Foil Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable

Foil screened SWA signal control cables combine electromagnetic screening with galvanized steel wire armor for industrial signal and control circuits requiring additional mechanical protection.

ETK Kablo manufactures this cable range in LIY(St)YSWAY and LI2Y(St)YSWAY constructions. Standard multicore, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF versions provide different conductor-grouping and screening options according to the signal circuit and electromagnetic environment.

An Al/PET foil with a tinned copper earthing wire provides electromagnetic screening around the signal core. A separate galvanized steel wire armor layer surrounds the PVC inner jacket and provides mechanical protection.

What Is a Foil Screened SWA Signal Control Cable?

A foil screened steel wire armored signal cable combines two separate metallic systems with different engineering functions:

• Al/PET foil screening for electromagnetic protection,
• galvanized steel wire armor for mechanical protection.

The foil screen helps protect sensitive signal circuits against electromagnetic interference from nearby electrical equipment, motors, drives, switching devices and power circuits.

The galvanized steel wire armor sits outside the PVC inner jacket and protects the cable against mechanical stress.

Therefore, the armor should not be treated as a substitute for the dedicated electromagnetic screen.

Foil Screen and Steel Wire Armor Serve Different Functions

The metallic components in this cable family have separate purposes.

Construction Element	Main Function
Al/PET Foil	Overall electromagnetic screening
Tinned Copper Earthing Wire	Supports screen continuity and termination
PVC Inner Jacket	Separates the screened signal core from the armor
Galvanized Steel Wire Armor	Mechanical protection
PVC Outer Jacket	External cable protection

The Al/PET foil surrounds the signal core and forms the dedicated electrical screen.

The galvanized steel wire armor surrounds the PVC inner jacket and addresses the mechanical requirements of the installation separately.

LIY(St)YSWAY and LI2Y(St)YSWAY Cable Constructions

ETK Kablo manufactures two principal conductor-insulation systems within this foil-screened SWA range.

Cable Family	Conductor Insulation	Electromagnetic Screen	Mechanical Protection
LIY(St)YSWAY	PVC	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire	Galvanized steel wire armor
LI2Y(St)YSWAY	Solid polyethylene	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire	Galvanized steel wire armor

Both families use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors together with UV-resistant PVC inner and outer jackets.

The principal difference lies in the conductor insulation.

LIY(St)YSWAY uses PVC conductor insulation, while LI2Y(St)YSWAY uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation.

The 2Y designation therefore identifies the polyethylene conductor-insulation system. It does not indicate a different screen, armor or jacket construction.

PVC Inner and Outer Jackets

The current products in this category use UV-resistant PVC for both the inner and outer jackets.

The PVC inner jacket surrounds the foil-screened signal cable before the galvanized steel wire armor is applied.

A PVC outer jacket then covers the complete armored construction.

Current ETK Kablo product data identifies the standard inner and outer jacket color as RAL 7035 grey.

These cables belong to the PVC signal-control range and should remain distinct from the separate LSZH steel wire armored constructions that use halogen-free jacket materials.

Standard, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF Versions

ETK Kablo offers three conductor-grouping and screening concepts within this category.

Version	Conductor Arrangement	Individual Pair / Triad Screen	Overall Foil Screen
Standard	Cores stranded in layers	No	Yes
TP/TT	Twisted pairs or triads	No	Yes
PiMF/TiMF	Pairs or triads	Yes	Yes

All three versions also use galvanized steel wire armor outside the PVC inner jacket.

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 LIY(St)YSWAY-TP/TT and LI2Y(St)YSWAY-TP/TT constructions, insulated conductors are first grouped into pairs or triads. The resulting groups are then assembled together before the overall Al/PET foil screen is applied.

TP/TT therefore describes conductor organization.

It does not mean that every pair or triad has an individual metallic screen.

The current TP/TT products use one overall Al/PET foil screen with a tinned copper earthing wire around the complete assembled cable core.

