WhyShouldYouSpecifyCableGlands?

Howoftenhaveweheard:
"Wedon'tspecifyCableGlands,aslongastheyhavetherelevantcertificationthenitmustbefitforpurpose"."Weleaveittocontractortosortout"."Wearetoobusy
concentratingonthehighvalue,longleadtimeitemstobotheraboutsuchaninsignificantvalueproduct".
InarecentpaperpresentedattheHazardExconferencebyaSeniorManagerofCENELECStandardsInspections,itwasstated,"Resourcesshouldbedirectedateliminating
thefollowingcommonfaults:

Unauthorisedmodifications.
badlymadeofforunsuitablecableentrydevices.
Corrosion.
Itwentontosaythatoutofthesethreefactors,themostcommonfaultwasbadinstallationofCableGlands.Thepaperwasspecificallyreferringtomaintenanceprocedures,
butthiscouldequallybeappliedtonewinstallations.
IncorrectspecificationandinstallationcombinedwiththelackofabilitytoinspecttheCableGlandinit'soperableconditioncancauseequipmentfailureandcorrosionof
cablearmourandbraid.Thesafetyrisksinherentinthisisincalculable,asistheconsequentiallossofproduction.
ThisstatementaloneshouldbeenoughreasonwhyspecificationofCableGlandsisanimportantdecision.JustrelyingonthefactthataCableGlandhasacertificate"fitfor
purpose"isnotenough.

SoWhatShouldYouTakeIntoAccountWhenSpecifyingTheCableGland?
CertificationandSelection
Ofcourse,itisvitalthatthecorrectCableGlandisselectedandiscertifiedasappropriateforthehazardousareainwhichitistobeused.Weprovidetechnicalinformationin
ourCableGlandcatalogueandalsosupplyaCableGlandselectionsoftwareapplicationtotakethespecifierstepbystepthroughtheprocessofselection.Ifstillindoubtour
TechnicalDepartmenthasateamofexperiencedengineerstoassist.ButjustrelyingonaCableGlandthatiscertifiedforthetypeofprotectionthatisrequired(e.g."fitfor
purpose")isnotenough.

IngressOfMoisture
OneofthemostimportantfeaturesofaCableGlandiseliminationofmoistureingress,notonlyintotheequipment,butalsointothearmourclampingareaoftheCable
Glanditself.Wateringressintothisareahasbeenshowntocausecatastrophiccorrosionofcablearmourandbraids,withtheassociatedcostsofnewcablinganddowntime.IP
ratingsgiveaguidetoprotectionofwateranddustingressintotheequipmentbutnotnecessarilyintotheCableGlanditself.

DTS01
In1991ShellUKrecognisedthatIPratingsarenotnecessarilysufficienttomeettheharshconditionsfoundinmanyhazardousareainstallationsanddevelopedafarmore
demandingtestDTS01toeliminatewateringressunderthermalcyclinganddelugeconditions.WehavetakenShell'sDTS01testonestepfurtherandourDTS01test
certificateisextendedtoshownowateringressintothearmourclampingareaoftheCableGlandwhenfittedwithadelugeseal.Thisisclearlyanissuewhenspecifying
CableGlands.NotallCableGlandmanufacturerstestcertificatescoveringressprotectionintothearmourclampingarea,nordotheycoverthefulloperatingtemperature
rangeforwhichtheyhavebeencertifiedforuse.

Seals
CableGlandsealsperformtwofunctions:

Preventstheproductsofanexplosionreachingtheoutsideatmosphereifanexplosionoccursinsidetheenclosure.
StopswateranddustingressintotheequipmentandCableGland.

SealMaterials
VarioussealmaterialsareusedbydifferentCableGlandmanufacturers,butingeneraltheyfallintotwocategories:

Thermoset(TSE)Thesematerialsarecrosslinked(vulcanised)duringthemouldingprocesswiththeapplicationofheatandpressure.Once
formed,theywillnot'melt'andwillexhibitoptimumsealingpropertiesoverawiderangeoftemperatures.
Thermoplastic(TPE)AlthoughmuchcheapertomanufacturethanTSEsealsthey'melt'whenheatedandtheirsealingpropertiesdeteriorateas
operatingtemperaturesincrease.Idealforappliancefeet,softtouchknobsandhandles,theyarenotrecommendedforcriticalsealingapplications.
TSE'sontheotherhand,arefarmoresuitableforCableGlandsealsandaretheonlymaterialsusedbyHawkeInternationalinourrangeofcompressionanddiaphragmCable
Glandseals.TSE'shavebetterelasticpropertiesoverawiderrangeoftemperatures,e.g.:
Compressionset(recoveryfromdeformation),thetestisdoneusuallyatelevatedtemperaturesandatestpieceissquashedinaclampby25%ofit'sthickness,leftinanoven
for3days,attheendofwhichthesampleislefttorecoveratambienttemperature.Thedifferencebetweentheoriginalthicknessandthenewthickness(theset)isexpressed
asapercentageoftheamountitwassquashedbyagoodTSEwillshowacompressionset%oflessthana3rdofthatshownbyeventhebestTPE.
TheageingresistanceofTSE'sisbetter,particularlyozone,UV,oxidisationresistanceandweatheringresistance.ThechemicalandoilresistanceofTSE'scanbeinfinitely
better.ThetemperatureresistanceofTSE'sismuchbetter.Forexample,siliconeTSE(usedinHawke'srearsealsandinthe453/Universaldiaphragmseal)hasamaximum
intermittentoperatingtemperatureof300C,whereasmostTPE'ssoftenappreciablyat100C.Siliconewilloperateeffectivelyat60C,whereasthebestTPEworksat
40C.Flameresistanceisbetter,siliconehastheadditionalbenefitofbeinglowsmokeandfumeandzerohalogen.

