Foil Screened Signal Control Cable for Industrial Automation and Control Systems

Foil Screened Signal Control Cable provides flexible copper connectivity for analogue and digital signals in automation, monitoring and control systems where electromagnetic screening is required. ETK Kablo manufactures PVC-jacketed foil-screened signal cables in LIY(St)Y and LI2Y(St)Y constructions together with TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF variants for different conductor-grouping and screening requirements.

The current ETK Kablo range uses Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors, polyester wrapping, a tinned copper earthing wire and Al/PET foil screening. All six published products use a UV-resistant PVC outer jacket in RAL 7035 grey. However, their conductor insulation differs: LIY(St)Y variants use PVC insulation, while LI2Y(St)Y variants use solid polyethylene insulation.

The category also includes different internal signal-grouping architectures. Standard versions use cores stranded in layers, TP/TT constructions arrange conductors as twisted pairs or triads, while PiMF/TiMF versions add individual foil screens around each pair or triad in addition to an overall foil screen.

What Is a Foil Screened Signal Control Cable?

A foil-screened signal control cable is a multicore or grouped-conductor cable designed to transmit low-voltage control, monitoring or signal circuits while an Al/PET metallic foil surrounds the signal core.

The foil screen helps control electromagnetic coupling between the cable and nearby electrical equipment.

The current ETK Kablo foil-screened PVC signal cable family uses:

• Class 5 stranded copper conductors
• PVC or solid PE conductor insulation according to cable code
• Polyester wrapping
• Al/PET foil screening
• Tinned copper earthing wire
• UV-resistant PVC outer jacket

TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF versions add specific conductor grouping or individual screening according to the application.

ETK Kablo Foil Screened Signal Control Cable Range

Product	Conductor Insulation	Grouping	Screening Architecture
LIY(St)Y	PVC	Cores stranded in layers	Overall Al/PET foil
LIY(St)Y-TP/TT	PVC	Twisted pairs or triads	Overall Al/PET foil
LIY(St)Y-PiMF/TiMF	PVC	Individually screened pairs or triads	Individual Al/PET screens + overall Al/PET foil
LI2Y(St)Y	Solid PE	Cores stranded in layers	Overall Al/PET foil
LI2Y(St)Y-TP/TT	Solid PE	Twisted pairs or triads	Overall Al/PET foil
LI2Y(St)Y-PiMF/TiMF	Solid PE	Individually screened pairs or triads	Individual Al/PET screens + overall Al/PET foil

This structure allows engineers to specify insulation material, conductor grouping and screening architecture separately rather than treating every foil-screened signal cable as the same construction.

LIY(St)Y Foil Screened Signal Control Cable

LIY(St)Y is the standard PVC-insulated construction within this category.

The current ETK Kablo cable uses:

• Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors
• PVC conductor insulation
• Cores stranded in layers
• Polyester wrapping
• Tinned copper earthing wire
• Overall Al/PET foil screen
• UV-resistant PVC outer jacket

The overall foil surrounds the assembled conductor core and provides collective electromagnetic screening.

LIY(St)Y can suit low-voltage signal and control circuits where an overall foil screen is required but individual pair or triad screening is not necessary.

LI2Y(St)Y Foil Screened Signal Control Cable

LI2Y(St)Y uses the same basic overall foil-screened concept but changes the conductor insulation material.

Its current construction includes:

• Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors
• Solid polyethylene conductor insulation
• Cores stranded in layers
• Polyester wrapping
• Tinned copper earthing wire
• Overall Al/PET foil screen
• UV-resistant PVC outer jacket

LIY(St)Y vs LI2Y(St)Y

Characteristic	LIY(St)Y	LI2Y(St)Y
Conductor	Class 5 stranded copper	Class 5 stranded copper
Conductor Insulation	PVC	Solid polyethylene
Overall Screen	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire
Outer Jacket	PVC	PVC
Current Jacket Colour	RAL 7035 grey	RAL 7035 grey

The two families should therefore not be treated as interchangeable solely because both use an overall foil and PVC outer jacket.

