Spatial configuration of superconducting cable has a crucial influence on the mechanical properties of cable and further affects its superconducting performance. In this study, a stepwise twist multi-stage cable model that can completely reproduce its manufacturing technique is established. And an innovative equivalent decomposition method is proposed to characterize the interactions among strands reasonably. Based on the modified discrete element method (DEM), the optimal production parameters that minimize the contact pre-stresses and local axial strains are suggested. The results indicate that the contact pre-stress induced by multi-twisting process is a non-negligible factor that affects the mechanical state of cable. Under equivalent operating environment, there exists a critical pitch ratio of approximate 1.5 and initial pitch of about 40-50 mm that corresponds to the optimal axial strain distribution. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.