mandrel before being wrapped once around it. The sample must then be conditioned inside the test chamber at the appropriate temperature for the particular polymer for a minimum of 16 hours. The conditioning duration can be reduced when specific pre-cooling criteria have been applied.
Once conditioning has been completed, the test sample is wound around the mandrel, following the number of turns as specified in Table 1 IEC 60811-504 (below) whilst the chamber maintains the same test temperature.
Table 1 IEC 60811-504 - Rotations of mandrel
Overall Diameter of test piece (mm) | Number of Turns |
---|---|
< D ≤ 2.5 | 10 |
2.5 < D ≤ 4.5 | 6 |
4.5 < D ≤ 6.5 | 4 |
6.5 < D ≤ 8.5 | 3 |
8.5 < D | 2 |
Once wound, the chamber door can be opened and the sample removed without disturbance so that it can condition on the mandrel at room temperature for a further 60 minutes.
To be compliant with the Cold Bend Test the cable insulation or sheathing must not show any cracks, flaws or damage when visually inspected after unwinding.

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The Cable Lab®
UKAS-accredited specialist cable testing laboratory

The Cable Lab® our in-house cable testing facility, is UKAS-accredited to ISO 17025, which is the single most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world. Accreditation to this international standard demonstrates our laboratory's technical competence and the accuracy of its results.
For our customers, it means peace of mind. They can have full confidence in the quality of our products and can demonstrate due diligence in selecting their cable supplier.
Our customers can also rely on the Cable Lab's services for an independent, objective and comprehensive quality assessment of cables procured from third parties.

About Eland Cables

Established in 1975, Eland Cables is a supplier of power, data, instrumentation and control cables and cable accessories to the world's most demanding industries and to some of its most prestigious projects. Our reputation is built on an unswerving focus on quality, technical expertise and customer service.

Our focus on quality has resulted in our in-house specialist cable testing facility securing the ISO 17025 accreditation. This certifies the competence, impartiality and performance capability of our laboratory and its evaluations. In turn, it means peace of mind for our customers with regard to the quality of the cables they source from us.

Our highly-qualified technical team is on hand to provide technical support with all aspects of cable selection, technical specification, regulatory requirements, and bespoke cable design and manufacture.

We are a key contributor to projects in over 100 countries every year, adding value through comprehensive technical support, reliable logistics, innovative solutions, and a customer-centric approach.