• • • CABLING & CABLE MANAGEMENT • • •
performance of the cable product. Third party cable assessment comes in to play at the production stage of the cable, as detailed initial compliance and ongoing surveillance testing will be undertaken to ensure consistent conformity to the standards. Some cable designs, however, do not have any referenceable standards so a base level of quality cannot be achieved in line with industry requirements and also during the manufacture, which is comparable with other products. If we take for example the ranges of YY SY and CY cables, commonly referred to as control cables, these cables fall within this criterion. Product certification of control cables is a testing programme which has recently been designed by BASEC, to help support the industry with common faults and address the inability to find three identical products in the market. BASEC is working with control cable manufacturers to deliver the first approvals and drive consistent levels of quality through standardisation, which in turn should also work to improve product safety. The selection process of materials required to
manufacture cables can directly impact the failure rate of the product. If, for example, the materials selected for the cable sheath do not match the performance criteria required for the end application, which could be UV protection; the cable could start to prematurely age in its intended outdoor application. Once the design of the cable product has been
confirmed, production will begin. The settings used for each process will also have an impact on the quality of the cable product. The below two examples explain what could occur if the wrong settings were used for the specific processes outlined: i. Setup of sheath processing equipment – if
the extrusion, tip, die and temperature profiles are set up incorrectly this may lead to the extruded thickness not meeting the requirements specified in the design. The extruded layer may then not exhibit the required mechanical performance, such as tensile strength at elongation.
ii. Stranding processes - if the input wire
diameter, applied tension and compaction ratio are set up incorrectly this may lead to the product weight and d.c. resistance not meeting the requirements specified in the design. The manufacturer has an important role to play at
the quality assurance stage as they must frequently take routine and sample testing to assess quality as the cable product is going through each stage of the manufacturing process. Finally, in order to independently prove complete
cable assessment BASEC, as a third-party certification body offers rigorous testing to assess each material component of the cable. This enables end users to be sure of product quality prior to purchasing. Testing includes mechanical and electrical assessments to check conformity to the cable specification and typically includes testing of tensile strength, conductor resistance, voltage and flex. If the cable is not produced using materials that can meet the test parameters this could lead to it breaking more easily when stretched, or contaminants may be found in the insulation materials. In addition, chemical and fire testing is also conducted and is key to determining how resistant the cable material is when it comes into contact with chemicals and how it performs,
plus the volume of smoke it emits when the cable is set alight.
DISTRIBUTION, HANDLING AND INSTALLATION
During this stage of the supply chain, the responsibility for ensuring the quality of the cable product shifts to those who handle, store and install it. Even if the product has been manufactured to the highest levels of quality, handling and installation which is not in line with best practice could cause damage to the cable, in turn impacting the performance outcomes required by end users. In order to enable you to ensure cable quality has
been maintained from manufacturer to supplier, BASEC approved Registered Stockist status is now being awarded to suppliers, distributors and wholesalers of cable. The scheme is focused on assessing supplier practices and as part of this process cable samples are taken for market surveillance testing. Five steps are involved for a supplier to gain the
Registered Stockist status: 1. Application to BASEC 2. Process and management systems auditing a. b. c. d.
Stock handling Traceability of products
Goods receiving and source monitoring Cutting, reeling and storage
3. Cable samples selected from stockist for testing 4. Testing 5. Registered Stockist status awarded The scheme is designed to provide evidence that
during the shipment and supply that the quality of your cable products has not been compromised. Adding an additional layer of reassurance to protect your project installs and the reputations of those involved in the manufacture, supply and specification of the cable product. To conclude, the way in which a cable is initial
designed, manufactured and matched with the end application can make a big difference to ensuring a quality product is delivered to the end user. However, the responsibility for maintained levels of quality falls equally across all parties involved with supply of the cable from manufacturer, through the supply chain to end installation and commissioning. Care taken at every stage of the supply process, from all parties, is essential to making a cable great.
BASEC 01908 267 300
basec.org.uk
14 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • NOVEMBER 2020
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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