PiMF and TiMF Foil Screened SWA Cable

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

In the current ETK Kablo PiMF/TiMF constructions, each pair or triad receives:

• individual polyester wrapping,
• a tinned copper earthing wire,
• an individual Al/PET foil screen.

The individually screened pairs or triads are then stranded together.

The complete cable core receives another polyester wrapping and an additional overall Al/PET foil screen with a tinned copper earthing wire.

PiMF/TiMF versions therefore provide individual screening plus overall screening before the PVC inner jacket and steel wire armor are applied.

This construction can provide additional circuit-to-circuit separation when several sensitive signal circuits share the same armored cable.

ETK Kablo Foil Screened SWA Cable Range

Product	Insulation	Configuration
LIY(St)YSWAY Signal Control Cable	PVC	Standard multicore
LIY(St)YSWAY-TP/TT Signal Control Cable	PVC	Twisted pairs / triads
LIY(St)YSWAY-PiMF/TiMF Signal Control Cable	PVC	Individually screened pairs / triads
LI2Y(St)YSWAY Signal Control Cable	Solid polyethylene	Standard multicore
LI2Y(St)YSWAY-TP/TT Signal Control Cable	Solid polyethylene	Twisted pairs / triads
LI2Y(St)YSWAY-PiMF/TiMF Signal Control Cable	Solid polyethylene	Individually screened pairs / triads

Electrical and Mechanical Characteristics

The current products use Class 5 stranded electrolytic copper conductors according to IEC 60228, EN 60228 and DIN VDE 0295.

Published conductor cross-sections range from 0.22 mm² to 2.50 mm². Available conductor counts and pair or triad configurations depend on the selected product.

Current product data publishes:

• 250 V DC operating voltage for applicable smaller conductor sizes,
• 300/500 V operating voltage for applicable larger conductor sizes,
• minimum bending radius of 7.5 × overall cable diameter,
• operating temperature range of -30°C to +70°C.

The selected product datasheet should determine the exact electrical values for each project.

Flame Retardancy

The current products publish single-cable flame-retardancy testing according to:

• IEC 60332-1-2,
• VDE 0482-332-1-2,
• BS EN 60332-1-2.

Flame retardancy should not be confused with fire resistance.

Standard LIY(St)YSWAY and LI2Y(St)YSWAY cables should not automatically be specified as FE180 or PH120 fire-resistant cables.

Projects requiring defined circuit integrity during fire exposure must use a dedicated fire-resistant cable construction with the required classification.

Typical Applications

Foil screened SWA signal control cables can suit fixed industrial installations where signal circuits require electromagnetic screening together with additional mechanical protection.

Typical applications include:

• industrial automation systems,
• process control installations,
• measurement and monitoring circuits,
• PLC and control-system connections,
• sensors and actuators,
• factory and production infrastructure,
• building automation systems,
• transportation infrastructure,
• signal circuits routed through mechanically exposed fixed areas.

The final cable selection should consider signal sensitivity, electromagnetic interference, mechanical exposure, installation route and applicable project requirements.

Foil Screened vs Braid Screened SWA Signal Cable

The main difference between these constructions lies in the dedicated electromagnetic screen.

The products on this page use an Al/PET foil with a tinned copper earthing wire.

The Braid Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable range instead uses a tinned copper braid as the electromagnetic screen.

Both ranges use galvanized steel wire armor as a separate mechanical-protection layer.

Construction	Electromagnetic Screen	Mechanical Protection
Foil Screened	Al/PET foil + tinned copper earthing wire	Galvanized steel wire armor
Braid Screened	Tinned copper braid	Galvanized steel wire armor

Foil Screened vs Braided Foil Screened SWA Cable

For projects requiring both foil and copper-braid electromagnetic screening, ETK Kablo also manufactures Braided Foil Screened Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cables.

Those constructions combine Al/PET foil with tinned copper braiding before the PVC inner jacket and galvanized steel wire armor.

