Minimized Particulation
Particulation in a flex cable system is mostly caused by friction and abrasion caused by interference between cables and other parts. To minimize friction and wear (and particulation caused by them), cable products with optimal materials and configurations and skilled assembly design technology are required.
Cause of particulation
in flex cables
Interference between cables
Interference between cables and cable carriers
Interference between cables and other structures
Solutions to prevent
particulation in flex cables
Use of cable jacket with low coefficient of friction (GORE® High Flex Flat Cables)
Self-supporting structure without cable carrier (GORE® Trackless High Flex Cables)
Mounting structure that reduces abrasion at the contact point between cables
Avoidance and protection of interference with other structures
Proper Installation
Test result of Particulation
of different flex cable systems
Gore has been supplying GORE® High Flex Flat Cable to equipment used inside cleanrooms at semiconductor manufacturing sites since the 1990s, and to objectively verify its fitness for use in each clean class. Gore commissioned a third-party German laboratory, Fraunhofer, to measure particulation when running in cleanrooms. After developing GORE® Trackless High Flex Cables for cleanroom use, we conducted tests according to ISO 14644-1 to compare particulation with different flex cable systems.
The test results in the table below compare GORE® Trackless High Flex Cables to two systems with GORE® High Flex Flat Cables and round cables inside a typical cable chain. As you can see, GORE® Trackless Cable demonstrates an unparalleled level of particulation.
| Cable | Cable Chain |
Velocity | ISO Class Certification | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 ㎧ | 1.0 ㎧ | 2.0 ㎧ | |||
| GORE® Trackless Cable | None | Class 1 | Class 1 | Class 1 | Class 1 |
| GORE® High-Flex Flat Cables / Round Cables |
B | Class 5 | Class 5 | Class 5 | Class 5 |
Additional Test Results
Testing according to the ISO 14644-1 standard may differ from the actual environment of the cable used and may not be the same as the amount of particulation after a certain period of flexing in the field because the test is not performed over the expected life time when applied to the actual equipment. Accordingly, Gore conducted an additional extended test up to 1 million cycles and confirmed that it satisfies the same ISO Class 1 level.
Even if the appearance of the cable is similar, the design technology of the outer jacket and internal components cannot be imitated by simply combining parts to create a similar appearance without decades of experience and R&D in product application.
| Parameter | Air Cleanliness Class |
|---|---|
| Cycles 20187-24631 (approx.) v= 2.0 ㎧; a=4.0 ㎨; 100min | 1 |
| Cycles 131298-135742 (approx.) v= 2.0 ㎧; a=4.0 ㎨; 100min | 1 |
| Cycles 509075-513519 (approx.) v= 2.0 ㎧; a=4.0 ㎨; 100min | 1 |
| Cycles 1046852-1051296 (approx.) v= 2.0 ㎧; a=4.0 ㎨; 100min | 1 |
| Overall result | 1 |