3 Considerations To Think About When Selecting Cord Grips

Whether you know them as cord grips, strain reliefs, cable glands, cable support grips, or cord connectors, by any name, these devices are used to relieve stress on the vulnerable part of the cable, preventing cable damage and failure, and enables electrical cables to be passed into an enclosure, through a bulkhead or into a piece of equipment.

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Cord grips provide strain-relief, vibration protection, and a liquid- and dust-tight seal while also preventing the cable from being pulled out of its installation.

 Everything You Need to Know About Cord Grips

When selecting a cord grip, you’ll need to consider the material you need (stainless steel, polyamide, nickel-plated brass, etc.), size, installation design (multi-cable panel mounting, click insertion, standard twist-to-tighten, in-wall installations), and more.

Components of a Standard Cord Grip

A standard cord grip includes a dome cap, seal, and body. The body includes lamellar “fins” that tighten around the cord for strain relief and protection. When installed, the cap will fit snugly over the body of the cord grip and should create a seal around the cable when optimally tightened.

What to Consider When Selecting Cord Grips

While every manufacturer has these standard components as part of their cord grip solution, there are differences between the actual design and ultimately, the quality. Let’s take a look at three things you should consider when selecting your cord grips.

1. Reliability of the Seal, Strain, and Vibration-Proof Performance

Most cord grips on the market feature a lamellar design and some type of locking mechanism that provides vibration protection, but the design of the lamellar fins and how they engage with the dome cap is important to consider.

For example, Figure 1 displays two cord grips with different lamellar designs. The cord grip on the left features lamellar fins that extend past the reducer bushing. The LAPP SKINTOP® is on the right and features lamellar fins that end in line with the reducer bushing. The liquid- and dust-tight seal that cord grips provide is compromised by the former design where the lamellar fins extend past the reducer bushing, typically creating seating and fit issues when installed, which renders the seal ineffective when in contact with liquids and dust.

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Figure 2 shows the dome cap of each cord grip. In the inside of each cap, both cord grips offer an internal ratcheting system for proper locking engagement. The cap on the left has a ratcheting system that utilizes two circular nodules, while the SKINTOP® cap (on the right) uses four raised, ratcheting ridges that extend the length of the cap. These longer ridges grip the lamellar fins, ensuring a more secure and proper locking engagement and preventing the cap from loosening even when subject to severe vibration.

2. Quick and Secure Installation

Ease of installation on the job site is critical. The unique multi-trapezoidal thread of SKINTOP® cord grips requires just one twist to tighten the dome cap, automatically adjusting to the size of the cable and providing optimum strain relief and a liquid-tight seal. When the cap is tightened and the lamellar fins engage with the internal ratchet inside the sealing portion of the cord grip, the user will hear a series of clicks, signaling the secure grip after just one twist and that the installation is complete.

3. Inventory Reduction and Simplification

The potential to reduce the number of SKUs at your facility is crucial for cost savings and inventory optimization. The unique design of the SKINTOP® cord grips’ seal and narrow lamellar fins provide for a 20% larger clamping range. With each SKINTOP® cord grip being compatible with a wider range of cables, you can manage fewer SKUs in your inventory, helping you simplify your operation and reduce costs.

Conclusion

While many cord grips offer similar features, not all features are created equal. Request samples of the different cord grips so you can see and feel the difference in quality. For any questions on strain relief cable glands, Lapp Tannehill is here to help. Request a sample, quote, or chat with us online for more information.

About LAPP SKINTOP® Cable Glands

LAPP’s SKINTOP® is the original patented cord grip and the superior strain relief choice since . Since then, the SKINTOP® product line has expanded from standard polyamide glands to include metallic glands and those for use in food and beverage applications, hazardous environments, high and low temperatures, and more.

Available in PG, Metric, and NPT threading, SKINTOP® cable glands are offered in various styles including those for hard to reach wall enclosures and limited access spaces, continuous flex applications like moving machinery and robotics, areas where multiple cables must be inserted into a housing with minimum space requirements, and more.

The SKINTOP® difference lies in the three main considerations that you should think about when selecting a cord grip: the reliability of the cord grip, the ease of installation at your job site, and the ability to reduce and simplify your inventory due to the large clamping range of each cord grip.

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I am trying to determine if a BX connector is the appropriate connector to use for my application. I have 15 or so wires leaving my subpanel. The sizes on the wires vary from 12AWG to 14AWG to 16AWG. The wire is ran inside of a corrugated loom. What normally happens is the wires leave the sub panel through a 1/2" circular opening, and then are ran through the loom to various components inside of the equipment.


We have had some inspectors ask us to use strain relief instead of the BX connectors. Some inspectors do not seem to care about the BX connectors. I am trying to understand the why or why not when it comes to this decision.


I know if it were a single cable, I would go ahead and use a proper strain relief/ cord grip. But since I have multiple wires, should I use the BX connector? Is it ok to use a standard cord grip on multiple wires? Here are the cord grips and BX connector in question.

Unless NEC doesn't apply it doesn't sound like you are using any NEC recognized wiring methods. What is this "loom" and where is it located?

If you are building NRTL listed equipment and are following listing requirements for that equipment, the inspectors really can't say much about anything that is part of the listed assembly. If it is not listed it likely needs to comply with NEC. do they need a grip

do they need a grip

If it is wires coming out of the panel to a loom that is supported could you just use a chase nipple, i have seen this in machines that have THHN running thru them? A BX connector is not right because it grips at an angle and is not designed to hold wire, of the two I would say cord grip. It is a harness of about 15 number 14AWG wires. These wires are exiting my subpanel through a 1" circular opening. The wires are then ran to compressors, solenoids, and pressure switches inside of the equipment. We use the sticky backs on the sub panel, but I would not trust them to give me any strain relief or as a cord grip. If they are the same sticky backs you are talking about.

Are you saying use the chase nipple, and then use sticky backs screwed in for the strain relief? If you don't mind, can you give me links or pictures of the components you are talking about?