Crane Cable Manufacturer for Reeling, Festoon & Port Crane Cables
A crane spends its whole working life dragging, coiling and flexing its own power supply. Feed it ordinary building wire and you will be back up the ladder with a splice kit before the warranty ink is dry. TEBAOFLEX builds crane cable that survives the drum, the festoon track and the salt air — reeling, festoon, spreader and control cables made in our own factory and certified to UL, cUL and VDE.
- Reeling & drum cables (LV & MV)
- Flat & round festoon cables
- Spreader & port crane cables
- Control, VFD & fiber-composite
What is a crane cable — and why ordinary cable won’t survive
A crane cable is a flexible power, control or data cable engineered to keep working while it is wound onto a drum, hung in festoon loops, twisted on a slewing jib or dropped to a container spreader — thousands of times a day, outdoors, for years. Standard PVC building wire on a reeling drum has roughly the life expectancy of a mayfly: the copper work-hardens, the sheath cracks, and the conductors birdcage inside. Purpose-built crane cable solves this with fine rope-lay copper (IEC 60228 Class 5/6), a torsion-balanced lay, anti-torsion reinforcement and an abrasion-, oil- and UV-resistant PUR or rubber sheath.
The right construction depends on how the cable moves. A drum-reeled gantry needs a different cable from a festoon trolley, a spreader drop or a VFD-driven hoist motor. Get the movement duty, voltage, bend radius and environment right and the cable outlives the crane’s paint job; get it wrong and you are buying it twice.
Crane cable types we manufacture
One factory, the full crane cable family — so a single supplier covers the drum, the track, the spreader and the control desk.
Reeling & drum cables (LV & MV)
Torsion-balanced reeling cable for motorized and spring drums on gantry, RTG, RMG and stacker/reclaimer travel. LV 0.6/1 kV up to MV 6/10–18/30 kV, with anti-torsion core and reflective sheath option.
Flat & round festoon cables
Flat festoon cable that stacks tidily in the loops on overhead-bridge and gantry trolley tracks — PUR or rubber, screened variants for signal loops, 300/500 V to 0.6/1 kV.
Spreader & port crane cables
Aramid-reinforced spreader and basket cables for STS/ship-to-shore port crane cable runs, plus power+control+fiber composites for RTG/RMG and container terminals at speeds to ~180 m/min.
Control & pendant cables
Fine-stranded crane control cable and encapsulated pendant cables with steel support member for hand-station drops — screened pairs for interference-free signalling.
VFD & motor drive cables
Symmetrical, foil-and-braid EMC-screened cables for inverter-driven hoist, travel and slew motors — taming the bearing currents and reflected-wave stress VFDs love to create.
Spiral, magnet & power cables
Coiled spiral cables for short reciprocating moves, magnet-crane cables for lifting magnets, and flexible LV/MV power feeders to the crane and drive panels.
Crane cables we build and export
Real constructions from our own lines — final build follows your crane, voltage, travel length and duty. Prices are quote-based because a 6/10 kV reeling cable and a control pendant do not belong in the same price box.
(N)TSCGEW11Y Shore Power Reeling Cable
MV drum reeling cable for shore power and long-travel port cranes — torsion-balanced, weather and oil resistant.
(N)TSKCGEWOEU MV Reeling Cable
Shielded medium-voltage reeling cable for RTG/RMG and stacker-reclaimer drums with high cycle life.
NGFLGOEU Flat Festoon Cable
Screened flat festoon cable that stacks cleanly in trolley loops on overhead and gantry cranes.
XTRM (N)SHT11Y Crane Spreader PUR Cable
Aramid-reinforced PUR spreader cable for STS container-crane spreader drops at high speed.
SYSLTOE FO Basket Spreader Cable
Power, control and optical-fiber composite for basket-stored spreader systems on automated terminals.
Type W Magnet Crane Cable
Heavy four-conductor portable cable for lifting-magnet and scrap-handling cranes in steel mills and yards.