By contrast, the products on this page use Al/PET foil as their dedicated electromagnetic screen without an additional overall copper-braid screen.

All three screening options belong to the broader Steel Wire Armored Signal Control Cable range.

Steel Wire Armored vs Steel Wire Braided Signal Cable

Steel wire armor and steel wire braiding are separate mechanical constructions.

The products on this page use galvanized steel wire armor together with polyester tape.

They should therefore not be described as Steel Wire Braided (SWB) products simply because both cable families provide additional mechanical protection.

Cable selection should follow the specified mechanical construction and installation requirements.

How to Specify a Foil Screened SWA Signal Cable

A quotation request should define electrical screening, conductor arrangement and mechanical protection separately.

Requirement	Information to Specify
Cable Family	LIY(St)YSWAY or LI2Y(St)YSWAY
Configuration	Standard, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF
Conductor Size	Required cross-section according to the signal circuit
Conductor Insulation	PVC or solid polyethylene
Electromagnetic Screening	Overall foil or individual + overall foil for PiMF/TiMF
Mechanical Protection	Galvanized steel wire armor
Installation Environment	Define route, mechanical exposure and environmental conditions
Fire Requirement	Define flame, CPR or circuit-integrity requirements separately
Documentation	Required datasheet, DoP or project-specific documentation

Why Choose ETK Kablo for Foil Screened SWA Signal Cable?

ETK Kablo manufactures foil screened steel wire armored signal control cables for industrial signal circuits requiring electromagnetic screening and additional mechanical protection.

The range combines Class 5 stranded copper conductors, Al/PET foil screening, UV-resistant PVC inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

LIY(St)YSWAY and LI2Y(St)YSWAY insulation options, together with standard, TP/TT and PiMF/TiMF constructions, allow engineers, distributors, system integrators and industrial contractors to select the cable according to the signal circuit and installation conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Foil Screened SWA Signal Cable

What is a foil screened SWA signal cable?

It is a signal or control cable that combines an Al/PET electromagnetic screen with galvanized steel wire armor for additional mechanical protection.

What does SWA mean?

SWA means Steel Wire Armor. In this cable family, galvanized steel wires form the mechanical-protection layer around the PVC inner jacket.

Does steel wire armor provide the electromagnetic screen?

No. The dedicated electromagnetic screen is the Al/PET foil with its tinned copper earthing wire. The galvanized steel wire armor primarily provides mechanical protection.

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

LIY(St)YSWAY uses PVC conductor insulation, while LI2Y(St)YSWAY uses solid polyethylene conductor insulation. Both use overall foil screening, PVC inner and outer jackets and galvanized steel wire armor.

What does TP/TT mean?

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

Are TP/TT pairs individually screened?

No. The current TP/TT constructions use 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. Each pair or triad receives an individual Al/PET foil screen with a tinned copper earthing wire. The complete assembled cable core also receives an additional overall Al/PET foil screen.

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

Foil-screened versions use Al/PET foil with a tinned copper earthing wire for electromagnetic screening. Braid-screened versions use a tinned copper braid. Both use galvanized steel wire armor for mechanical protection.

What is the difference between SWA and SWB?

SWA uses galvanized steel wire armor, while SWB uses galvanized steel wire braiding. They are separate mechanical constructions and should not be treated as interchangeable terms.

Is this cable LSZH?

No. The products in this category use PVC inner and outer jackets. ETK Kablo maintains a separate LSZH steel wire armored signal-control range for projects requiring halogen-free jacket materials.

Is this cable fire resistant?

Not automatically. The current products publish flame-retardancy testing, but this does not establish FE180, PH120 or another defined circuit-integrity classification.

What information should I provide when requesting a quotation?

Provide the required LIY(St)YSWAY or LI2Y(St)YSWAY family, conductor cross-section, standard, TP/TT or PiMF/TiMF configuration, operating voltage, installation conditions, mechanical requirements, quantity, packing length and required project documentation.