We're most familiar with cables used for electrical appliances or home communications. Today, I'll explain armored cables, primarily used in chemical, metallurgical, and mechanical manufacturing. Armored cables consist of conductors of various materials enclosed in an insulating metal sheath, forming a flexible, solid structure. They come in many different sizes and serve many different purposes.
Armored Cable Classification
Armor is categorized into steel tape armor (22, 23), fine steel wire armor (32, 33), and coarse steel wire armor (42, 43).
Steel-belt armored cables include VV22, VVP22, ZRVV22, and NH-VV2.
Steel-belt armored control cables include KVV22, KVVP2, KVVP22, and ZR-KVV22.
Steel-wire armored power cables include VV32, YJV32, and ZR-VV32.
Steel-wire armored control cables include KVV32 and KVVP32.
Armored communication cables include HYA53, HYAT53, HYA23, HYV22, and HYA22 (rodent-proof, buried).
Meanings of armored cable models
To ensure the cable can withstand radial pressure, a double steel-belt, gap-wrap process is used, resulting in a steel-belt armored cable. After cable assembly, the steel-belt is wrapped around the cable core, and then a plastic sheath is extruded.
This type of cable is designated by model numbers such as control cable KVV22, plastic cable VV22, and communication cable SYV22. The two Arabic numerals in the cable model subscript indicate double steel tape armor and a polyvinyl chloride 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 installation, tunnels, and pipe installation.
To ensure the cable can withstand high axial tension, it is wrapped with multiple low-carbon steel wires, resulting in a steel wire armored cable. After cable assembly, the steel wires are wrapped around the core at the required pitch, and then the sheath is extruded. 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; 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 installation heights.
II. Applications of Armored Cables
Armored cables are mechanically protected and can be added to any cable structure to increase mechanical strength and improve corrosion resistance. They are designed for telephone cables in areas susceptible to mechanical damage and corrosion. They can be laid in any manner and are particularly suitable for direct burial in rocky areas.
Armored cables are generally used for fixed-layout power cables. In layman's terms, they are fixed in place and rarely move, transmitting electrical energy.
In addition to the above, armoring cables also enhance mechanical protection, such as tensile and compressive strength, and extend their service life. The armor provides a certain degree of resistance to external forces and protects against rats, preventing them from penetrating the armor and causing power transmission problems. The armor should have a large bending radius and be grounded to protect the cable.
Foreign armored cable production is primarily concentrated in a few relatively developed countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, and Russia. Southeast Asia lacks manufacturers. However, wherever there are industries such as chemical, metallurgical, mechanical manufacturing, and power generation, temperature measurement is essential, and armored cables are needed.
III. The Function of Armored Cables
Armored cables are cables with a metallic armored protective layer. The purpose of adding armor is not only to enhance mechanical protection such as tensile and compressive strength, extending service life, but also to improve the cable's anti-interference performance through shielding.
Common armoring materials include steel strips, steel wires, aluminum strips, and aluminum tubes. Steel strips and steel wires have high magnetic permeability and provide excellent magnetic shielding, which can be used to suppress low-frequency interference. They also allow for direct burial of armored cables without conduit, are cost-effective, and are widely used.
Armored cables can be added to any cable structure to increase mechanical strength and improve corrosion resistance. They are specialized cables designed for areas susceptible to mechanical damage and corrosion. For example, Zhujiang Cable's XLPE-insulated, steel-tape-armored, and PE-sheathed power cables combine the excellent electrical performance of XLPE cables with armor, allowing them to be laid in any installation method. They are suitable for indoor installation, tunnels, cable trenches, and direct burial underground (burial depth: ≥0.7m above ground level). The cables are also capable of withstanding certain mechanical forces.
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 prevent rodents from gnawing on them and causing power transmission problems. The armor has a large bending radius and provides grounding protection for the cable.
The wide variety of armored cable types and applications further demonstrates the importance of wires and cables in our daily lives. Therefore, our knowledge of wires and cables should go beyond just understanding everyday electrical wiring; we must deepen our understanding of them.