Crane cable types compared
A cheat-sheet for matching the cable to the movement. When in doubt, send us the duty and we will confirm the construction.
| Cable type | Typical crane use | Voltage | Sheath | Min. bend radius | Temp range | EMC screen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reeling / drum | Gantry, RTG/RMG, stacker travel on a drum | 0.6/1 kV – 18/30 kV | PUR or rubber | ~10–20× OD (drum rule) | −35 to +90 °C | Optional / MV screen |
| Festoon (flat) | Overhead-bridge & gantry trolley loops | 300/500 V – 0.6/1 kV | PUR or rubber | ~7.5× OD | −20 to +80 °C | Screened option |
| Spreader | STS spreader drop / basket, container cranes | 0.6/1 kV (+fiber) | PUR, aramid-reinforced | ~10× OD | −30 to +80 °C | Screened + fiber |
| Control / pendant | Hand stations, signalling, interlocks | 300/500 – 450/750 V | PUR / PVC | ~7.5× OD | −20 to +80 °C | Screened pairs |
| VFD / motor | Inverter-driven hoist, travel, slew motors | 0.6/1 kV | PUR | ~7.5–12.5× OD | −30 to +90 °C | Foil + braid |
| Spiral / magnet | Short-stroke slew, lifting magnets | 300/500 V – 2 kV | PUR / rubber | Coil-dependent | −25 to +80 °C | Optional |
Values are typical ranges for orientation; the confirmed construction and test values follow your project schedule.
How to choose the right crane cable
Six questions decide the construction. Answer them and the cable lasts; skip them and the reel will remind you.
Reeling vs. festoon
Drum reeling cable for long or outdoor runways and automated ports; flat festoon cable for shorter trolley travel with tidy loop stacking. The movement method decides everything downstream.
Bend radius & drum sizing
Undersized drums are the number-one killer of crane cable. Design around ~7.5× OD for control up to 10–20× the cable OD for reeling drums. Tell us the drum diameter and we will confirm the fit.
Torsion & flex-cycle life
Vertical and spiral reeling twist the cable, so it needs a torsion-balanced lay and anti-torsion reinforcement. Ask for the ±°/m rating and independently verified flex-cycle data — not a hopeful number on a datasheet.
Sheath: PUR, rubber or PVC
PUR for best abrasion, low weight and oil/UV; CR/rubber for oil, ozone, flame and cold flexibility; PVC only for dry indoor runs. Ports and steel mills almost always want PUR or rubber.
EMC screening
Near VFDs, encoders and welding, unscreened cable becomes an antenna. Use foil-plus-braid VFD cable and screened control pairs to keep signals — and drives — calm.
Voltage, sizing & environment
0.6/1 kV covers most cranes; MV 6/10–18/30 kV for large port and bulk-handling reeling. Confirm cross-section, derating (VDE 0298-4), temperature range and UV/salt-fog exposure for outdoor duty.
Sheath material comparison — matching the jacket to the duty.
| Sheath | Abrasion | Oil / chemical | Cold flex | UV / weather | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUR | Excellent | Good | Good (to −40 °C grades) | Excellent | Reeling, spreader, high-speed |
| Rubber (CR / EPR) | Very good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Festoon, magnet, steel mill |
| PVC | Fair | Fair | Poor | Fair | Dry indoor runs only |
Crane applications we cable
Every crane type stresses cable differently. Here is where our reeling, festoon, spreader and port crane cable constructions go to work.
Crane type → recommended cable — a quick starting point before we confirm the exact construction.
| Crane type | Movement | Recommended cable | Voltage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead / bridge | Trolley festoon | Flat festoon cable | 300/500 V – 0.6/1 kV |
| Gantry / portal | Long runway | Festoon or drum reeling | 0.6/1 kV |
| RTG / RMG | Motorised drum | MV reeling (+ fiber) | 6/10 – 18/30 kV |
| STS ship-to-shore | Gantry + spreader | Reeling + spreader cable | 0.6/1 kV + MV |
| Tower / jib | Rising / slew | Trailing + spiral cable | 0.6/1 kV |
| Steel-mill / magnet | Reel / lift | Rubber reeling + magnet | up to 2 kV |
Standards & certifications
Our crane cables are built and tested to the standards buyers actually specify: conductor stranding to IEC/EN 60228 Class 5/6, flame-retardance to IEC 60332-1/-3, halogen-free / low-smoke to IEC 60754 / 61034 where LSZH is required, and rubber flexible-cable construction to the DIN VDE 0250 family (including the Part 813/814 reeling and trailing references). Medium-voltage reeling follows IEC 60502, and EU market cables carry CE with RoHS / REACH compliance.
