Fillers Series 
Tapes Series 
Granules Series 
Industry News
0102030405
Introduction to various types of cables: shielded insulated wires and cables
2026-04-21
(Disclaimer: Some of the information in this article is sourced from the internet. Please carefully identify and use it.)
Shielded insulated wire and cable is a special type of cable that suppresses electromagnetic interference (EMI) through a metal shielding layer. It is widely used in precision instruments, industrial automation, communication systems, and other scenarios that require high signal integrity. The following is a comprehensive analysis of its technical points and applications:
1. Core Structure and Working Principle
1. Hierarchical structure
| Component | Materials and functions |
| Conductor | Oxygen free copper/tin plated copper (multi stranded to enhance flexibility) |
| Insulation layer | PVC/XLPE/silicone rubber (temperature resistance 70 ℃~180 ℃) |
| Shielding layer | Copper wire weaving (coverage rate ≥ 80%), aluminum foil composite layer (overlap rate ≥ 30%), or a combination of both |
| Drain wire | Bare copper wire in contact with the shielding layer to ensure grounding continuity |
| Sheath | PVC/PUR (wear-resistant), LSZH (low smoke and halogen-free) |
2. Anti interference principle
The shielding layer introduces external electromagnetic interference into the grounding system through the Faraday cage effect, with typical shielding effectiveness:
- Copper mesh shielding: 30dB~60dB (at 1GHz frequency)
- Aluminum foil+copper mesh composite shielding: ≥ 70dB
2. Main Types and Models
1. Classify by shielding method
| Type | Structural characteristics | Applicable scenarios | Typical model |
| Copper wire woven shielding | Fine copper wire mesh weaving (coverage rate ≥ 80%) | Inverter, servo system (resistant to mid low frequency interference) | RVVP、KVVP |
| Aluminum foil shielding | Aluminum foil+polyester film composite (low cost) | Instrument signal transmission (high-frequency interference suppression) | DJYPVP、ASTP-120 |
| Composite shielding | Copper mesh+aluminum foil dual shielding | Military and medical equipment (extreme EMI environment) | SFTP Cat6A、PIMF |
2. Classified by insulation material
- PVC insulation: Low cost, temperature resistance of 70 ℃ (such as RVVSP)
- XLPE insulation: resistant to temperature of 90 ℃ and chemical corrosion (such as DJYJVP)
- Silicone rubber insulation: resistant to high temperature of 180 ℃ (such as AGR-2P)
3. Key Performance Indicators
| Parameter | Standard requirements | Test method |
| Shielding effectiveness | ≥ 60dB (1GHz, copper mesh shielding) | IEC 61196-1 |
| Insulation resistance | ≥20MΩ·km（20℃） | GB/T 3048.5-2007 |
| Withstanding voltage | 3kV/5min no breakdown (0.6/1kV level) | GB/T 3048.8-2007 |
| Flex life | ≥ 5000 times (in mobile situations) | IEC 60245-2 |
4. Usage Requirements and Structural Characteristics
| Usage characteristics | Structural characteristics |
| 1. Performance requirements for shielded wires: basically the same as the requirements for unshielded wires of the same type. 2. Due to meeting the requirements for shielding (anti-interference performance) of the equipment, it is generally recommended for use in medium level electromagnetic interference situations; Plastic sheathed cables can be directly buried in soil for installation. 3. The shielding layer should have good contact with the connecting device or be grounded at one end, and it is required that the shielding layer is not loose, not loose, and not easily scratched by external objects. | 1. Conductive wire core: Tin plating is allowed in certain situations; 2. The surface coverage density of the shielding layer should comply with standards or meet user requirements; The shielding layer should be woven or wrapped with tin plated copper wire; If a protective sheath should be added outside the shield, soft round copper wire weaving or winding is allowed for the shield. 3. In order to prevent internal interference between wire cores or wire pairs, individual shielding structures for each phase of each wire core (or wire pair) can be produced. |
5. Typical Application Scenarios
1. Industrial automation
- Servo motor encoder cable (such as RVVP 4 × 0.5mm ²)
- Communication between PLC and frequency converter (such as using purple sheathed cables for PROFIBUS DP)
2. Communication system
- Base station RF signal transmission (such as LMR-400 coaxial cable)
- Ethernet cabling (SF/UTP Cat6A, supporting 10Gbps)
3. Medical equipment
- Internal wiring of MRI equipment (non-magnetic stainless steel wire shielding)
- Life monitor signal line (double shielded to prevent ECG interference)
6. Selection and Construction Points
1. Selection criteria
- Interference intensity: Choose copper mesh+aluminum foil composite shielding for strong interference environments (such as PIMF cables)
- Frequency range: High frequency interference (>1MHz) priority aluminum foil shielding, low-frequency copper mesh selection
- Flexibility: Choose tin plated copper wire and polyurethane sheath (such as URM 5E) for mobile applications
2. Construction specifications
- Grounding requirements: The shielding layer needs to be terminated 360 ° (such as using EMC cable connectors) to avoid high-frequency failure caused by "pig tail" grounding
- Laying spacing: ≥ 30cm when parallel to the power cable, and at a 90 ° angle when crossing
7. Industry Trends and Innovation
1. High performance shielding materials
- Nano coating shielding (such as silver plated copper wire), with shielding effectiveness increased to 90dB
- Conductive polymer shielding layer (lightweight, suitable for aerospace)
2. Integrated design
- Fiber optic+copper cable composite shielded wire (such as HYA-FTTA), synchronously transmitting power and optical signals
3. Intelligent monitoring
- Cable with built-in RFID tag, real-time monitoring of shielding layer integrity (such as ABB Ability) ™ Plan)
8. Summary: Shielded insulated wires and cables are the "safety guards" for electromagnetic sensitive scenarios, and selection requires a comprehensive evaluation of interference types, frequency ranges, and environmental requirements. With the advancement of Industry 4.0, high shielding and high flexibility composite cables (such as twisted shielded cables for robots) will become mainstream.
※If you need to purchase Cable Materials, you can choose Wuxi Henglong Cable Material Co., Ltd., a well-known manufacturer in the Chinese cable materials industry.
