Makers of cables for security products underscore reliability in any environment

Efforts at industry standardization complement emphasis on the production of high-performance alarm cables.

Suppliers of alarm cables in mainland China continue to highlight product performance to take advantage of the security industry's technological strides that have made surveillance systems less expensive and widely used.

In addition to acquired international certification such as CE, GB 50348/50194/50196, RoHS and UL to support this, more companies are looking to align with local standardization initiatives for the line's sustainable development. The latest sets are the Technology Requirements on Wires & Cables for Security Systems and the Application Criteria for Wires & Cables for Security Systems.

The current selection targets public and private security systems, vehicles and military applications in indoor and outdoor setups.

Besides ensuring high reliability, some manufacturers are directing R&D toward the trend for integration. They are combining alarm and networking cables to reduce wiring complexity and offer space-saving solutions.

Ght Wire & Cable Co. Ltd has introduced such a model, which includes two pairs of UTP cables and comes in shielded and unshielded variants. To suit diverse requirements, the conductor may be copper-clad aluminum, its tinned kind, or tinned or bare copper in sizes of 0.12, 0.16, 0.18, 0.2, 0.24 and 0.25mm. The core number ranges from two to 24, while the PVC used for the insulation and jacket may come with or without flame-retardant properties.

Suppliers, banking on sustained market growth, are encouraged by the domestic security industry as well. The sector realized a total production value of $81 billion in 2016, which is 11.11 percent higher than in 2015, based on statistics from ZhiYan Consulting.

From this application, the local alarm cable manufacturing segment already hit an aggregate value of $1.1 billion as of 2015. The trend will carry over to 2019 at a rate of 5 to 10 percent.

This prospect is driving mainland makers to increase production. Hangzhou Huier Cable Co. Ltd will continue to boost output and exports in 2018 after doing so by over 30 percent in the past year. It allocates up to 95 percent of shipments for overseas destinations.

More than 300 companies in the mainland offer alarm cables, in addition to connectors and other types of wires. Small and midsize local enterprises make up over 70 percent of the pool, and those with foreign investment mostly from Hong Kong and Taiwan the rest.

At least half of the pool is based in Guangdong province, in particular the cities of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhongshan, where most electronics manufacturers are. The others are in Ningbo and Hangzhou in the province of Zhejiang, and Changzhou and Suzhou in Jiangsu province.

The category represents between 20 and 80 percent of total shipments. Most suppliers are ready to adjust their ratios to changes in domestic and overseas requirement.

Due to intense competition, the line will see few entrants and possibly exits of small companies in the next one or two years.

Typical lineup

The mainstream range of alarm cables in the mainland consists of models with seven, 12 or 16 conductors, each measuring 0.14 to 1.8mm in diameter, and between two and 20 cores. The options extend to shielded and unshielded types, which may come with or without braiding, and jacket colors.

Products are protected against exposure to water, moisture, acid, alkaline and UV light, besides being flame-retardant and animal bite-resistant, for indoor and outdoor applications.

To provide cost options, some companies can turn out units using common insulation and jacket materials instead of fire-retardant versions.

Local suppliers generally accommodate customization requests.

Bare and tinned copper, and copper-clad aluminum and steel for the conductor, aluminum foil for the shield, and PVC for the insulation and jacket are mostly from domestic providers. Makers source from foreign companies only when required.

After a slight increase, the cost of manufacturing inputs is expected to become stable in the months ahead and keep cable prices unchanged.

The products in this gallery have been handpicked by our China-based market analyst for representing current trends in alarm cables from China makers.

Cable for CCTV cameras

For CCTV cameras, this security cable from Changzhou Broview Electronic Co. Ltd, SC001 model, comes in solid, stranded, shielded and unshielded versions. It uses a 7x0.2±0.003mm copper or copper-clad aluminum conductor, 1.0±0.005mm PVC insulation and jacket, and aluminum foil shield.

The minimum order of 2,000m is for delivery within 10 days.

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Alarm cable integrates network cable

Ght Wire & Cable Co. Ltd's Alarm Cable with Network Cable model has copper-clad aluminum or tinned variant, or tinned- or bare-copper conductor in sizes of 7x0.12mm, 7x0.16mm, 7x0.18mm, 7x0.2mm, 7x0.24mm, 7x0.25mm and 24x0.2mm. It can have from two to 24 cores. Common or flame-retardant PVC is used for the insulation and jacket, depending on the requirement. Shielded and unshielded variants are available.

The 50,000m minimum order requirement has a 15-day delivery lead time.

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Fire alarm cable based on solid or stranded conductors

The 8CFireAlarmCable#8C model from Hangzhou Huier Cable Co. Ltd has bare- or tinned-copper conductors. Stranded versions come in 7x0.18mm, 7x0.2mm, 7x0.25mm, 11x0.25mm and 24x0.2mm, and solid kinds in 0.5, 0.8 and 1mm. The number of cores varies from two to 12.

The product uses flame-retardant PVC for the insulation and jacket, and bare or tinned copper for the drain wire. Its shield consists of PET tape, special flame-retardant material and aluminum foil.

The minimum order is 15,000m and the delivery lead time 15 days.

Shielded alarm cable

Hangzhou Spring Electronic Co. Ltd offers model RG66T alarm cable with tinned- or bare-copper or copper-clad aluminum conductors. The center conductor measures 1.02mm+0.01mm in diameter.

The 18 or 20AWG unit has a 4.75+0.05mm foamed PE dielectric, an aluminum foil or bonded aluminum foil shield and 7.06+0.05mm PVC jacket. Length is 304.8m. Applications include CCTV monitors, TVs and FM antennas.

The minimum order is 10,000m and is delivered within 7 days.

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