Heavy Duty Rubber Flexible Cable

Extra-Flexible Class 5 Multi-Core

Fine-strand Class 5 copper per IEC 60228 plus rubber sheath gives the cable the bend-around-machinery flexibility needed for indoor mobile equipment. Minimum bending radius 6× OD for flexing service, 4× OD fixed. The natural-rubber compound is marginally softer than chloroprene, which means YC actually bends slightly easier than YCW — useful for tight machine-tool cable routing.

Heavy-Duty Mechanical Abuse Tolerance

Same physical robustness as YCW for indoor abuse: walked on by safety boots, dragged across shop concrete, run over by warehouse forklift wheels, crushed under temporarily-parked machinery. The natural-rubber sheath dents and recovers rather than splitting under impact. Impact resistance class AG2 per IEC 60364-5-51 — the same medium-severity classification as YCW.

−15°C to +60°C Indoor Service Range

Continuous service from −15°C cold workshops up to +60°C cable temperature under load (fixed installation rises to +90°C conductor temperature per EPR rating). Short-circuit rating 250°C for 5 seconds. The −15°C lower limit is the practical difference from YCW — natural rubber stiffens at lower temperatures than chloroprene. For unheated warehouses in northern climates that drop below −15°C in winter, specify YCW instead.

Moderate Oil & Splash Resistance

The natural-rubber sheath tolerates occasional oil splashes and brief contact with workshop chemicals without immediate swelling. Suitable for general machine-shop environments, assembly lines, and warehouses. NOT suitable for cables that sit in standing oil puddles, run through fluid-spill zones, or contact hydraulic fluids continuously — the rubber compound will swell and soften over weeks to months. For continuous oil exposure, specify YCW with chloroprene sheath, which is engineered specifically for hydrocarbon resistance.

5 to 10 Percent Lower Cost Than YCW

Natural rubber and general-purpose synthetic rubber are cheaper than chloroprene by roughly 15 to 20 percent on the raw-material side; the finished-cable cost differential between YC and YCW is typically 5 to 10 percent. For an indoor-only project ordering tens of kilometres of cable, this is meaningful savings — spend it elsewhere on the project rather than paying for weather resistance the cable will never use.

CCC, HAR, IEC Multi-Market Certified

YC per GB/T 5013.4-2008 with CCC certification for the Chinese market. H07RR-F per EN 50525-2-21 with HAR mark for the EU market — the second “R” in H07RR-F denotes rubber outer sheath (vs “N” in H07RN-F denoting neoprene/chloroprene). 60245 IEC 53 for international harmonised export. Test reports for CE, CB, SAA, SGS, BV available on quotation alongside the standard certifications.

Same warning as for YCW — coiled cable derates by 35 to 50 percent. The inner coil layers can’t shed heat to ambient air, conductor temperature climbs, the rubber starts to smoke and the cable is scrap within hours. Either uncoil fully before energising, or accept the derated ampacity and specify a one-step-larger cable. This is the single most common temporary-power cable failure mode — train shop floor crews on it.

Standard PVC-cable glands don’t seal properly on rubber-sheathed cable — the rubber compresses differently and the sealing washers don’t maintain consistent contact pressure over time. Use cable glands specifically rated for rubber/elastomer cable (typically marked “for elastomer cable” or compliant with EN 50262 for the rubber variant) with EPDM sealing washers. Terminate conductors with hex-barrel crimp lugs using a calibrated crimp tool.

Cable across a forklift route or pedestrian walkway needs a yellow rubber cable ramp (bridge section). The ramps protect cable from repeated crushing damage and eliminate the trip-hazard liability. Indoor industrial sites should treat any cable run across a traffic lane as needing a permanent or semi-permanent ramp, not just “for today.” Loose cable across an aisle is a contributing factor in many workplace injuries.

The natural-rubber sheath on YC is more vulnerable to chemical attack than the chloroprene sheath on YCW. Avoid contact with parts cleaner, paint thinner, brake fluid, and similar solvents — the cable will swell and soften within days of immersion. Keep cable away from large electric motors and arc welders (ozone sources) during storage. For machine shops with significant solvent presence, consider specifying YCW even for indoor use — the chloroprene sheath handles workshop solvents much better.

Daily visual inspection on rotation-service cable catches small problems before they become hazards. Surface scuffs are cosmetic; cuts exposing copper require immediate sheath repair with self-amalgamating tape and rubber-bonded electrical tape, or complete cable replacement. Bulging or blackened sections near terminations indicate overcurrent or bad crimps. Document the daily inspection — the records support insurance claims if the cable is damaged by third-party events and are required under most factory safety regimes.

Cable not in active use should be wound on its delivery reel or coiled in figure-8 pattern (large radius, at least 8× OD) and stored on a cable rack or wall hook off the floor. Floor storage exposes the cable to whatever solvents and contaminants are present on the shop floor — significant cable degradation accumulates over weeks even on a relatively clean floor. Properly stored YC can sit unused for 3-5 years and remain ready for full-load service.