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You are here: HomeArchives for 2013

Archives for 2013

Hydraulic Crimping and Cutting Tool Maintenance

June 14, 2013 by admin

Whether you are buying or hiring a hydraulic cable crimper or cutter, following these guidelines helps prevent more than just tool failure and time lost on site.

An example of this is incorrect crimping, which can lead to a number of issues with lug failure. If the tool is unable to properly crimp the lug to the cable, then the air pockets within the core can cause an increase in resistance leading to overheating and potentially a fire. The following images show an installation where an electrical lug was installed with an uncalibrated tool with inadequate pressure. This led to the fire bridge being called, the building being evacuated and losing 2 hours of operating time.

Crimp lug failure Incorrect crimp

Typically, hydraulic tools are naturally robust given nature of the tasks they are designed for, however, we always recommend you ensure your tools are in date in terms of calibration and the on-site team is reminded about the importance of pre-use checks and tests, as well as demonstrating the results if a crimp is not undertaken carefully.

Our hydraulic tool maintenance guide gives you a few simple steps that can help avoid tool failure, hydraulic oil leakage and head jamming.

General Maintenance

When you hire or purchase a tool you should also check its condition as soon as you receive it, making sure there are no defects that could impact performance. Usually, tools distributed from reputable companies are calibrated, tested and guaranteed before delivery. However, checking yourself should be the final line of defence.

All tools we supply come with full operation instructions, these instructions should be followed as not only do they help achieve the best cut or crimp, they also keep the tool within safe operating conditions. Keeping to these guidelines will ensure the tool works to its best capacity as well as allowing it to maintain this performance throughout its operational life.

How often should I calibrate my crimper/cutter?

Whenever you hire or first purchase a hydraulic Cembre cutting or crimping tool from ETS, we fully test and calibrate your tool before delivery, supplying a calibration certificate with the tool. For short to medium term hires it is unlikely that the tool will need calibration while on its hire period. However, with long term rental and purchasing a tool, knowing when to calibrate your tool is important.

It is recommended that you get your hydraulic tool calibrated every 12 months. Calibration will test the pressure of your tool using a manometer. The pressure measurement test will make sure the tool meets the recommended level of pressure to enable the correct crimping or cutting operation. If the tool does not meet the required minimum pressure, it needs to be sent to the manufacturer for repair. We can carry out full calibration services for Cembre tools, please contact us for more information.

How to correctly store a hydraulic tool

All our Cembre hydraulic tools are supplied with protective storage cases, with enough room to store the tool or head and a number of die sets. These cases help keep the tool safe from damage on-site as well as providing an easy way to transport the tool to, from and around a project.

We recommend keeping the tool within the heavy-duty protective case while not in use as not only does it protect the tool from damage but also keeps harmful dirt and greases away from clogging the mechanisms.

Lifespan of a well maintained tool

A faulty tool is not just costly if you need to purchase a replacement, it can also be time consuming to organise collection and delivery of replacement tooling. Leading to increased time on site and a reduction in productivity, which could have a ripple effect down the line if essential work is reliant on the crimping or cutting of cables.

We offer a full 12 month warranty with all Cembre hydraulic tools we hire and sell. Although following these tool care and maintenance guidelines will enable your tool to work far beyond this period, reduce tool failure downtime and extend its operational life-span to its maximum potential.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please share it!

Filed Under: Knowledge, Products

ETS Help Supply The Shard

June 10, 2013 by admin

The Shard, also known as the Shard of Glass is a brand new skyscraper next to London Bridge. Construction work began in March 2009 and was completed in March 2012, opening to the public in February this year. Standing at an impressive 309.6 meters (1,016 ft), the Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe.

ETS were proud to help supply this iconic building and we take a look back at what products we supplied for the project.

We originally submitted samples and data sheets for approval in 2008. Working with both the main contractor and consultant to provide suitable products that would compliment the high quality engineering standards of the project design, as well as stand the test of time.

On this basis, the products short listed for approval were provided by CMP, Ellis Patents and Cembre. It was felt each of these manufacturers provided stringent enough product testing to ensure that cabling contractors would be able to deliver the highest quality installation.

The Shard was also awarded ‘Major Building Project of the Year’ (Over £50m) at the British Construction Industry (BCI) awards 2013.

 

Filed Under: Projects

Preview: Medium Voltage Cable Accessories – A Book By Derek Goulsbra Part 2

May 30, 2013 by admin

Continuing on from our preview of the first chapter of Derek Goulsbra’s new book, available here in part one, this post previews the start of chapter 2 ‘Medium Voltage Cable Accessories: A Theoretical and Practical Appraisal.

Chapter 2 – Electrical breakdown of air and solid dielectrics

In order to understand accessories and how they perform it is necessary to look at the fundamental electrical breakdown of air and solid dielectrics, which are, of necessity, mixed in dry cable accessories.

