• • • CABLES • • •
The importance of careful cable management
consideration It wasn’t that long ago that you’d find expensive cable management systems with cables installed, operational and apparently secured using cheap cable ties rather than cable cleats
and installing cable management products. From our perspective as a leading manufacturer
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of cable glands, cleats and accessories, we do have very specific areas of expertise within the cable management arena – namely the operational safety of the system once installed and the delivery of the peace of mind that it won’t cause untold damage in a short circuit situation. It is, however, worth noting that any element of a
cable management system needs to be carefully considered, and products selected, chosen wisely. Whether it be a choice between cable ladder or tray; the depth of channel; the chosen product’s weight bearing capacity; the cable formation or corrosion resistant capabilities etc. One wrong choice or the selection of an unproven product made on price alone could undermine an entire system and lead to costly maintenance, repairs and possible catastrophic failure. When it comes to cable cleats and working with
CMP, we always aim to get across the key fact that their importance must never be underestimated. Cable cleats are safety critical products that need to be correctly specified to safely secure electrical cables not only during normal operating conditions, but also ensuring they are able to withstand extreme dynamic electromagnetic forces during a short circuit without sheath damage.
hankfully, things have moved on a great deal since those dangerous days, but there are still plenty of pitfalls to beware of when specifying
By Lee Frizzell, Technical Director, CMP Products Effective cleating of cables by
using a tested, proven product ensures the continuation of potentially vital electrical supplies and prevents cables leaping out of their containment systems during a short circuit, which would pose a very real threat to the building’s integrity and the lives of those in the vicinity of the affected installation. Put simply, for any
electrical installation to be deemed safe, cables need to be protected and restrained by devices proven to withstand the forces the cables generated, especially during a short circuit. This is exactly what our cable cleats are designed and tested to do. There are a variety of things to consider when
specifying cable cleats, but two key points that could make all the difference are:
• Trust – there are lots of cable cleats out there and it’s fair to say they can look very similar and claim to have very similar attributes. Therefore, it’s important to specify with confidence. You’d think twice about buying an expensive new phone from an unknown telecoms manufacturer, so don’t do the same with cable cleats. Look at the company behind the product, their technical expertise, the post-sales support they offer, where else have their cleats been used and if any of the installations are similar.
• Testing – Will the cable cleats you’re considering be up to the job? Some manufacturers will highlight the strength of their products based solely on a static mechanical tensile test. Unfortunately, this can be misleading as the forces applied in this type of test are applied in a slow and controlled manner, unlike in a
short-circuit fault, where dynamic forces are applied almost instantaneously and oscillate in every direction. A short circuit test really is the only reliable way of
14 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • SEPTEMBER 2025
everything from operating temperatures to UV and corrosion resistance. And when it comes to fire resistance, cable cleats must have the same flame retardancy as the cable they’re securing. When it comes to improving electrical safety, it’s
imperative that every potential step is taken to ensure the systems are the most robust they possibly can be. As such, suitably proven cable management products need to be given careful consideration so that they don’t become the weak link in the system, causing operational failure and tarnishing reputations.”
www.cmp-products.com
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
knowing a cable cleat can withstand a specific set of fault conditions and is essential for anyone,
anywhere to specify with confidence. Trust and testing carry over into cable glands and accessories, where they really should be at the heart of every specification decision. Also necessary for
consideration across the cable management spectrum, are the environment of the installation and fire
safety properties of the products. For
environmental compatibility, you must consider
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