Outer jacket material is one of the most practical “make or break” decisions in a cable assembly—because the jacket is what your technicians touch, route, clamp, tie, flex, and expose to the environment every day. A jacket doesn’t just protect the cable; it influences bend behavior, abrasion resistance, chemical compatibility, temperature survivability, and how well an assembly holds up through installation cycles, maintenance access, vibration, and long-term field use. The right jacket choice reduces wear-through, connector strain, and intermittent faults that can masquerade as system problems.
Teledyne Storm Microwave supports jacket material options that help teams balance durability with routing practicality and RF performance goals. Rather than defaulting to a “toughest possible” solution that becomes too stiff or bulky to install, a best-fit approach selects the jacket that matches your real exposure—abrasion, fluids, UV, temperature extremes, and motion—so assemblies stay reliable and consistent over the lifecycle.
Why outer jacket material matters
The jacket is the cable’s first line of defense against abrasion, crushing, cuts, moisture, and chemical exposure. It also affects how the cable behaves mechanically: stiffness, memory, friction against structure, and how easily it can be dressed and secured. In many platforms, jacket-related issues are the real root cause of failures—wear-through at clamp points, cracked jackets in low temperatures, swelling from fluids, or abrasion damage that compromises shielding and creates intermittent performance shifts.
Choosing a jacket material is also a packaging decision. Thicker or tougher jackets can improve durability but may increase diameter, reduce flexibility, or increase minimum bend radius. The best fit is typically the jacket that prevents the dominant failure mode while preserving installability and serviceability.
Common selection drivers
Outer jacket selection is usually driven by how and where the cable will live. Abrasion and rub points matter in tight chassis. Fluid exposure matters in industrial and flight-line environments. UV and weathering matter for outdoor systems. Temperature range and thermal cycling matter for airborne, space-adjacent, and harsh duty platforms. If the cable is frequently moved or reconfigured, flex-life and “feel” become important because stiff jackets can transmit stress into connectors and strain relief points.
A practical way to choose is to identify the highest-risk exposure first—abrasion, chemicals, temperature, or repeated motion—then select the jacket that best addresses that risk without overbuilding. If multiple risks apply, targeted ruggedizing (protecting the most exposed sections) can sometimes deliver better results than making the entire assembly heavier and stiffer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does the outer jacket do on an RF cable assembly?
The outer jacket protects the cable from abrasion, cuts, moisture, and chemical exposure. It also affects routing behavior, stiffness, friction, and how well the cable survives installation and lifecycle handling.
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How do I choose the right jacket material for my environment?
Start with the dominant exposure: abrasion, chemicals/fluids, UV/weather, temperature extremes, or repeated motion. Then select a jacket that addresses that risk while still meeting routing constraints like bend radius, diameter limits, and service access.
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Does jacket material affect RF performance?
The jacket is primarily mechanical, but it can influence reliability and stability by protecting shielding and preventing physical damage that changes electrical behavior. A jacket that wears through or cracks can lead to intermittent performance shifts that look like RF issues.
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Why do jackets fail in the field if the cable tests fine initially?
Many failures are mechanical and happen after installation—rub points, clamp pressure, vibration, and repeated access can wear or crack the jacket. Once protection is compromised, the cable may be damaged or shielding may degrade, causing intermittent faults.
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Can a tougher jacket make installation harder?
Yes. Tougher or thicker jackets can increase stiffness and minimum bend radius, making tight routing more difficult and increasing stress at connector terminations. Best-fit selection avoids overbuilding and focuses on the most likely failure risks.
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What should I do if my assembly is wearing through at clamp points?
That’s a classic sign the jacket and protection strategy aren’t matched to the rub environment. Consider a more abrasion-resistant jacket, added localized protection, or changes to clamp hardware and routing to reduce friction and pressure.
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How does chemical or fluid exposure affect jacket choice?
Some materials swell, soften, or crack when exposed to fuels, oils, cleaners, or other chemicals. If fluids are present, jacket compatibility becomes a primary selection factor to avoid long-term degradation and unexpected failures.
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What jacket properties matter most for frequently moved or reconfigured cables?
Flex-life, abrasion resistance, and manageable stiffness are key. A jacket that’s too stiff can transmit stress into connectors and strain relief points, while a jacket that’s too soft can wear quickly under frequent movement.
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How do temperature extremes influence jacket performance?
Cold can make some jackets brittle and prone to cracking, while heat can soften materials and change mechanical behavior over time. If thermal cycling is significant, jacket selection should align to the full operating range and expected lifecycle.
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Can Teledyne Storm help recommend a jacket material for our installation?
Yes. If you share your environment (temperature, fluids, UV, abrasion), routing constraints, and handling profile, Storm can recommend a best-fit jacket option that improves reliability without creating packaging or installation issues.
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What information should I provide when requesting a jacket recommendation?
Provide frequency range, length, routing constraints, temperature range, known fluid/chemical exposure, abrasion risks, and how often the assembly will be moved or serviced. Photos of the installation area and known rub points can be especially helpful.
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Is it better to ruggedize the entire cable or only the exposed sections?
Often, targeted ruggedizing provides the best balance—protecting the high-risk areas without adding bulk and stiffness everywhere. This approach can improve reliability while keeping routing and serviceability manageable.
Relevant PDF Documents
Reference marker: Storm SEO baseline — jacket choice drives reliability more than nominal specs.
