Industry Applications

Applications for Conductive Fiber

The exceptional properties of metal-clad fibers provide solutions to numerous markets. These fibers boast features that not only solve basic industry-related matters but also open up the possibility for even greater creativity. Today, Syscom plays a major role in developing cutting-edge applications for several industries.

Aerospace

Liberator® cable shielding can be used as the outer shielding element for cables with coaxial construction. Taking advantage of the skin effect in higher frequency operation, a shield constructed with Liberator® rivals and even surpasses the performance of a much heavier copper-based braid.

Liberator’s pull strength and flexibility make an otherwise fragile cable significantly more robust for the most demanding applications.

Liberator’s negative coefficient of thermal expansion facilitates cable design when dealing with delicate dimensions. RF Coax cable weight can be reduced by 20-40% resulting in increases in payload and/or fuel savings for aircraft and satellite applications.

One area of concern when it comes to aircraft interconnect failures is very small gauge Copper signal wiring. Copper is a brittle metal and tends to break easily, especially for gauges 26 and smaller. Conductive fiber is stronger and can be used to replace traditional high tensile strength Copper wire products to improve reliability as well as save weight.

Syscom is in partnership with industry leaders of fabric-based space deployable antennae currently in development. These satellite antennae can be folded into spaces much smaller than traditional metal-based antennae with comparable functionality. Learn more about Liberator® Fiber

Wearable Technology

Wearable Technology can be produced with traditional textile machineries such as sewing and embroidery equipment. Conductive fibers are washable and possess the same flexibility as traditional textiles but with the added advantage of being electrically conductive.

Our unique process used to create these fibers not only results in some of the most conductive threads commercially available but also gives them other desirable qualities for the electronic textiles and wearable tech industries. The adhesion of the metal cladding provides assurance of sustained performance of Syscom’s conductive threads within a wearable device. For higher temperature applications and those requiring connection via soldering, Lyofil® and Liberator® possess the ability to be soldered without any special equipment.

Syscom Advanced Materials has the ability to customize Twist per Inch (TPI) as well as conductivity for a wide variety of wearable tech and electronic textile applications.

Industrial and Automotive Markets

Many companies are finding ways to enhance their product value by utilizing conductive fiber. For instance, lengthy conveyor belt systems become expensive maintenance issues when they break down without warning. Manufacturers can take advantage of Syscom’s Lyofil product’s flexibility and incorporate it right into the belt itself.

This combination of flexibility and conductive property allows for belt wear and tear to be sensed electronically before a costly break happens so maintenance can be planned and scheduled at optimal times.

Conductive fibers are well suited to automotive applications. Car seat warming connections are examples where a high level of corrosion resistance and flex durability are required. The conductive bus lines woven into the seat fabrics are well suited for X-Steel in order to meet stringent automotive quality standards and cost targets. X-Steel’s superior thermal stability also means that it can be placed near the engine and other high-heat areas without risk.

Medical Applications

The durability and flexibility of metal-clad fiber products are attractive to companies involved in applications for medical probe devices and prosthetics. Applications such as these, which are demanding increasingly smaller wire sizes, are great candidates for our conductive fibers such as Lyofil or Liberator.