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Installation of electric cables, whether it is for a commercial establishment or residential one can be a costly and time-consuming affair. However, it is vitally important from a safety and health perspective, after all no one wants a short circuit to happen. A short circuit unleashes powerful magnetic forces that cause power cables to repel each other which can potentially result in damage to both people and property.
A short-circuit occurs when an extremely high magnitude current flows through a zero voltage fault point, causing the system to overheat and break which can even lead to fire and possible explosion. Apart from the obvious loss of time, money and resources caused due to system downtime, short circuit can cause other potential damage as well. Some short circuits are powerful enough to not only cause entire electrical grids to collapse, but also result in considerable damage to property and people standing nearby. Short circuits can be caused due to internal design or installation faults or by external factors like excessive equipment overload etc.
The good news is that short circuits can be avoided and that too without any heavy investment, by adding high quality cable cleats like Cable cleats to cable installations. Cable cleats are designed to restrain electric cables such that they are able to endure exceptionally high voltage flow without breaking down. Including cable cleats in your electrical installation design from the very initial stage can significantly enhance the safety of your electrical installation. However, property owners tend to seriously underestimate the importance of cable cleats in making electrical installations safer. They continue to be regarded as accessories rather than a vital component of any electrical installation, which means that most electrical installations continue to function without cable cleats altogether. Even where cable cleats are installed, very often property owners do not consider them important enough to make quality their prime considerations and end up trading quality for cost, resulting in installation of poor quality, grossly inadequate cable cleats that can end up causing more damage than good.
Cable Cleats Purpose
The primary purpose of cable cleats is to ensure that cables are fixed, supported and retained in a manner that prevents the cables from getting damaged in the event of a short circuit caused by internal fault or external mechanical overload. Cables cleats have been designed to meet the latest IEC61914:2009 specifications. A rigorous process of quality testing ensures cable cleats are powerful enough to resist high voltage electromagnetic forces to prevent system damage. In short, cable cleats can
- Restrain and support electrical cables and conductors.
- Ease mechanical load on the cable caused by its own weight.
- Ease external mechanical load
Another popular mistake that property owners frequently end up making, especially where cable cleats are not included during the initial design stage itself, is to use just any kind of cable cleat in their electrical management system without bothering to study the specifications. This can prove to be a costly mistake, especially in the event of a short circuit since an inadequate cable cleat can only add to the damage to the electrical system. It is important for property owners to understand that cable cleats are designed to resist specific amount of electromagnetic force, subjecting a cable cleat to an electromagnetic force beyond its capacity can only cause further breakdown in the cable management system.
Cable Cleats Application
Cable cleats, find extensive use in a wide range of applications and industries. They are designed to meet specific cable configuration to ensure the most effective performance, for instance cable cleats used in the automotive industry differ significantly from those used in the offshore drilling industry. BICC manufactures a large range of cable cleats to meet different industry needs, from single cleats to multiply cable bundles to ensure cable cleats are able to restrain and support a wider configuration of electric cable and cable management systems.
BICC is also the leading manufacturer of high quality specialized cable cleats that are not only fire resistant, but show high resistance to chemical exposure as well. They are especially designed to support cables with exceptionally high voltage, which is why BICC has emerged as a trusted name in the cable management industry.
Selecting the Right Cable Cleat
Choosing the right configuration cable cleat is just as important as choosing a high quality cable cleat. Some of the key factors to take into consideration while selecting and installing a cable cleat include:
- Regional Safety Regulations
- Normal operating temperature
- Mechanical Load
- Cable layout
- Short circuit load
- Cable diameter
- Compatibility
Cable Cleats are designed, engineered and rigorously tested to withstand short circuit faults in real world environments. BICC believes safety is paramount which is why we partner with client deployment teams to:
- Understand the industry requirement and cable management specifications before proposing a solution that is able to significantly minimize the risk of short circuit damage.
- Simulate short circuit tests as per client cable design specification
BICC not only ensures you have the right cable cleats, but also provides comprehensive guidelines for installation to ensure a safe, reliable and effective cable management system.
BICC components Limited (BICC) manufactures and distributes a wide range of Industrial Cable Glands, Cable Connectors and Cable Cleats to protect cable damages and cable management systems during a short circuit which designed, engineered and rigorously tested to withstand short circuit faults in real world environments. To know more, visit https://www.bicccomponents.uk.com/. You can also visit https://www.bicccomponents.uk.com/contact-form/ to solve your queries or get a quote or drop an email to info@bicccomponents.uk.com.
