Wire, Cable & Connectors, Product Focus Study for July 2004

Research was undertaken to gain a better understanding of Control Engineering subscribers’ applications and needs regarding wire, cable, and connectors.

By Control Engineering Staff July 1, 2004

Research was undertaken to gain a better understanding of Control Engineering subscribers’ applications and needs regarding wire, cable, and connectors. Executive Summary

•Among those specifying, recommending, and/or buying wire and cable, 84% do so for in-plant requirements, while 42% do this for OEM needs.
•Machine and process control are the primary applications for wire and cable at respondents’ companies, with 61% and 57% of the votes respectively.
•Ninety-four percent of respondents are involved in specifying, recommending, or buying standard, twisted pair products. More than three-quarters of respondents are involved in the purchase of accessories.
•Standard, twisted pair, then accessories, are currently the two most widely purchased types of wire and cable products. Although a slightly smaller portion of this market plans to buy these products next year, results indicate these will continue to be the most popular types next year as well.
•Seventy-three percent of respondents have purchased wire and cable from Belden in the past 12 months. This is more than double the market penetration achieved by other manufacturers.
•Respondents combined to buy 1,497,156 feet of wire and cable during the past 12 months. This amounts to 29,356 feet purchased by the average respondent. These same respondents reported corresponding total dollar purchases of $3,265,836 over the past year, or $64,036 by the average respondent. Thirty-eight percent of respondents report their purchases of wire and cable in the next 12 months will grow, while only 12% foresee a decline.
•The average respondent buys 41% of his wire and cable from local electrical/electronics distributors. By comparison, national chain electrical distributors garner 29% of the total average wire and cable expenditure.
•Forty-eight percent of Control Engineering subscribers responding do not receive IAN. Fifty-six percent do not receive Control Design.
•Quality and delivery emerge as the most important considerations for control engineers when selecting a particular supplier of wire and cable. Virtually all respondents need to know electrical requirements to pick the correct cable for an application. Signal type, load requirements, environmental issues, and/or equipment specifications are also “need to know” elements for at least 73% of those surveyed.
•More than three-quarters of survey participants indicate their companies use junction boxes. Receptacles, RJ-45 and pin-based connectors form a second tier of widely used items.
•Ninety-one percent of survey participants use customized cable lengths with connectors, while 84% use standard cable lengths.

Wire, Cable & Connectors Product Focus Study 2004