2.1: Electrical Breakdown of Air

Air at normal temperature and pressure, which means a temperature of 20 ° C and pressure of 760 mm Hg, has an intrinsic breakdown strength of 3 MV m-1 . This means that if a voltage is applied between two electrodes, which provide a uniform field, and the electrodes are spaced 10 mm apart, electrical breakdown of the air in the form of an arc will occur at 30 kV. This value is the same for a.c. (the peak value), d.c. and impulse. The electric strength is simply found by dividing the applied voltage at breakdown by the electrode separation. In the present example:

Breakdown strength E = Voltage applied / Electrode separation
= 30 kV per cm
= 3 kV per mm
= 3 MV per m

A uniform field is shown in fig.1. By definition lines of equal voltage are spaced equally across the shortest distance of the electrodes.

In practice, the intrinsic electric strength of air is of little use because conductors at high voltage are not conducive to producing a uniform field and the earth plane is often a flat sheet interspersed with bolt heads and nuts for various fixings. At the other end of the scale from a uniform field is the point-plane configuration shown in fig. 2.

Uniform Field Derek Goulsbra MV Book

Figure 1: Uniform Field

In this situation, it will be noted that the equipotential field lines are much closer together near the point electrode and spaced further apart as the earth electrode is approached. If the separation of the electrodes is again 10 mm, it will be found that the voltage required to break down the air will be as low as 10 kV, depending upon the sharpness of the point. The reason for this is that as the field lines are close together near the point, the breakdown strength of the air, i.e. 3 MV m-1 will be reached with only a few kV applied. At this point the air breaks down locally to create corona around the needle electrode. There will not be complete breakdown of the gap initially because the electric stress nearer the earth plane is very much lower. The corona produced does, however, ionise the air thus reducing its electric strength and if the voltage is increased further, total breakdown occurs at a much lower level than if the electrodes presented a uniform field.

Corona occurs in many situations without causing complete failure of the system – e.g. on overhead power lines and around insulators on these lines, especially when there is rain or fog in the atmosphere.

Whenever air is used as part of the insulation in electrical equipment, there is the possibility of corona occurring. It is not desirable for this to happen in an enclosed space and thus designers ensure that sharp profiles are eliminated and spacing is adequate to prevent corona at working voltage.

It should be borne in mind that corona in an enclosed piece of switchgear or cable box can, if the humidity is high, create various acids, which will eventually corrode the metal work of the equipment and this must be avoided. It will be shown later that this effect can also be caused by badly installed cable termination.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs

Preview: Medium Voltage Cable Accessories – A Book By Derek Goulsbra

May 29, 2013 by admin

Derek Goulsbra has been heavily involved in product development, failure analysis and engineering and jointer training for over thirty years. His new book, published by Nexans, is a detailed look at the Medium Voltage cable accessories which will be of value to jointers and engineers alike.

The book contains theoretical and practical appraisals on the workings and failure modes of a range of cabling accessories, including separable connectors, terminations, joints and associated components, as well as a practical consideration of cable preparation using present day techniques and tools prior to installing the accessory. Derek rounds the book up with a set of examples of failures which are presented with explanations of how these could have been avoided.

We have been lucky enough to get an early copy of the book and have featured the following teaser from chapters 1 and 2.

Chapter 1 – Introduction

The cables used for electrical distribution until the 1960’s almost exclusively used impregnated paper to insulate the conductors and were usually three core. A change to polymeric insulation then gradually gathered momentum and with it a change in the technology required for cable accessories, although, ironically some of the first dry terminations were developed for paper cable.

Early so-called dry type accessories for polymeric cables were usually of the pushon variety produced from elastomers and used on single core cable. The sound basic technology employed in the early days ensured that such products continue to be supplied today.

Heat shrinkable terminations were introduced in the late 1960’s and had the distinct advantage of being range taking and capable of use on both single and three core cables. Heat shrinkable joints were developed a few years later following the success of terminations and their suitability for both paper and polymeric cables resulted in a major revolution in cable accessory technology. This technology was a complete departure from the previous techniques, which required a cast iron box or lead sheath filled with oil or compound.

Cold shrink products made an appearance a little later and are now proving popular within the industry. The debate as to which system is preferable continues. It is fair to say that the heat shrinkable system is the most versatile and well known, but on single core polymeric cables in particular cold shrink systems are seen to have certain advantages. It is not the intention of the author to express a preference for any one system.

The use of screened elbows to terminate cables is now widely accepted and it will be shown later in the book that this system is theoretically superior to other systems for certain applications.

The early development of dry cable terminations concentrated on three core paper cables in the United Kingdom and single core polymeric cables in the United States of America. The accessories for paper cable were originally developed for paper belted cable rated at 11 kV using heat shrink technology; whilst for polymeric cable elastomeric push on systems were developed principally for 8, 15 and 25 kV.

