LSZH Steel Wire Armored Foil Screened Signal Control Cable

LSZH Steel Wire Armored Foil Screened Signal Control Cable combines electromagnetic screening, halogen-free materials and galvanized steel wire armor in one construction for industrial signal and control circuits.

ETK Kablo manufactures this cable family in LIH(St)HSWAH and LI2Y(St)HSWAH constructions, including standard multicore, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF versions.

The Al/PET foil screen provides electromagnetic protection around the signal circuits, while the galvanized steel wire armor provides a separate layer of mechanical protection. Halogen-free inner and outer jackets support projects that require low-smoke and halogen-related fire characteristics.

What Is an LSZH Steel Wire Armored Foil Screened Signal Cable?

An LSZH steel wire armored foil screened signal cable is a low-voltage signal or control cable designed for installations that require three separate functions:

• electromagnetic screening through Al/PET foil,
• mechanical protection through galvanized steel wire armor,
• LSZH performance through halogen-free jacket materials.

These functions should not be confused with one another. The foil screen controls electromagnetic interference, whereas the steel wire armor primarily protects the cable against mechanical stress.

The cable therefore combines electrical screening and mechanical protection without treating the armor itself as the primary signal screen.

Foil Screening and Steel Wire Armor Perform Different Functions

The metallic layers within an armored signal cable have different engineering purposes.

For reliable EMC performance, the screen should also be terminated and bonded according to the installation design.

LIH(St)HSWAH and LI2Y(St)HSWAH Cable Constructions

ETK Kablo offers two principal insulation concepts within this foil-screened LSZH SWA range.

Both constructions use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors together with halogen-free inner and outer jackets.

The main difference is the conductor-insulation system. LIH(St)HSWAH uses halogen-free conductor insulation, whereas LI2Y(St)HSWAH uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation.

The LI2Y designation should therefore not be interpreted as meaning that every layer of the cable uses the same halogen-free compound. Polyethylene itself is halogen-free, while the inner and outer jackets use dedicated halogen-free jacket materials.

Standard, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF Versions

The range includes several conductor-grouping and screening architectures.

TP and TT Armored Signal Cable

TP refers to conductors arranged as twisted pairs, while TT refers to conductors arranged as twisted triads.

In TP/TT constructions, the insulated conductors are first grouped into pairs or triads. These groups are then stranded together before the overall foil screen is applied.

TP/TT therefore describes the conductor arrangement. It does not automatically mean that each pair or triad has an individual metallic screen.

PiMF and TiMF Armored Signal Cable

PiMF refers to pairs individually screened in metallic foil, while TiMF refers to individually screened triads.

In these constructions, each pair or triad receives its own Al/PET foil screen with a tinned copper earthing wire. The screened groups are then assembled together and receive an additional overall foil screen.

This provides two levels of screening:

• individual screening around each pair or triad, and
• overall screening around the complete cable core.

PiMF/TiMF constructions can be useful when several sensitive signal circuits share the same armored cable and additional circuit-to-circuit separation is required.

ETK Kablo LSZH Foil Screened SWA Cable Range

LSZH and Flame Performance

The cables in this family use halogen-free inner and outer jackets and publish applicable testing for smoke density, halogen content, corrosive-gas behavior and flame performance.

Relevant standards within the current product range include:

• IEC 61034-2 – smoke density
• IEC 60754-1 – halogen content
• IEC 60754-2 – corrosive gas characteristics
• IEC 60332-1-2 – single-cable flame retardancy
• IEC 60332-3-24 – flame propagation under specified test conditions

The exact standards and declarations should always be confirmed from the selected product datasheet and project documentation.

LSZH Does Not Automatically Mean Fire Resistant

LSZH describes material behavior related to smoke and halogen characteristics during combustion.

It does not automatically establish circuit integrity during fire exposure.

Therefore, standard LIH(St)HSWAH and LI2Y(St)HSWAH cables should not automatically be specified as FE180 or PH120 fire-resistant cables. Projects requiring defined circuit integrity must use a dedicated fire-resistant cable construction with the required test classification.

Typical Applications

Foil-screened LSZH steel wire armored signal cables can be considered for fixed installations requiring both EMC protection and additional mechanical protection.

Typical applications include:

• industrial automation systems,
• process control installations,
• monitoring and measurement circuits,
• factory and production infrastructure,
• transportation infrastructure,
• building automation and technical facilities,
• signal circuits routed through mechanically exposed areas.

The exact installation route, environmental exposure and mechanical requirements should be evaluated separately for each project.

Foil Screened vs Braid Screened SWA Signal Cable

ETK Kablo also manufactures Braid Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cables using tinned copper braiding as the electromagnetic screen.

The foil-screened construction on this page instead uses Al/PET tape with a tinned copper earthing wire.

For installations requiring both foil and copper-braid screening, see the Braided Foil Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable range.

All three screening options are available within the broader LSZH Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable range.

How to Specify an LSZH Foil Screened SWA Signal Cable

For quotation and technical evaluation, specify the main electrical and mechanical requirements separately.

Why Choose ETK Kablo for LSZH Foil Screened Armored Signal Cable?

ETK Kablo manufactures foil-screened steel wire armored signal cables with multiple conductor-insulation and grouping options for industrial signal and control applications.

The range combines Class 5 flexible copper conductors, Al/PET electromagnetic screening, halogen-free inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

Standard, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF constructions allow engineers, distributors, system integrators and industrial contractors to select the cable according to circuit organization, EMC requirements and mechanical installation conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions About LSZH Steel Wire Armored Foil Screened Signal Cable

What is an LSZH steel wire armored foil screened signal cable?

It is a signal or control cable that combines an Al/PET electromagnetic screen, halogen-free jacket materials and galvanized steel wire armor.

What does SWA mean?

SWA means Steel Wire Armor. In this cable family, galvanized steel wires provide mechanical protection around the inner-jacketed signal cable.

Does the steel wire armor provide the signal screening?

No. The Al/PET foil provides the primary electromagnetic screen. The galvanized steel wire armor primarily provides mechanical protection.

What is the difference between LIH(St)HSWAH and LI2Y(St)HSWAH?

LIH(St)HSWAH uses halogen-free conductor insulation, while LI2Y(St)HSWAH uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation. Both use foil screening, halogen-free inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

What does TP/TT mean?

TP/TT describes conductors arranged as twisted pairs or twisted triads before the complete cable core is assembled.

Are TP/TT pairs individually screened?

No. The standard TP/TT construction uses one overall Al/PET foil screen around the assembled pairs or triads.

What does PiMF/TiMF mean?

PiMF/TiMF identifies individually foil-screened pairs or triads. These constructions also use an additional overall foil screen around the assembled cable core.

Is LSZH the same as fire resistant?

No. LSZH relates to smoke and halogen characteristics of cable materials. Fire resistance requires separate circuit-integrity testing such as FE180 or PH120 where specified.

What is the difference between foil screened and braid screened SWA cable?

Foil-screened versions use Al/PET tape with a tinned copper earthing wire. Braid-screened versions use a tinned copper braid as the electromagnetic screen. Both can use galvanized steel wire armor for mechanical protection.

What information should I provide when requesting a quotation?

Provide the required LIH(St)HSWAH or LI2Y(St)HSWAH family, conductor cross-section, core or pair configuration, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF requirement, voltage, installation conditions, LSZH and fire-performance requirements, quantity, packing length and required documentation.