Wires and cables come in many different specifications and models, but many people may not have heard of armored cable. So, what is armored cable? Since it exists, it must have its own function within the cable system. Let's take a look at what armored cable is and what it does.
About Armored Cable
Armored cable consists of conductors made of various materials enclosed in an insulating metal sheath, forming a flexible, solid structure. Armored cables include armored thermocouples, armored RTDs, armored heaters, and armored lead wires. They are primarily used for temperature measurement, signal transmission, and special heating in industries such as chemical engineering, metallurgy, machinery manufacturing, power generation, and scientific testing. Armored thermocouples are the most widely used. To ensure the cable can withstand radial pressure, it uses a double steel tape, intermittently wrapped process, resulting in steel tape armored cable.
Armored cable refers to a cable with a metal armored protective layer. Cable armor typically comes in two types: steel tape armor and steel wire armor.
1) Steel Tape Armor
After cable formation, steel tape is wrapped around the cable core, and then a plastic sheath is extruded. This type of cable is designated by model numbers such as KVV22 for control cable, VV22 for plastic power cable, and SYV22 for communication cable. The two Arabic numerals in the cable model subscript indicate double steel tape armor. The first "2" indicates a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheath. If polyethylene sheathing is used, the "2" can be replaced with a "3." This type of cable is generally used in applications with high load bearing capacity, such as crossing highways, public squares, and along roads and railways with high vibration levels. It is suitable for underground, tunnel, and conduit installation.
2) Steel Wire Armor
To enable the cable to withstand high axial tension, multiple low-carbon steel wires are wrapped around the cable, resulting in a steel wire armored cable.
After cable formation, steel wire is wrapped around the core at the required pitch and then extruded into a sheath. This type of cable is designated by model numbers such as control cable KVV32, plastic cable VV32, and coaxial cable HOL33. The two Arabic numerals in the model number indicate fine steel wire armor. The first "3" indicates fine steel wire armor, while the second "2" indicates polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheath, and the second "3" indicates polyethylene (PE) sheath. This type of cable is generally used in applications with large spans and significant installation height differences.
Functions of Armored Cable
1. The purpose of armoring cables is not only to enhance mechanical protection such as tensile and compressive strength to extend service life, but also to improve the cable's anti-interference performance through shielding.
2. Commonly used armoring materials include steel tape, steel wire, aluminum tape, and aluminum tube. Steel tape and steel wire armor have high magnetic permeability and provide excellent magnetic shielding, effectively preventing low-frequency interference. They also enable direct burial of armored cables without conduit, are cost-effective, and are widely used.
3. Armored cable: A mechanical protective layer can be added to any cable structure to increase its mechanical strength and improve its corrosion resistance. This special cable is designed for areas susceptible to mechanical damage and erosion. It can be laid in any manner and is particularly suitable for direct burial in rocky areas.
3. In simpler terms, armored cable refers to underground wires and cables used for power transmission. The purpose of adding armor to power transmission cables is not only to enhance mechanical protection through tensile and compressive strength to extend service life, but also to provide resistance to external forces and prevent rodents from gnawing through the armor, causing power transmission problems. The armor requires a large bend radius, and the armor layer can be grounded to protect the cable.
The above is a very detailed overview of armored cable, and you should have a good understanding after reading it. It's easy to see that armored cable offers significant performance advantages over other cable specifications.
