For years, the United States has classified particular cable items with military specification (or MIL-SPEC) callouts in an effort to achieve a standardization of objectives for the US Department of Defense. These standards help ensure that materials and products used by the government systems across multiple organizational boundaries work together, perform well, are more easily maintained and repaired, and avoid confusion.
In the wire and cable industry, no MIL-SPEC call out has been more common in recent years than the MIL-C-3432. Referred to as “M3432” for short, this callout refers to any cable that covers portable power, control or special purpose cables per military specifications. However, they are not limited to military usage and can often be used for common applications too.
While some cable materials may not be strong enough to battle tough elements, CO cable (another term for M3432 cable) is designed to withstand a lot of punishment and is often used in rough, physical environments. They are used for a wide array of different applications, such as electrical/electronic components, control cords, charging cables, and heavy duty portable tools.
While M3432 CO cable is an extremely versatile cable product, it is important to identify specifically what kind of environment the cable will be exposed to and its intended use. For instance, you will want to be aware of the required features for your material, as well as flexibility, resistance, voltage and temperature requirements.
Galaxy provides specification charts describing the M3432/Military Power/CO designations, including voltage, applications, materials and service flexibility.
Galaxy is a leading supplier of custom and stock Mil-C-3432 CO cables and military power cables. If you need assistance identifying which M3432 material will work best for you and your applications or are ready to place an order, feel free to contact Galaxy for assistance.