EoW March 2010

Armouring & reinforcing of cables

Armoured UG cables provide security of supply

Thousands of kilometres of cables run underground, at risk from rocks, drifting sands, termite nests and rat holes, to emerge in cities, towns and villages around the globe. These cables are depended on by billions of people. Hence, electricity performance security (EPS) requires a special design for underground cables.

Armouring is the most economical solution; it saves the cost of conduit and allows for investment in additional earthing.

Equipped with a series of advanced armouring lines, Minxing Cables offers the most common armouring types, including steel wire armour (SWA), steel tape armour (STA), aluminium wire armour (AWA) and aluminium tape armour (ATA). The maximum overall power cable diameter that strip armouring can cover is 130mm. The available width of the strips is from 15mm to 60mm. When using wire armouring, the maximum overall diameter of power cable is 100mm, and the diameter of armouring wires can be from 0.8mm to 5mm. Production, quality control, training and purchasing at Minxing Cables are all ISO9001:2008 approved. Minxing Cables’ engineers can design according to most international standards, such as IEC60502, VDE0271, BS5467 and UNE-EN 50267. Close attention is paid not only to mechanical safety, but also to electrical safety. For example, the armour of single-core cables for use on AC systems consists of non-magnetic material, unless a special construction is required. Dongguan Minxing Cables Co Ltd – China Fax : +86 769 8207 3295 Email : doimas@chinamxc.com Website : www.chinamxc.com

OMA Srl offers a wide range of braiding machines suitable for armouring or reinforcing cables, cable bundles and conduits. The materials typically braided include galvanised, brass-coated and stainless steel wires, and bronze and copper wires. The outer sheave of braided wires gives the product abrasion resistance and mechanical protection but with good flexibility. Textile yarns, such as high strength aramids, are often used for reinforcement particularly of undersea umbilicals. They are valuable where cables or bundles are subject to high pulling forces but need a high degree of flexing. Braiding machines can be supplied in many different sizes, with either vertical or horizontal axis depending on the coverage and flexibility of the cables to be produced. OMA also supplies the ancillary equipment required for braiding, such as bobbin winders, taping heads, payoffs and take-ups. OMA Srl – Italy Fax : +39 039 608 4571 Email : oma@omabraid.it Website : www.omabraid.com Braiding equipment

OMA 36/1-190 horizontal braider braiding umbilical cables with aramid fibres ▲ ▲

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EuroWire – March 2010