Lica - definition

Licas are thin, flexible wires made of conductive materials, usually copper, that form the individual constituent fibres of a multi-stranded cable. Unlike single-wire cables, the structure of the lices consists of multiple fibres twisted together, which gives the cable greater flexibility and resistance to mechanical fatigue during frequent bending and movement.

The use of faces in cable construction is crucial in applications where a high degree of mechanical flexibility is required, such as the wiring of moving equipment, connections in robotics, Industrial Robotics and Power Cables in power tools. From the point of view of electrical properties, faces offer similar conductivity to solid wires with the same cross-sectional area, but may exhibit different behaviour at higher frequencies due to skinning phenomenon.

Each of the fibres forming the face can be covered with an insulating layer or be uninsulated, depending on the intended use of the wire. To improve performance properties, such as resistance to corrosion or solderability, the faces are sometimes tinned, silver-plated or covered with other protective layers. Their arrangement and the way they are twisted affect the mechanical and electrical parameters of the entire cable, including flexibility, durability and impedance.

In the context of cable manufacture, the term 'face' also refers to the process of preparing the cable, involving the appropriate twisting of the fibres into bundles with a specific geometrical arrangement. The accuracy of manufacture and the uniformity of fibre distribution have a significant impact on the quality and reliability of the cables in long-term operation, especially under conditions of increased dynamic loading.

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