Sparks Electrical News November 2018

CABLES AND CABLE ACCESSORIES

10

INDUSTRY FIRST BRASS COMPRESSION CABLE GLAND

MORE EFFICIENCY WITH AUTOMATED CABLE IDENTIFICATION

A new Taper-Tech® brass compres- sion cable gland for all circular unar- moured cable has been launched by Pratley. This latest technology eliminates the need for cable-damaging, weak-back bushes. Each gland size can also accommo- date an unmatched range of cable sizes and withstand a whopping 150 m of water head pressure – an industry first. The Taper-Tech® clamping system features a differential taper design. Using specially- formulated, high-performance, compression- set resistant rubber, the gripping force of the bush increases proportionally with the axial load on the cable. This means that the cable remains safely secured, even at very high pull- out loads, without damaging the cable. Another major advantage of the new Ta- per-Tech® brass compression cable gland is its industry beating IP68 ingress protection rating, which provides for a whopping 150 m of water head. “We believe there’s no other cable gland that performs to this level on the world market,” says Pratley Marketing Direc- tor Eldon Kruger. The new Taper-Tech® compression cable glands are manufactured from nickel-plated brass. They can accommodate all circular cables with outside diameters from 3 mm to 73.8 mm, in addition to an array of non-circu- lar cables when fitted with appropriate bushes. The glands are supplied complete with nipple gaskets and nickel-plated brass locknuts. The IP68 rating means that the Pratley Taper-Tech® brass compression cable glands seal the bore automatically against the ingress of pressurised water and ambient moisture. In addition, gland sizes 00, 0, 1 and 2 are also available ex-stock with Pg and Npt threads. Pg and Imperial threads can be accommo-

I ndustries that work with large vol- umes of cables and are in need of cable traceability and identification can increase production efficiency with Brady Corporation’s complete and automated cable identification solutions. Cable sleeves and wraparound la- bels can be applied up to 10 seconds faster with Brady’s automated cable identification solutions. The Wraptor A6500 can print and wrap a label around a cable in five seconds, saving time in cable production when trace- ability and identification requirements need to be met. If you identify ca- bles with sleeves, Brady can offer the BSP45 Automated Sleeve Applicator to remove sleeves from their liner and apply them on a cable by activating a foot pedal. Sleeves can be printed with great accuracy and precision using the BradyPrinter i7100 or with the BBP72 Sleeve Printer to print both sleeve sides simultaneously. Dedicated wraparound labels and sleeves are available for maximum re-

dated by means of Pratley adjustable cable glands fitted with compression conversion kits and thread adaptors. Exceptionally thick gland plates can also be accommodated by fitting adjustable glands with long nipples. With over 65 years’ experience and a plethora of patents under its belt, Pratley prides itself on the local production of highly- innovative cable glands, junction boxes, and related accessories. Those variants for use in hazardous locations comply with interna- tional IECex Standards for Ex n, Ex e and Ex d explosion protected equipment. Many Prat- ley cable glands and boxes also comply with the European ATEX directive. Pratley market-leading products serve the industrial, mining, construction, petrochemi- cal and consumer markets in many countries. Pratleymanufactures over 1500 products,has filed more than 350 patents worldwide, and is an ISO 9001:2015 accredited company.

liability when using Brady’s automated identification solutions. The labels and sleeves themselves are of good qual- ity and can resist challenging industrial environments. The B-472 self-lami- nating vinyl label offers abrasion, fuel, oil and outdoor resistance and comes in a wide range of colours, and the B-499 nylon cloth wraparound label adds dirt, heat, cold and chemical re- sistance. Both these labels work seam- lessly with the Wraptor A6500. For the BSP45 Sleeve Applicator, Brady recommends its B-342, B-7646 and B-7641 sleeves which include diesel resistant or low smoke zero halogen properties. All identification materi- als have been tested using standard ASTM test methods for optimal reli- ability. Technical data sheets are avail- able from Brady’s website. Easy label and sleeve design sup- port is available via Brady Workstation apps that come with a 30 day free trial period. Simply select the apps you need after trying them. Features include adding text, symbols, serialisa-

tion, barcoding and much more. Brady also offers great technical support via customisable service agreements which can include on-site installa- tion and setup of solutions, preventive maintenance, training and fast re- sponse on top of a standard one year warranty.

Enquiries: www.pratley.co.za

Enquiries: www.bradysouthafrica.com

ON THE GROUND WITH JONAS E MUKUPO

CABLE TYPES AND SELECTION

W e all know the importance of cables in the electrical field – or any other field which in- volves transfer of electricity or data signals from one point to another – but this issue I am focus- ing on electrical flow from point of supply to point of control and, lastly, point of outlet. These three sections (point of supply, control and out- let) are a chapter on their own and here I will be focusing on the different types of cables at our disposal for our day-to-day life, be it in house, industry or outdoor wiring installations. I will focus on armoured and non-armoured cables and, as the names imply, the armoured cable comes with protection against mechanical damage, either as a sheet of aluminium wrapping around the main con- ductors or wires wrapped around the entire length for damage protection, just under the outer rubber sheath. On the non-armoured type, the cables have no protec-

tion from mechanical damage and hence the installa- tion methods differ. Armoured cables can be buried in the ground, clipped to a wall or run in a tray, and the same can be done with twin and earth cables, bearing in mind that protection against damage has to be considered. Depending on the installation method used, there are a number of factors to be considered. As an example, if a cable is buried un- derground, its ambient temperature will tend to be lower than that of a cable clipped directly to a wall and exposed to the elements. Technically, current carrying capacity is determined by these factors, meaning a cable in cool ground can carry more current than it is rated for, while a cable exposed to the sun for much of the day can be de-rated to reduce its current capacity. I will not delve too much into the technicalities and formulae used for this, but as an example, a 1,5 mm 2 twin and earth cable, used mainly for lights fed with a 10 A breaker, can carry 20 A if

the same cable is buried un- derground. This is where the temperature and soil resistiv- ity come into play. The next consideration, which we sometimes do not get right, is the selection of the cables for a specific task or use. For domestic use, we have the so-called ‘house wire’ and this comes in dif- ferent sizes depending on its desired use. Because ‘house wire’ does not have any protection against mechani- cal damage, the installation methods used differ from armoured cables. In this case, the cables must be installed in a wire- way. Wireways can be in the form of conduits (PVC or metal), trunking or Sprague. Law permits electricians to run house wire without con- duits (open wiring), but under certain conditions. Open wir- ing must be not be installed under thatch, in roof spaces intended for storage or with- in 1 m of trap doors, and it must be visible throughout

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 2018