We also speak the type-designation language on the drawing: constructions such as (N)SHTÖU rubber drum reeling and (N)TSCGEWÖU shielded MV radial-field reeling are quoted, built and marked to the exact code you name. Independently verified flex-cycle and torsion test reports are available for your inspection file — because “trust us” is not a test method.
Why choose TEBAOFLEX as your crane cable manufacturer
Plenty of traders can forward your enquiry to a factory. We are the factory — which is why the test report has our name on it.
Custom & OEM crane cable manufacturing
Small trial order or a full container of MV reeling cable — the same factory handles both.
Get a crane cable quote — usually within one business day
Tell us the crane type, movement (reeling / festoon / spreader), voltage, travel length and drum or track details. Our engineers reply with a construction and price. Not sure of the full spec? Send a photo of the old cable marking — that is enough to start.
- MOQ from 50 m · free samples · OEM/ODM
- UL · cUL · VDE certified constructions
- 10–30 day lead time · worldwide export
Send your crane cable enquiry
Attach drawings, cable markings or drum details if you have them.
Crane cable FAQ
Reeling cable or festoon cable — which do I need?
Use drum reeling cable for long or outdoor runways and automated ports, where a motorized or spring drum winds the cable. Use flat festoon cable for shorter trolley travel on overhead-bridge and gantry cranes, where the cable hangs in loops on a track. The travel method and length decide it — tell us both and we will confirm.
What minimum bend radius or drum diameter should I design for?
As a rule of thumb, allow about 7.5× the cable outer diameter for control cable and roughly 10–20× the OD for reeling drums. Undersized drums are the single most common cause of premature crane-cable failure, so send us the drum diameter and we will confirm the cable fits.
How much torsion can a crane cable take?
It depends on the lay and anti-torsion construction. Vertical and spiral reeling twist the cable, so they need a torsion-balanced design with an anti-torsion core or braid. Ask for the ±° per metre rating rather than assuming any flexible cable will cope.
What flex-cycle life or lifespan can I expect?
A well-specified reeling cable is engineered for hundreds of thousands to millions of cycles; control cables typically last several years indoors. The honest answer is that lifespan depends on drum sizing, speed and environment — so we provide independently verified flex-cycle and torsion test data for the exact construction.
PUR or rubber (CR/neoprene) sheath?
PUR gives the best abrasion resistance, low weight and good oil/UV performance — ideal for reeling and spreader cables. CR/rubber excels at oil, ozone, flame and cold flexibility. PVC is only suitable for dry indoor runs. Ports and steel mills almost always specify PUR or rubber.
Do I need EMC screening?
Yes, wherever the cable runs near VFD/inverter drives, encoders or welding. Use foil-plus-braid VFD cable for the motor drops and screened pairs for control and data. Unscreened cable in those positions behaves like an antenna and causes nuisance trips.
What voltage class and cross-section do I need?
Most cranes run 0.6/1 kV; large port, bulk-handling and stacker/reclaimer reeling uses MV 6/10 up to 18/30 kV. Cross-section is sized to load, travel length and derating (VDE 0298-4). Send the load and length and we will size it.
Which certifications do you hold?
TEBAOFLEX crane-cable constructions are certified to UL, cUL and VDE, built to IEC/EN and DIN VDE standards, and carry CE with RoHS/REACH compliance. We provide the certificates and test reports for your project file on request — not just a self-declared CE mark.
What are your MOQ, lead time and sample terms?
General MOQ is 50 m, with free samples (you cover sample freight). Regular lead time is 10–30 days depending on construction and quantity, confirmed before the order. We support both small trial orders and full-container bulk supply.
Can you produce OEM / custom crane cable with our brand?
Yes. We offer OEM and ODM manufacturing with custom cross-sections, core coding, colours, reflective sheath and your brand printed on the cable and drums, delivered to your specification after drawing confirmation.
Reviewed by the TEBAOFLEX cable engineering team — a real special-cable factory operating since 2014, with UL, cUL and VDE certified constructions and cables exported to 20+ countries. Learn more about TEBAOFLEX or contact our engineers.
Ready to spec your crane cable?
Send the crane, the movement and the voltage. We will come back with a construction, a certified test basis and a price — before your reel drum has a chance to eat another cable.