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How are electrical cables made?
Electrical cables are the primary method of transmitting electricity to our homes and industries, they are a familiar part of everyday life and are a crucial component to the everyday functionality of people’s lives. This begs the question, how are electrical cables made?
Within this article, we’ll examine how electrical cables are made, the materials they are constructed from and the processes behind their manufacture.
WHAT IS AN ELECTRICAL CABLE MADE OF?
Within this article, we’ll examine how electrical cables are made, the materials they are constructed from and the processes behind their manufacture.
CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL
Conductors are the core component within an electrical cable that is responsible for carrying electrical current. Typically, they are made from materials that have the highest level of conductivity, including copper and aluminium, being a crucial component in how an electrical cable is made.
PROTECTIVE INSULTAROR
Insulation within an electrical cable is a protective material that encases the conductor, designed to prevent electric current from flowing, ensuring that the current is confined to the conductor. These are commonly made from rubber and plastics like PVC, as they act as insulators and prevent current from escaping.
WHAT METALS ARE USED TO MANUFACTURE ELECTRICAL CABLES?
Electrical cables are mainly made of copper. This is the best conductor of electricity, although there are also types of cables that use aluminium or other types of materials of different qualities depending on how it is made.
COPPER
Copper cable has excellent conductive properties, allowing electricity to flow with efficiency and minimal energy loss; therefore it is commonly used as a conductor in electrical cables.
ALUMINIUM
Aluminium cable is lightweight and cost-effective as a conductor, therefore despite having lower conductivity properties than copper, it is often used as a more cost-effective alternative to copper.
HOW ARE POWER CABLES MADE?
By means of an illustrative video, our Top Cable technician explains how an electrical cable is made, from the initial drawing, through the choice of insulation, followed by the phase wiring, the auxiliary protection, the outer sheath and ending with quality control.
Plus other steps such as shipping and aspects of the manufacturing process that ensure it is sustainable and environmentally responsible.
WHAT IS THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF AN ELECTRICAL CABLE?
The manufacturing process of a Medium Voltage cable is divided into seven stages: incoming feed, polymer feed, triple extrusion, thickness control, cross-linking, cooling and collection.
Input power supply
Driver input coils are supplied uninterruptedly, via an input accumulator, ensuring continuous, shutdown-free operation.
Polymer feed
The feeding of the polymers is done entirely through a clean and closed circuit (clean room), ensuring the purity of the materials from the supply packaging to the machine hopper.
Triple extrusion
Extrusion is carried out through a triple layer extrusion head, allowing perfect contact between the semiconductors, insulation and the total absence of foreign elements between them.
Thickness control
The thickness of each extruded layer is continuously monitored by an X-ray measuring head. This ensures both standardised thicknesses and perfect concentricity of the layers.
Cross-linking
The cross-linking of the insulation and semiconductors is carried out in a nitrogen atmosphere, to eliminate the risk of water absorption, through nine independent temperature zones that allow the cross-linking progression to be perfectly adjusted to the characteristics of each material.
Cooling
In this case, the final part of the catenary tube is dedicated to the controlled cooling of the cable already cross-linked. In this way, it is possible to guarantee an optimum temperature at the exit of the tube and during subsequent spooling.
Collection
The collection of the insulated cable is carried out on double winders with an automatic distributor, by means of an auxiliary pull track, which ensures perfect spooling, loop by loop and free of excessive tension.
Electrical cable manufacturing process
You can visualise the manufacturing process of a medium voltage cable in the following video.
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HOW AN ELECTRICAL CABLE IS MADE FAQS
Are there safety checks conducted on cables in the manufacturing process?
During their manufacture, electrical cables undergo a variety of safety checks, which are a crucial stage of the process. These safety checks include conductor resistance checks to ensure the cable conducts electricity sufficiently, along with insulation resistance testing, which ensures the cable insulation keeps electricity encased within the cable.
What is the purpose of insulation in electrical cables?
Insulation is designed to prevent electrical current from leaving the encasement of the electrical cable. This ensures that no electricity can harm the user, increasing the level of safety of the cable.
What is the lifespan of electrical cables?
Typically, electrical cables last from around 40 to 60 years, however depending on the cable quality and how it is made, this can vary by around 10 years above or below.