CableTolerancesAndConstruction

Cablecostsaresignificantinahazardousareainstallationandwehaveseenmovestoreducecostsbyreducingspecificationandtolerancesofthecables.HawkeInternational
CableGlandsemployarearsealingsystemwithanextremelywidetolerancerange,whichtakesintoconsiderationvariationincablediametersalongit'slengthanddoesaway
withtheneedtospecifyCableGlandswithspecialouterseals.

ColdFlow
TherearealsorequirementsforsomecablestobeflameresistantorflameretardantinaccordancewithIEC60331andIEC60332.Manyofthesecablesexhibitcoldflow
oftheinnersheathbedding.Thatis,thematerialwillflowawayfrompressureappliedtoit,suchasthatofaCableGlandinnersealofthecompressionordisplacementtype,
hencecreatinganinefficientseal.ThecodeofpracticeEN6007914/IEC6007914Clause10.2notesclearlystatesthataCableGlandemployingacompression
(displacement)sealshouldnotbeusedoncableexhibiting"coldflowcharacteristics".Hawke's501/453/UniversalCableGlandusesadiaphragminnersealthatcomplieswith
thisrequirementinthecodeofpractice,inthatitexertsminimalpressureonthecablesinnersheath.ItdoesnotcausecoldflowbutmaintainsIPandexplosion
requirements.

CorrectInstallation
OnlytrainingoftheCableGlandinstallerinthecorrectpracticeofinstallationcanensurethattheCableGlandwillfunctioncorrectly.Mostreputablecontractorsensurethat
theirpersonnelhavebeenfullytrainedandinmanycases,itisarequirementthattheyholdacertificatefromarecognisedtrainingauthoritysuchasCompEx.However,in
someregionsoftheworld,thisisnotsostringent,thereforeitisimportantthattheCableGlandselectedhasbeendesignedwitheaseofinstallationinmind,thateveryCable
Glandcomeswithdetailedinstallationinstructionsandiseasytoinspectateachstageoftheinstallationoperation.WehavedesignedourCableGlandswithminimum
components,ease,speedandsimplicityofinstallation.

SafetyThroughInspectability
Safetyisofprimeimportanceonhazardousareainstallations.Safetydependsonmanyfactors,someofwhichhavealreadybeendiscussed.Inspectabilityofequipmentalso
playsakeypartinsafety.CanallthesafetyfeaturesoftheCableGlandbeinspected,preferablyeasily?WehavedevelopedCableGlandsthatanswerYestothisquestion.All
ourCableGlandscanbeeasilydisassembledtoallowvisualinspectionofthearmourclampingarrangement.Inadditionthe501/453/Universalallowsinspectionoftheinner
sealonthecablesheathandtheICG653/UniversalintheonlybarrierCableGlandonthemarketthatallowsfullinspectionandifnecessary,repairofthecuredcompound
withoutdestroyingtheCableGland.Andfinallytherearsealingarrangementanddelugesealcanbeinspectedintheiroperableposition.

WhyYouShouldSpecifyCableGlands
Ifyouareinterestedinsafety,reliabilityandthelowestlifetimecostthroughreduceddowntimeandlossofproductionofyourplant,thenyoushouldtakethetimeto
considerspecifyingthefeaturesyourequirefromyourCableGland.

Specification
Insummary,whatkeyfeaturesduringspecificationofCableGlandsshouldyoubeconsidering?
ThemostcommonfaultexperiencedonhazardousareainstallationsisincorrectselectionandbadinstallationofCableGlands.

WillaCableGlandthatiscertified"fitforpurpose"meetallyourrequirements?
Therearenecessaryfeaturesthatarenotcoveredinthecertificationprocess.DoestheCableGlandmeetyourrequirementsforingressofdustand
moisture?
DoesithaveatestcertificatecoveringthedelugerequirementsofDTS01foringressintotheequipmentandintothearmourclampingarrangement
oftheCableGland?
WilltheCableGlandsealsgivelonglifeandprotectionfromwateringressunderthetypicalheatcyclingandoperationalconditionsonsite?
AretheyproducedfromthebestThermoset(TSE)material?
WilltheCableGlandsealingrangecopewiththecablediametertoleranceswithouttheneedforspecialseals?
IstheCableGlandsuitableforuseoncablesthatexhibitcoldflowcharacteristicsandinlinewiththecodeofpracticeIEC/EN6007914Clause
10.2?
IstheCableGlandfastandeasytoinstallwithminimumpartsandclearassemblyinstructions?
WilltheCableGlandenhancesafetyonyoursitethrougheaseofinspection?
Carefulconsiderationshouldbepaidtotheseissuesastheyarenottakenintoconsiderationduringcertification.Acertificatedoesnotmeantheyarefitforyourpurpose.
CorrectselectionandspecificationofCableGlandswillreducecostsduringinitialinstallationandthroughoutthelifeoftheinstallation.

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