Essential Tools for Easy Cable Management

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 Modern data center and home have become sophisticated with the increase use of technology. With this, the mass of cables have also grown proportionately, which has resulted in the chance of getting lost in tangle. Cable failure or malfunctions are often the cause of machine downtime, which can have a direct effect on productivity and efficient operations. However, with the availability of cabling products and accessories, the task of cable management has become lot easier. This post will introduce some essential tools for easy cable management for your reference.

Why Should We Manage Cables?

Cable management is extremely important in creating an aesthetically pleasing and clean environment, whether the setting is professional, industrial, or in your home. Coordinating and managing cabling helps to maintain basic funtionality, while also protecting equipment from blocked airflow due to messy, and unorganized cables. Tangled wires and cables oftentimes can be stressful and time-consuming to untangle and keep straight.

Essential Cable Management Tools

When you choose cable management products, you should know that there are two main functions of them: one is to ensure the protection of cables in applications, and the other is to guide cables through entry points. Besides cable ties, wire loom, there are many other useful tools for easy cable management that we will introduce in the following text.

J Hook

Cable ties and brindle rings are common cable management tools to hang and support cable bundles, but these narrow-base fasteners could exceed the bend radius of the cable itself, leading to network failure. Horizontal cabling trays can be used to solve the problem, but they are expensive and time-consuming to install. A more practical solution is the use of J Hook. As its name suggest, it looks like the letter “J”, which is usually made of galvanized steel or sometimes of plastic polymers, allowing for both indoor and outdoor installation. This fastener type features a wide base with smooth, rounded corners to eliminate the potential for snags during installation, while preventing the development of stress where the cable bundle is supported as shown below.

Cable Lacing Bar

Cable lacing bar, also referred to as lacer bar, is made of a metal bar that mounts to the rear of a standard 19’’ rack or cabinet, behind a patch panel. It provides support and management of cables that are secured with cable ties or adjustable clips as shown in the image below in telecommunication rooms, which offers strain relief, bend radius control, superior aesthetics and improves organization and routing of cable. To meet different cabling management needs, there are various types of cable lacing bar available on the market, and the most commonly used ones are round lacing bar, rectangular lacing bar, and L-shaped lacing bar, etc.

D-Ring Cable Manager

In modern data center, patch panels and rack enclosures are widely used to build the well-organized cabling system, however, there might still be cable dangling or cable mess on the IT rack after installing cables on patch panels or rack enclosures. To solve this problem easily and cost-effectively, D-ring cable manager is a good solution. D-ring cable manger is a simple accessory which can be used individually on any suitable plat like wall or installed on cable management panel to provide easy and orderly cable routing. It can accommodate large amount of cable with its robust structure and give protection to cables. Deployed for different applications, D-ring cable manager can be with different sizes, shapes and materials, and there are two D-ring cable manager types for vertical cable management and horizontal cable management as shown below.

Conclusion

Organized cable management keeps system maintenance easier and more efficient. This means reduced downtime which can save your money. We have introduced three essential cable management tools in the previous text, and make sure to invest in appropriate wire and cable management devices to keep network cables safe and secure.