How to protect cables against mechanical and environmental damage?
The importance of protecting electrical cables
Feb. 28, 2022
Electrical cables are installed in a wide variety of environments, and it is often necessary to provide protection for these cables to prevent mechanical and environmental damage. Whether you are dealing with industrial generator parts or your data centre server cabinet, you need to plan for your cable management. We will be outlining these considerations and the role of different solutions to ensure that your cable management installation is an asset for years to come.
The capacity
It is important that you never overfill cable management devices (such as cable trays). Doing so runs the risk of cable damage, insulation damage, crosstalk, or more seriously if you are managing power cables, overheating and potentially fire. Always use the correct length of cable. Using too much will only create a mess that can create air dams, which in turn damage your cables.
Be aware no to overtighten cables
Cable ties are an effective way to organise your cables but be careful to not tighten ties too much. Doing so can damage cable insulation and can stop signals from travelling properly through the cables, which affects performance and the efficacy of devices and machinery.
The cable bend radius
Every cable has a bend radius beyond which it begins to lose signal. This can have significant implications for your business and productivity. Prolonged exposure to over-bending can cause permanent damage to your cables which can lead to multiple repairs and replacements. Cables need enough space.
Protecting pass-through
Occasionally you will need to create holes in furniture, server containers or other items to allow cables to pass through. When passing cables through plastic, wood or metal, it is important to use grommets, as these holes can often have rough edges that can damage the insulation of the cable.
Cable management solutions
Cable ties: to hold small bundle of wires or cables together to keep them organized.
Grommets: to protect wires and cables from abrasions that pass-through holes.
Heat shrinking tubing: to insulate wires, providing abrasion resistance and environmental protection. Available in colours, which allows for colour coding.
Spiral cable wrap: to organise wires and cables into one bundle while allowing them to break out at any point for re-routing.
Braided cable sleeving: to hold cables, protecting them from abrasions, liquids, chemicals, and other factors.
Cable conduits: to protect cables against damage caused by sharp objects, impact, and moisture. Conduits are used to route wiring in a building or structure.
Cable chains: to reduce wear and stress on cables and hoses, prevent entanglement, and improve operator safety.
In Nexum, we are offering complete solutions for cable management. Properly chosen cable management solutions support, guide, seal, protect, and arrange cables during and after installation, and facilitate subsequent maintenance or changes to the cable system. We offer both standard and customized cable management solutions from various manufacturers. Please visit our website to find out more about our cable management solutions or contact our product specialist, who will help you find a perfect solution for your application.
CONTACT
Jurij Žvab Cable Management | Industrial Identification | Safety at Work T: +386 40 755 559 |