Cable Tray system is used as an alternate to conduit wiring system for cable management in industrial and commercial applications. In any big industrial or commercial site there are a large number of heavy power cables required to be routed and has to travel some good distances and in different type of environments. In normal cases we have another system known as cable conduit management where less number of cables is laid through some closed conduits while Cable Trays are used where large number of wires is to be handled with a probaiblity of frequent alterations. These conduits can be fixed along the walls, roof and floor or can go underground also.
Cable Conduit Management is appropriate at places where the cabling requirements are almost fixed and a very few alteration is possible because once the cables and wires are laid through a pipe it is very difficult to add or remove any new. In case of any such alterations we need to open the conduit pipes and may have to disturb the decor of walls, floor or ceiling making it costly as well as time consuming task also. This is more difficult in the case of underground type where these conduits are concealed behind structure. Also this solution is made for less number of cables to be managed in a less area and with a normal environment.
When talking about the industrial sites we know that we have to handle a large number of power and communication cables spread over a very large area. Under such conditions this is also obvious that the frequency of alteration of cables and wires will be much more. Due to heavy power applications there are always chances of shutdowns and wires need to be rectified, removed or replaced at the earliest. Also looking at he different climatic condition at any such site, these cables may have to pass through an air-conditioned area or outdoor or in areas with heavy temperatures. In addition to these since the number of cables are too large the laying channel must be such to provide sufficient support to the cables.
Looking at conduit management system's limitations we need a a special type of open laying approach for cable management and ACble Trays were the perfect solutions. Cable trays are generally available in both types - solid bottom as well as ventilated bottom and are made of galvanized or stainless steel, aluminum or reinforced plastic. Solid bottom trays have the maximum strength to support but on the same time it is a kind of rigid structure as cutting required for entry or exit of the wires.
The Ventilated Cable Tray has ventilated base or bottom through which wires and cables can be entered or taken out from any point without any alteration like cutting tray. This ventilated structure also provides a proper air circulation and prevents from water or dust from accumulation in these trays and spoiling cables laid in it. These trays may be open from upper side or may use a solid cover for further securing them from dust, water or any other objects falling on it. For outdoor uses a peaked type cover can be used for prevention from water and snow. Cable Trays are also made of wire mesh for applications where lighter cable and wires are to be used for telecom or data cable used for computer networking.
These cable trays are available in common sizes of 4” to 12’ and can be added to find any desired shape and size. For giving bends on the same plane there are different pre made angles like T Junction, Right Angle junction or Four Way junctions with help of which any type of routing is possible. We also have choices of shapes like L, T or X shaped cable trays which can be mixed and matched for any customized needs. If a smaller section has to be taken out from main, broader, cable tray then another type of joint called reducer is used to join cable trays of 2 different sizes.
These cable trays can be installed through walls, floor or ceiling as per our requirements. To prevent from fire or flames in any specific condition, Fire Retardant Cable Jackets are used or alternatively fire proof coating can be applied to the installed cables. Since any external coating on cable may restrict the normal heat dissipation from it in case of power transmission cable carrying high current so it should be taken care. This open type of cable management system can be maintained very easily through normal housekeeping practices in normal conditions.
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