Armoured Cable

The specific armoured cable you need depends entirely on your project location, installation environment, and electrical load.

By Region: If you are working on a North American project, you will likely need Type MC or ACWU90 (Aluminum Interlocked Armour) compliant with UL/CSA. For UK, European, or global projects following IEC standards, SWA (Steel Wire Armour) is the industry standard. For Australia or New Zealand, you will need AS/NZS 5000.1 Circular Orange SWA cables.

By Application: Use SWA for underground burial or vertical drops where high pulling tension is expected. Use STA (Steel Tape Armour) if the cable is exposed to surface crushing risks or traffic but minimal pulling tension. Always consult your electrical blueprint or a certified engineer to verify the exact phase and insulation requirements.

Installing armoured cable requires careful planning to maintain mechanical integrity and electrical safety:

1. Route Planning: Ensure the path avoids sharp edges and allows you to maintain the manufacturer’s specified minimum bending radius (typically 6 to 12 times the cable’s overall diameter).
2. Support and securing: For lines above ground, use heavy-duty, appropriately sized cable clamps or cable clips to secure the cables to walls, cable trays, or structural beams. The cable clamps or cable clips should be spaced at regular intervals.
3. Protection: When laying the cable underground, dig a trench, clear it of sharp rocks, lay a protective bed of sand, place the cable, cover it with more sand, and place an electrical warning tape above it before backfilling.
4. Safety Check: Always ensure the metal armour layer is properly bonded to the earth at the termination points to provide a safe fault path.

Armoured cable is engineered for heavy-duty power and signal transmission in environments prone to mechanical damage, moisture, or chemical exposure. Common applications include:

• Underground Distribution: Main power supplies running from substations into commercial, residential, or industrial buildings.
• Harsh Industrial Environments: Wiring inside manufacturing plants, chemical processing facilities, refineries, and deep mining operations.
• Outdoor Infrastructure: Powering street lighting, rail networks, external security systems, and renewable energy sites like solar farms.
• High-Risk Zones: Public buildings and transit systems where enhanced physical protection and low-smoke, zero-halogen (LSZH) safety are required.

No, in most standard installations, armoured cable does not require an external conduit. The built-in metal armor layer (whether it is metal wire, tape or interlocking aluminum) can act as a flexible, continuous conduit to safely absorb impacts, pressure, and rodent attacks. However, you should still use a protective pipe or conduit in exceptional circumstances, such as when routing the cable directly underneath a high-traffic roadway or passing through concrete foundations where future replacement might be necessary.

Termination must be done using a matching industrial cable gland (such as a BW gland for dry indoor use or a CW gland for weatherproof outdoor applications) to guarantee mechanical security and electrical grounding:

1. Strip back the outer sheath to expose the required length of metal armour.
2. Cut back the individual armor wires evenly using a specialized cutting tool or hacksaw.
3. Pass the cable through the cable gland assembly, ensuring the gland’s internal cone slides underneath the armor layer while the outer ring clamps firmly over the outside of the wires.
4. Tighten the gland completely to lock the armor in place. This creates a secure, metal-to-metal connection that bonds the armor to the earth terminal of your enclosure.
5. Strip the inner bedding and conductor insulation, then crimp or screw the wires into your terminal blocks.

The correct cable size depends on three main factors:

• Current load – how much current the devices will draw
• Run length – longer distances increase voltage drop and may require a larger cable
• Acceptable voltage drop – typically limited to 3-5%, depending on the application.

Here’s a general size guide:

For longer lines, voltage drop should be considered and the dimensions increased accordingly. Using a professional cable calculator can help determine the exact size needed.

The cost of armoured cable is highly dynamic and depends on three main variables:

• Global Commodity Prices: Because copper and aluminum are the primary conductors, global market fluctuations on exchanges like the LME directly impact daily manufacturing costs.
• Cable Specification: Multi-core cables, larger cross-sections (mm² or AWG), medium-voltage ratings (6kV–35kV), and specialized LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) outer jackets cost more than standard low-voltage PVC cables.
• Order Volume: Bulk procurement for major infrastructure projects qualifies for significant factory-direct wholesale discounts.
• Tip for Buyers: Contact our sales team with your exact project bill of materials (BOM) to receive an accurate, up-to-date commercial quote.

To connect armoured cable safely to a junction box or distribution board, follow these practical steps:

1. Ensure the junction box is constructed of heavy-duty material (metal enclosures are ideal for grounding; robust IP-rated plastic boxes require an internal earth continuity plate).
2. Punch out or drill a hole matching the thread size of your industrial cable gland.
3. Terminate the cable using the correct gland, ensuring the armor wires are clamped securely within the gland body.
4. Insert the gland thread through the box entry hole and lock it tightly from the inside using a brass locknut and an earth tag (fly-lead).
5. Connect the earth tag directly to the main grounding busbar of the system, then wire the phase and neutral conductors into the internal terminal block.

Yes, direct burial is one of the primary design purposes of armoured cable. Heavy-duty cables like standard multi-core SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) or North American ACWU90 lines feature specialized, rugged outer jackets (PVC or polyethylene) that resist moisture, soil chemicals, rot, and fungi. The internal metal armor protects the electrical cores from soil shifting, stone abrasion, and accidental impacts from hand tools during future landscaping or maintenance.

The required burial depth varies according to national wiring regulations, but standard engineering practices generally mandate:

• Walkways and Gardens: A minimum depth of 600 mm (24 inches) to keep the cable well clear of common gardening tools, aerators, and shallow excavation work.
• Roadways and Driveways: A minimum depth of 750 mm to 900 mm (30 to 36 inches) to protect the cable from the continuous structural stress and vibrations caused by heavy vehicle traffic.
• Installation Rule: Always place a visible, brightly colored plastic warning tape roughly 150 mm to 300 mm above the cable layer during the backfilling process to alert future excavators before they reach the live line.

The cable itself is highly water-resistant and suitable for continuously damp soils, but it is not inherently waterproof at its connection points. The extruded outer plastic jacket prevents water from penetrating the internal cores along the length of the run. However, the ends of the cable—where it is cut open for termination—are completely vulnerable. To ensure a waterproof installation, you must use high-quality, outdoor-rated weatherproof cable glands (such as CW or E1W glands) combined with IP66 or IP68 rated junction boxes, seals, and shrouds to prevent moisture tracking into the system.