Insulation material affects electrical parameters such as insulation resistance and should form part of the project specification.

Class 5 Stranded Copper Conductors

All six current products use stranded electrolytic copper conductors in accordance with Class 5 construction.

This conductor design provides flexibility during routing and termination in control panels, machinery and industrial installations.

However, Class 5 conductor construction does not automatically qualify a cable for continuous high-cycle drag-chain, robotic or torsional movement.

Applications involving continuous motion should specify the dynamic requirement separately.

How the Al/PET Foil Screen Works

An Al/PET screen combines a metallic aluminum layer with a supporting polyester film.

ETK Kablo places the foil around the signal core together with a tinned copper earthing wire.

This creates a collective electromagnetic screen around the conductors while keeping the construction relatively compact.

The screen can help reduce interference from nearby electrical equipment, switching devices, drives, motors and power circuits when the complete installation uses appropriate screen termination and bonding practices.

Tinned Copper Earthing Wire

The current foil-screened constructions include a tinned copper earthing wire together with the Al/PET tape.

This wire supports electrical continuity and practical termination of the foil-screening system.

Screen performance depends on the complete installation. Therefore, cable selection should also consider screen termination, bonding, routing and the equipment connected at each end.

What Do TP and TT Mean?

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

In the current ETK Kablo LIY(St)Y-TP/TT and LI2Y(St)Y-TP/TT products, insulated conductors are first stranded into pairs or triads. The resulting groups are then stranded together.

A polyester tape and one common Al/PET foil screen surround the complete grouped cable core.

TP/TT Does Not Mean Individually Screened

This distinction is important.

Standard TP/TT products group conductors as twisted pairs or triads, but they do not place an individual metallic foil around every pair or triad.

The current TP/TT constructions use one overall foil screen around all grouped circuits together.

Where individual pair or triad screening is required, the PiMF/TiMF products provide the appropriate architecture.

What Do PiMF and TiMF Mean?

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

These constructions provide additional electrical separation between individual signal groups inside the same cable.

ETK Kablo's current PiMF/TiMF products use an individual polyester wrapping and an individual Al/PET foil with tinned copper earthing wire around each pair or triad.

The individually screened groups are then stranded together and receive an additional overall foil screen.

PiMF/TiMF Uses Two Levels of Foil Screening

Screen Level	Current PiMF/TiMF Construction
Individual Pair / Triad	Polyester wrapping + tinned copper earthing wire + Al/PET foil
Overall Cable Core	Polyester wrapping + tinned copper earthing wire + Al/PET foil

This architecture differs significantly from standard LIY(St)Y and TP/TT constructions.

PiMF/TiMF can be relevant where multiple sensitive circuits share one cable and the project requires greater control of circuit-to-circuit electromagnetic coupling.

Standard vs TP/TT vs PiMF/TiMF

Construction	Conductor Grouping	Individual Screens	Overall Foil
Standard LIY(St)Y / LI2Y(St)Y	Cores stranded in layers	No	Yes
TP/TT	Twisted pairs or triads	No	Yes
PiMF/TiMF	Pairs or triads	Yes	Yes

The correct version depends on circuit organization, signal sensitivity and the electromagnetic environment.

Foil Screened vs Unscreened Signal Control Cable

Feature	Unscreened	Foil Screened
Metallic Screen	None	Overall Al/PET foil
Typical PVC Family	LIYY	LIY(St)Y
Main Selection Driver	Low electromagnetic-noise environment	Project requires overall EMI screening

Foil screening should follow a real signal-integrity requirement rather than an assumption that every control circuit needs a metallic screen.

Foil Screened vs Braid Screened Signal Control Cable

ETK Kablo also manufactures braid-screened PVC signal cables such as LIYCY.

Characteristic	Foil Screen	Copper Braid Screen
Typical ETK Family	LIY(St)Y	LIYCY
Screen Material	Al/PET foil	Tinned copper braid
Main Function	Overall electromagnetic screening	Overall electromagnetic screening
Physical Construction	Metallic laminate	Woven conductive wires

Neither screen type is universally preferable. Cable selection should follow the project specification, electromagnetic environment, installation method and termination system.