As with many totally new concepts, it was shown that extensive laboratory development and testing is no substitute for field experience and many of the early terminations failed. The failures were generally not the result of poor installation, as each one was carefully monitored at this stage. The first heat shrinkable terminations developed for paper cable were pole top mounted and therefore exposed to the elements. The materials used were not themselves to blame and the formulation has changed little since that time. Several weak links in the chain were, however, present simple things such as inspection windows in cable lugs allowing water into the termination and the sealant used did not always exclude moisture. However, the major problem was the regular occurrence of breakdown between one core and the lead sheath.

Gradually, as the problems were identified, the weaknesses were eliminated and the products became reliable. At the present time dry type accessories, if installed correctly, will give satisfactory operation for the life of the system. Many terminations installed thirty years ago are still in service today.

As the practices of utilities have change and many of the jointers and engineers have retired, the need to make the installation of accessories less skill sensitive is the main driving force for the manufacturer. However, there are still some fundamental rules which should be obeyed to ensure satisfactory installation and hence trouble free service life.

A constant problem within the industry is the shortage of fully trained jointers to install the ever increasing variety of products in the market place.

The following chapters will examine how accessories work, why they can fail and good practices required ensuring trouble free service. It is hoped that there will be information of interest to engineers and jointers alike which will enable them to better understand the workings of cable accessories and hence reduce the potential for problems at a later stage.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please share it!

Filed Under: Guest Blogs

Considerations When Choosing Cable Glands

May 21, 2013 by admin

There are a number of factors that need to be considered when choosing the correct type of cable glands for industrial applications.

Unnecessary problems, such as time wasted on site can be caused if the glands ordered are the incorrect size or type. These problems can be reduced by paying attention to the following considerations when specifying what glands are required.

Cable Gland Selection Guidelines

For all cables:

  • Determine the type of cable being terminated
  • Identify the construction, size and material properties of the cable used

For armoured cables:

  • Check the material used for cable armouring (Aluminium Wire Armoured and Steel Wire Armoured etc) and specify the gland is manufactured from the correct material. i.e. brass, aluminium, nickel-plating
  • Check the inside diameter of cable against the gland manufacturer specifications
  • Check the outside diameter of the cable
  • Identify the environment of gland installation and consider any corrosion protection requirements
  • Check the ingress protection (IP) rating required by the equipment and application
  • Consider if an entry thread seal is required for IP66 ratings and above
  • Check whether other cable gland accessories are required (locknuts, earth tags etc)
  • Check the gland meets necessary requirements if being installed within Hazardous Areas
  • Identify the equipment entry thread and size and consider if any thread adaptors or converters are required
  • Consider any unused cable entries and specify stopper plugs if needed

It is recommended that extra time for correct and proper cable gland selection be included within a purchasing schedule, in order to reduce the likelihood of inconvenience and time wasting at the critical point of installation.

ETS are happy to assist, at no cost, in carrying out gland selection and sizing in the event of a contractor having a cabling schedule. Please contact our Sales Team for more information about this service.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please share it!

Filed Under: Knowledge

Genuine LSF Gland Shrouds vs Non-Genuine LSF Shrouds

May 14, 2013 by admin

In recent years there has been a massive influx of imported products, such as cable gland shrouds, which claim to have equal characteristics to their traditional counterparts. Our video outlines the difference in quality between genuine LSF gland shrouds and ‘economy’ LSF shrouds.


Transcription:

“The following video clip demonstrates the differences in so called LSF termination components. The first shroud in the video is an imported low smoke alternative, which is marketed by some companies as a cost effective or economy LSF range.

As the demonstration shows, the shroud immediately catches alight emitting a thick black toxic smoke and does not exhibit any self-extinguishing characteristics. This is clearly not LSF. In addition, glands that these shrouds are generally supplied with are inferior in both design a brass content, causing badly fitting components and poor earthing capabilities. If you are asking for an improved LSF termination, is this the quality of material you would expect?

Genuine LSF, low smoke and fume components, are designed to exhibit self extinguishing characteristics, and only emit white, semi-transparent, non-toxic smoke in the event of combustion taking place. This allows fire exit signs to still be visible, enabling trap persons a safe passage through smoke, which contains no poisonous toxins, namely halogens.

This shroud is a genuine LSF Zero Halogen product, as manufactured by CMP Products. It is clearly self extinguishing and emits only white, non-toxic smoke. The material used in the manufacture of these shrouds has been independently tested by London Underground technical services and as such, as been certified for use on both LUL’s network and many other mass transit systems, the world over.

If you request a LSF product, this is the quality of material that you should expect.”

If you would like more information on what makes an LSF cable gland shroud high quality, please leave your comment below.

If you found this article helpful or interesting, please share it!

Filed Under: Products, Video

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