Cable lacing is a method for tying wiring harnesses and cable looms, traditionally used in

telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than tha ...

, naval, and aerospace applications. This old

cable management Cable management refers to management of electrical cable, electrical or optical cable in a Enclosure (electrical), cabinet or an installation. The term is used for products, workmanship or planning. Cables can easily become tangled, making ...

technique, taught to generations of

lineworker A lineworker (lineman (American English), linesman (British English), powerline technician (PLT), or powerline worker) constructs and maintains the electric transmission and distribution facilities that deliver electrical energy to industrial, ...

s, is still used in some modern applications since it does not create obstructions along the length of the cable, avoiding the handling problems of cables groomed by plastic or hook-and-loop

cable tie A cable tie (also known as a hose tie, zip tie, or tie wrap) is a type of fastener for holding items together, primarily electrical cables and wires. Because of their low cost, ease of use, and binding strength, cable ties are ubiquitous, findi ...

s. Cable lacing uses a thin cord, which is traditionally made of waxed

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...

, to bind together a group of cables using a series of running

lockstitch A lockstitch is the most common mechanical stitch made by a sewing machine. The term "single needle stitching", often found on dress shirt labels, refers to lockstitch. Structure The lockstitch uses two threads, an upper and a lower. Lockstitc ...

es. Flat lacing tapes made of modern materials such as

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from pet ...

, polyester,

Teflon Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. It is one of the best-known and widely applied PFAS. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chem ...

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cl ...

, and

Nomex Nomex is a flame-resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967. Properties Nomex and related aramid polymers are related to nylon, but have aromatic backbones, and hence are more rigid and m ...

are also available with a variety of coatings to improve knot holding. Nebenstellenanlage-Kabelbaum

Styles

The lacing begins and ends with a

whipping Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on an ...

or other

knot A knot is an intentional complication in Rope, cordage which may be practical or decorative, or both. Practical knots are classified by function, including List of hitch knots, hitches, List of bend knots, bends, List of loop knots, loop knots, ...

to secure the free ends. Wraps are spaced relative to the overall harness diameter to maintain the wiring in a tight, neat bundle, and the ends are then neatly trimmed. In addition to continuous or running lacing, there are a variety of lacing patterns used in different circumstances. In some cases stand-alone knots called spot ties are also used. For lashing large cables and cable bundles to support structures in telecommunications applications, there are two named cable lacing styles: the "

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

stitch" and "

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

stitch". Some organizations have in-house standards to which cable lacing must conform, for example

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

specifies its cable lacing techniques in chapter 9 of NASA-STD-8739.4.See "External Links" section for these documents.

Examples

File:Cable lacing close-up 2.jpg, Traditional waxed cord lacing made with a series of running lockstitches based on the

figure-eight knot The figure-eight knot or figure-of-eight knot is a type of stopper knot. It is very important in both sailing and rock climbing as a method of stopping ropes from running out of retaining devices. Like the overhand knot, which will jam under ...

Image:Cable-lacing-lockstitch-marline-hitching-ABOK-3115.jpg, This style of continuous lacing, also called " marline hitching", is based on a series of

overhand knot The overhand knot is one of the most fundamental knots, and it forms the basis of many others, including the simple noose, overhand loop, angler's loop, reef knot, fisherman's knot, Half hitch, and water knot. The overhand knot is a stopper ...

s. A series of

half-hitch The half hitch is a simple overhand knot, where the working end of a line is brought over and under the standing part. Insecure on its own, it is a valuable component of a wide variety of useful and reliable hitches, bends, and knots. Two ...

es, while visually similar, is not recommended for this application. Image:Cable-lacing-nasa-style-spot-ties.jpg, Spot ties formed with a

clove hitch The clove hitch is a type of knot. Along with the bowline and the sheet bend, it is often considered one of the most important knots. A clove hitch is two successive half-hitches around an object. It is most effectively used as a crossing kno ...

topped by a

reef knot The reef knot, or square knot, is an ancient and simple binding knot used to secure a rope or line around an object. It is sometimes also referred to as a Hercules knot. The knot is formed by tying a left-handed overhand knot between two end ...

made in modern

lacing tape. A

surgeon's knot The surgeon's knot is a surgical knot and is a simple modification to the reef knot. It adds an extra twist when tying the first throw, forming a double overhand knot. The additional turn provides more friction and can reduce loosening while t ...

is an acceptable substitute for the reef knot. File:MER-2_On_Lander_Prelaunch_PIA04849.jpg, A variety of lacing techniques are visible on the cabling of the

Mars Exploration Rover NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, '' Spirit'' and '' Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rovers to explore the Martian surface ...

'' Spirit'' and its lander.

Notes and references

External links

NASA Technical Standard NASA-STD-8739.4
on Crimping, Interconnecting Cables, Harnesses, and Wiring * {{Cite web , url=https://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp/2%20books/frameset.html , title=Workmanship Standards Pictorial Reference for NASA-STD-8739 , publisher=

, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712020615/http://workmanship.nasa.gov/lib/insp/2%20books/frameset.html , archivedate=2009-07-12
Online excerpt from ''Electronic Installation Practices Manual'' (1951), "Chapter 9, Cabling"

Online excerpt from ''Workmanship and Design Practices for Electronic Equipment'' (1962)

FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B paragraph 11-158
Signal cables Aerospace engineering Ropework