Foil Screened vs Foil + Braid Screened Cable

The LIY(St)CY family combines an Al/PET foil with an additional tinned copper braid.

Standard LIY(St)Y uses the foil layer without that overall copper braid.

Feature	LIY(St)Y	LIY(St)CY
Overall Foil	Yes	Yes
Overall Copper Braid	No	Yes
Screening Architecture	Foil-screened signal circuits	Combined foil + braid screening

Foil Screening Is Not Mechanical Armor

An Al/PET foil provides electromagnetic screening. It does not provide steel mechanical protection.

Construction Element	Main Purpose
Al/PET Foil	Electromagnetic screening
Tinned Copper Braid	Electromagnetic screening
Steel Wire Braid	Mechanical reinforcement
Steel Wire Armor	Mechanical protection

Projects that require both electrical screening and mechanical protection should evaluate ETK Kablo's Steel Wire Braided or Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable families.

Conductor Cross-Sections

The current ETK Kablo foil-screened product pages publish electrical data for conductor cross-sections from 0.22 mm² to 2.50 mm².

Published cross-sections include:

• 0.22 mm²
• 0.25 mm²
• 0.34 mm²
• 0.50 mm²
• 0.75 mm²
• 1.00 mm²
• 1.50 mm²
• 2.50 mm²

The required cross-section should follow the circuit, voltage, resistance, capacitance and installation requirements rather than a generic signal-cable rule.

Electrical Characteristics by Conductor Size

Cross-Section	Max. Conductor Resistance at 20°C	Mutual Capacitance	Published Operating Rating	Test Voltage
0.22 mm²	85.0 Ω/km	110 nF/km	250 V	1200 V
0.25 mm²	77.8 Ω/km	110 nF/km	250 V	1200 V
0.34 mm²	56.0 Ω/km	110 nF/km	250 V	1200 V
0.50 mm²	39.0 Ω/km	120 nF/km	300/500 V	2000 V
0.75 mm²	26.0 Ω/km	120 nF/km	300/500 V	2000 V
1.00 mm²	19.5 Ω/km	130 nF/km	300/500 V	2000 V
1.50 mm²	13.3 Ω/km	140 nF/km	300/500 V	2000 V
2.50 mm²	7.98 Ω/km	150 nF/km	300/500 V	2000 V

One blanket voltage statement should therefore not be applied to every conductor size in this category.

PVC vs PE Conductor Insulation

The LIY and LI2Y families differ substantially in insulation resistance.

The current LIY(St)Y technical data publishes insulation resistance of 200 MΩ/km for 0.22–0.34 mm² constructions and 20 MΩ/km for 0.50–2.50 mm² constructions.

The current LI2Y(St)Y technical data publishes 5000 MΩ/km across the listed conductor sizes.

This difference reinforces why insulation material should be treated as a genuine electrical specification rather than only a naming detail.

Foil Screened Signal Cable for Industrial Automation

Industrial automation systems often carry low-voltage signals between devices such as sensors, controllers and monitoring equipment.

Foil-screened signal cable can be relevant where these circuits run through environments containing electrical equipment that can create electromagnetic noise.

Potential applications include:

• PLC input and output circuits
• Sensors
• Limit switches
• Actuators and valves
• Machine monitoring
• Control cabinets
• Process monitoring
• Industrial alarm circuits

The signal type and EMC environment should determine whether standard, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF construction is appropriate.

Foil Screened Signal Cable for PLC Systems

PLC systems use many low-voltage input and output circuits between field devices and controllers.

An overall foil can help control external electromagnetic coupling where the route passes near electrically active equipment.

TP/TT construction can organize signals into defined pairs or triads, while PiMF/TiMF can provide greater circuit-to-circuit separation where several sensitive signals share one cable.

Foil Screened Signal Cable for Sensors and Measurement Circuits

Sensors can produce analogue, digital or switching signals that travel between field equipment and a control or monitoring system.

The foil screen can help protect these circuits from external electrical interference when correctly terminated.

