What lengths does Cat6A High-Flex Drag Chain Patch Cord, S/FTP PUR come in?

Cat6A Drag Chain Patch Cord, High-Flex PUR

Last updated: 13 September 2026

Overview

A cat6a drag chain patch cord is specified by its motion, not by its category. A cord that lives in a cable carrier is bent and released thousands of times an hour at a fixed radius, and when it fails the cause is conductor fatigue or jacket wear, not anything electrical. So we build to the radius, stroke and cycle count you state, and report the test conditions alongside the result instead of a bare number.

Key Specifications

Category	Category 6A class, 500 MHz industry-general definition
Construction	S/FTP, 4-pair, 26 AWG stranded
Jacket	High-flex PUR, drag-chain suitable
Ends	RJ45 to RJ45, shielded, keyed boots; M12 X-code on request
Bend radius	Set by your carrier; stated per order
Cycle life	Built and tested to the count you state
Length	OEM build to order
Flex duty	Load, radius and angle stated with the result

Why drag chain duty is a different specification

The same category rating can be met by two cords with completely different service lives. What separates them is everything the category test does not measure.

	Static patch cord	Drag chain patch cord
Duty	Plugged in and left alone	Continuous cyclic bending at a fixed radius
Stranding	Standard bunch stranding	Fine strands, short lay, flex-optimized
Jacket	PVC, chosen for cost and flame	PUR, chosen for abrasion and cut resistance
Shield	Foil and braid, drain at the ends	Braid that survives repeated flexing
Failure mode	Latch breakage, accidental unplug	Conductor fatigue, jacket wear, shield break
What matters most	Category compliance	Bend radius, stroke, acceleration, cycle count

Bend radius: the number that sets cycle life

Bend radius is normally expressed as a multiple of the cable outside diameter, and inside a carrier it is set by the carrier, not by the cable. That is the part people get wrong: you cannot buy your way out of a tight radius with a better jacket. Roughly speaking, halving the radius does not halve the life — it can cut it by an order of magnitude. Give us the carrier’s inside radius and the stroke length, and we will tell you what the build can be verified to. The cycle count is stated per order, from the test we run on your build.

Installing it in the carrier

Set the radius from the carrier, not from the cable datasheet, and do not fill the carrier past its rated fill.
Let the cable float. Clamp it only at the fixed end and at the moving end; a clamp midway turns a bending load into a fatigue load at one point.
Separate power and data. Keep motor and drive cables in a separate compartment of the carrier.
Avoid torsion. A cord designed for bending in one plane will not survive being twisted.
Leave it relaxed. A cable installed under tension is already halfway to failure.
Check the exit. Most breaks happen where the cable leaves the carrier or the connector.

Why PUR rather than PVC

PUR is chosen for three properties that matter in a carrier: abrasion resistance against the carrier walls and the other cables, resistance to cutting oil and coolant, and elasticity that lets it recover after each bend. PVC is cheaper and easier to strip, and it is the right answer for a cord that never moves. Inside a cable carrier, PUR is usually the difference between a service interval and a breakdown.

Typical applications for this cat6a drag chain patch cord

Machine vision cameras on moving gantries — see our Cat6A S/FTP GigE Vision screw-lock cable for drag chain
Robot cells and cobot arms with Ethernet to the tool
CNC and machining centers with an Ethernet drop on the axis
Automated storage and retrieval machines
Moving gantries and linear stages in inspection equipment

How to specify your build

Bend radius — the inside radius of your carrier.
Stroke length and speed, and the acceleration if you have it.
Required cycle count, so we can build and test to it.
Length, measured along the carrier path with the carrier at its extremes.
Ends — RJ45 both ends, or M12 X-code, or a screw-lock plug.
Exposure — oil, coolant, weld spark, chips.

Workmanship and testing

Assembly and inspection follow IPC/WHMA-A-620 Class 3 workmanship criteria under our ISO 9001 quality management system, and every unit is 100% continuity and pinout tested before it is packed. Conductor range is 32 to 12 AWG. Flex testing is run at the radius, stroke and speed you state, and the conditions are reported with the result. Where a standard sets a limit for the category, the connector interface or the jacket, that is the industry-general definition of the rating. The values your assembly is built and verified to are the ones stated on your drawing, per order.

Custom builds and ordering

Motion builds are quoted from the duty cycle, so send the carrier data with the RFQ. Prototype builds start from 5 pcs and ship in 3 working days; production orders start at MOQ 500 pcs and ship 14 working days after approval. New tooling adds about 10 working days, and we hold 100 sets of mold tooling in house. OEM and ODM builds ship under your part number and labeling, with material certificates and first-article reports on request. Factory audits and video line tours of our Longgang, Shenzhen plant can be arranged through Alan Kang.

Related high-flex and industrial Ethernet assemblies

Full range: Ethernet patch cord range.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cycle count can you guarantee?

We do not quote one in the abstract. Give us the radius, stroke and speed and we will build to a count and report the test conditions that produced it.