Cables are subjected to constant back-and-forth motion within confined spaces in industrial environments like automated factories, gantry systems, robotics, and material handling equipment. Over time, this repetitive movement can lead to insulation breakdown, conductor fatigue, and complete cable failure.
That’s why leading cable manufacturers and engineers turn to C-Track Cable Testers—also known as Chain-Track Testers or Cable Carrier Testers—to validate cable durability under real-world flexing conditions.
What Is a C-Track (Chain-Track or Cable Carrier) Cable Tester?
The C-Track Tester simulates the repeated horizontal travel that occurs in cable carrier systems (also known as drag chains or energy chains). These systems guide and protect cables during linear motion and are common in applications where equipment is constantly in motion, such as CNC machines, automated warehouse cranes, and robotic transfer systems.
The test ensures that cables can endure high cycle counts without compromising performance, even under tight bending radii and constrained pathways.
Watch our video to see it in action and learn more from our ATPC Engineer.
How Does the C-Track Cable Tester Work?
C-Track Testers recreate horizontal motion in a cable chain assembly, flexing the cable repeatedly over a fixed travel length and bend radius. This setup mimics what a cable experiences during actual operation.
Key machine features include:
- Programmable Travel Distance & Adjustable Bend Radius: Engineers can adjust the length of travel and the bend radius of the cable loop to simulate various industrial conditions.
- High-Cycle Testing: The machine runs continuous cycles at adjustable speeds to replicate years of operational wear in a matter of weeks.
- Precision Cable Management: The cable is mounted within an actual cable track, ensuring the test mirrors real installation configurations
- Performance Monitoring: The tester monitors electrical failure, identifying the exact point at which the cable no longer performs reliably.
- Accelerated Life Simulation: These tests offer insight into how cables will perform over extended lifetimes, reducing guesswork in cable selection and design.
Why Are C-Track Cable Testers Critical?
Industrial environments with moving machinery demand cables that can handle continuous motion without failing. C-Track testing helps validate that cables can provide:
✅ Extended service life under high cycle count conditions
✅ Consistent power or signal transmission with no data dropouts
✅ Reliable mechanical performance, including jacket and conductor integrity
✅ Compliance with industry standards such as UL, CSA, or VDE for flex-rated cables
✅ Lower total cost of ownership by minimizing unplanned cable replacements or system downtime
Choosing the Right Cables for Continuous Flex Applications
The C-Track Test simulates the stress cables endure in chain-track or energy chain systems, where they experience repeated, consistent bending in one direction. This type of testing ensures cables can perform reliably in high-cycle, automated environments without failure. Here are a few key applications where C-Track testing is essential:
✅ Automation & Robotics (Linear Motion Systems): In automated assembly lines and robotic gantries, cables travel back and forth in energy chains.
✅ Machine Tools & CNC Equipment: Equipment like CNC machines and lathes use moving cable carriers to route power and signal cables.
✅ Automated Warehousing (Storage & Retrieval Systems): High-speed storage and retrieval systems rely on chain-track cables to deliver power and data.
✅ Packaging & Bottling Lines: Fast-moving production lines require cables to move in sync with equipment.
Rigorously Tested for Motion. Proven to Perform.
At Amphenol TPC Wire & Cable, we design and manufacture flexible industrial cables built to endure millions of motion cycles. Our products undergo extensive C-Track testing to ensure durability, reliability, and superior performance in continuous flexing environments. From robotic assemblies to automated production lines, our cables deliver the endurance and confidence your operations demand.
Ready to Eliminate Downtime?
Choose cables that are engineered and tested to perform under constant motion. Contact our team today to find the right continuous flex cable solution for your automation or industrial application.
Explore Industry-Leading C-Track Testing Equipment Manufacturers
For those interested in the equipment used to validate cable performance in dynamic applications, here are some reputable manufacturers of C-Track testing systems:
- Top Hung Industrial Co., Ltd. – Cable Chain-Track Bending Testing Machine
Top Hung offers a Cable Chain-Track Bending Testing Machine designed to simulate the repeated bending and torsion stresses experienced by cables in chain-track systems. This equipment is suitable for assessing the durability and mechanical performance of flexible cables under dynamic conditions. 🔗tophung.en.made-in-china.com - WTM Srl – Equipment for Drag Chain Tests
WTM Srl offers specialized machinery designed to test cable durability under continuous bending movements inside cable chains, simulating real-world conditions for dynamic applications. 🔗 wtmachinery.com/cable-twisting/equipment-for-drag-chain-tests.htm