Where multiple sensitive measurement circuits share a cable, PiMF/TiMF construction can add individual screening between the groups.

Foil Screened Cable for BMS and HVAC Automation

Building-management and HVAC systems use low-voltage connections between sensors, controllers, actuators, valves and monitoring equipment.

PVC-jacketed foil-screened signal cable can provide a practical solution where the project permits PVC materials and the route requires electromagnetic screening.

Projects requiring halogen-free materials should evaluate the separate LSZH Foil Screened Signal Control Cable family.

Foil Screened Signal Cable for Machinery

Class 5 stranded conductors can simplify routing and termination inside machines, control panels and confined technical spaces.

However, these products should not automatically be specified for continuous moving-machine applications.

Drag-chain, robotic, torsional or high-cycle movement requires separate confirmation for the exact cable design.

PVC Foil Screened vs LSZH Foil Screened Signal Cable

Characteristic	PVC Foil Screened	LSZH Foil Screened
Typical ETK Families	LIY(St)Y / LI2Y(St)Y	LIH(St)H / LI2Y(St)H
Outer Jacket	PVC	Halogen-free compound
Main Material Selection	Conventional PVC installation requirement	Low-smoke / halogen-free requirement
Primary Screen	Al/PET foil	Al/PET foil

PVC and LSZH describe jacket-material requirements. Neither term by itself establishes fire-resistant circuit integrity.

Flame Retardancy

The current ETK Kablo LIY(St)Y and LI2Y(St)Y foil-screened product pages publish single-cable flame-retardancy testing according to IEC 60332-1-2 and corresponding VDE / BS EN references.

Flame retardancy means the cable has defined flame-propagation behavior under the applicable test.

It does not mean that the cable maintains circuit integrity during a fire.

Projects requiring FE180, PH120 or another defined fire-resistant performance should use a cable specifically designed and tested for that requirement.

Operating Temperature and Bending Radius

The six current foil-screened products publish:

• Minimum bending radius: 7.5xD
• Operating temperature: -30°C to +70°C

These values apply to the currently published standard constructions. Project-specific environmental or dynamic requirements should still be confirmed for the exact selected cable.

Packing and Product Variants

Current product tables publish 100 m, 500 m and 1000 m packing options across the listed standard constructions.

The exact cable diameter and weight change significantly with conductor cross-section, conductor count, pair count, triad count and individual-screen architecture.

For that reason, procurement teams should select the exact product code and configuration before finalizing glands, conduits, cable trays or drum logistics.

Foil Screened Signal Control Cable vs Conventional Control Cable

Signal-control and conventional control-cable terminology can overlap commercially, but ETK Kablo maintains separate product families.

Characteristic	Foil Screened Signal Control Cable	Conventional Control Cable
Typical ETK Families	LIY(St)Y, LI2Y(St)Y	YSLY, YSLCY, YSLYCY
Primary Focus	Low-voltage signal, monitoring and automation circuits	Industrial machinery and control circuits
Grouping Options	Core, TP/TT, PiMF/TiMF	According to control-cable construction

The actual electrical circuit and project specification should determine the correct family rather than the generic word “control”.

Foil Screened Signal Cable vs Instrumentation Cable

Instrumentation cables form a separate ETK Kablo product family designed specifically for measurement and process-control applications.

The instrumentation range includes RE-series cables with their own pair, triad and screening architectures.

A specification calling for an RE-series instrumentation cable should not automatically be replaced with an LIY(St)Y cable solely because both constructions use metallic screens.

How to Specify a Foil Screened Signal Control Cable

Specification Item	Information to Provide
Cable Family	LIY(St)Y or LI2Y(St)Y
Conductor	Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper
Insulation	PVC or solid PE according to cable family
Cross-Section	0.22–2.50 mm² according to circuit requirement
Grouping	Standard cores, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF
Screening	Overall foil or individual + overall foil according to version
Outer Jacket	PVC, RAL 7035 grey in current standard products
Voltage Requirement	Confirm according to conductor size and exact product
EMC Environment	Define external interference and circuit-to-circuit screening requirement
Mechanical Requirement	Specify SWB/SWA separately where mechanical protection is required
Fire / Material Requirement	PVC or separate LSZH / fire-resistant construction according to project
Documentation	Exact product datasheet and project-specific documentation

Why Choose ETK Kablo for Foil Screened Signal Control Cable?

ETK Kablo manufactures a broad foil-screened signal-control portfolio with multiple conductor-insulation, grouping and screening architectures.

The current PVC-jacketed range includes LIY(St)Y and LI2Y(St)Y together with TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF variants.

This allows engineers, panel builders, automation companies, distributors and industrial contractors to specify standard overall foil screening, pair or triad grouping, or individual plus overall foil screening according to the actual signal circuit.

ETK Kablo can evaluate conductor cross-section, grouping, insulation system, screening architecture, voltage requirement, installation conditions and project documentation during quotation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Foil Screened Signal Control Cable

What is a foil screened signal control cable?

It is a signal or control cable with a metallic foil screen around the signal core to help control electromagnetic interference.

What type of foil does ETK Kablo use?

The current foil-screened PVC signal-control products use Al/PET tape together with a tinned copper earthing wire.

What is LIY(St)Y cable?

LIY(St)Y is a Class 5 stranded-copper signal-control cable with PVC conductor insulation, overall Al/PET foil screening and a PVC outer jacket.

What is LI2Y(St)Y cable?

LI2Y(St)Y uses Class 5 stranded copper conductors with solid polyethylene insulation, overall Al/PET foil screening and a PVC outer jacket.

What is the difference between LIY(St)Y and LI2Y(St)Y?

The main published construction difference is conductor insulation. LIY(St)Y uses PVC insulation, while LI2Y(St)Y uses solid polyethylene insulation. Both current standard versions use foil screening and PVC outer jackets.

What does TP mean?

TP refers to conductors arranged as twisted pairs.

What does TT mean?

TT refers to conductors arranged as twisted triads.

Are TP/TT pairs individually foil screened?

Not in the standard TP/TT construction. The pairs or triads are grouped together and one overall Al/PET foil surrounds the complete cable core.

What does PiMF mean?

PiMF refers to pairs individually screened in metallic foil.

What does TiMF mean?

TiMF refers to triads individually screened in metallic foil.

Do PiMF/TiMF products also have an overall foil?

Yes. The current ETK Kablo PiMF/TiMF constructions use individual Al/PET screens around the pairs or triads and another overall Al/PET screen around the assembled cable core.

What conductor class is used?

The current products use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors.

What conductor sizes are available?

The current technical tables publish cross-sections from 0.22 mm² through 2.50 mm². Exact conductor counts and pair or triad configurations depend on the selected product.

What is the operating temperature?

The current six products publish an operating-temperature range of -30°C to +70°C.

What is the minimum bending radius?

The current standard products publish a minimum bending radius of 7.5 times the overall cable diameter.

Is foil screened signal cable the same as braid screened cable?

No. Foil-screened products such as LIY(St)Y use Al/PET tape. Braid-screened products such as LIYCY use a tinned copper braid.

Is foil screened cable armored?

No. Al/PET foil provides electromagnetic screening. Steel Wire Braid or Steel Wire Armor provides mechanical protection in separate cable constructions.

Is PVC foil screened cable LSZH?

No. The current products in this category use PVC outer jackets. ETK Kablo maintains a separate LSZH Foil Screened Signal Control Cable category for halogen-free constructions.

Is this cable fire resistant?

Not automatically. The current products publish flame-retardancy testing, but this does not establish defined fire-resistant circuit integrity such as FE180 or PH120.

Can these cables be used in drag chains?

Class 5 conductors provide installation flexibility, but continuous drag-chain or robotic movement requires separate product qualification and should not be assumed from conductor class alone.

What information should I provide when requesting a quotation?

Provide the required cable family, conductor cross-section, core/pair/triad configuration, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF requirement, voltage, electromagnetic environment, quantity, packing requirement and required project documentation.