The Difference Between Control Cable and Power Cable and Matters Needing Attention in Installation

With the continuous expansion of power industry, data communication industry, urban rail transit industry, automobile industry and shipbuilding industry, the demand for wire and cable will also increase rapidly, and wire and cable industry has great developmental potential in the future. So what is the difference between control cable and electrical power cable?

The definition of the control cable and the electrical power cable

Control cables are PVC insulated and PVC sheathed control cables suitable for industrial and mining enterprises, energy and transportation departments, control and protection circuits with AC rated voltage below 450/750 volts, etc.

Electrical power cable is used to transmit and distribute high-power electric energy in the trunk line of the power system, and control cables directly transmit electric energy from the distribution points of the power system to the power connection lines of various electric appliances. The rated voltage of power cable is generally 0.6/1kV and above, and the control cable is mainly 450/750V. When electrical power cables and control cables of the same specification are produced, the insulation and sheath thickness of electrical power cables is thicker than that of control cables.

The differences between the electrical power cables and the control cables

The cross section of the control cable is generally not more than 10 square meters, and the electrical power cables are mainly used to transmit power, and it is generally a large cross section.

Control cables belong to electrical equipment cables, and electrical power cables are two of the five categories of cables.

The color of the insulated core of the control cable is generally black with white characters, and the low-voltage power cable is generally color-separated.

As far as the number of cable cores is concerned, according to the requirements of the power grid, the maximum number of electrical power cables is generally 5 cores, while the control cables are used to transmit control signals, with a larger number of cores, which is 61 cores according to the criteria, but the numbers of which can also be flexibly produced according to the requirements of users.

Precautions of the control cable installation

When installed on the outer wall,avoid direct sunlight on the wall and man-made damages. The temperature of control cables in metal pipes or trunking is very high, and many polymer materials will reduce the service life under this temperature.

When installed under the eaves, the standard LAN cable can be used only when the control cable is not directly exposed to sunlight or ultra-high temperature, so it is recommended to use pipelines. Do not use cables without UV protection in direct sunlight.

When installed Inside the pipes (plastic or metal). For example, in pipes, pay attention to the damages of plastic pipes and the heat conduction of metal pipes. The repair of optical cable is very expensive, requiring at least two terminations at each break point.

When installed in the cable trench. Control cables can be laid directly in underground cable trench, this environment comes with the smallest control range. The installation of cable trench should be checked regularly for dryness or humidity. If the shielding layer of the control cable needs to be grounded, the corresponding standards must be observed.

Suspended application/overhead cables. Consider the sag and pressure of the cables, and whether the cable is directly exposed to sunlight or not.

Underground pipelines. In order to facilitate the future upgrade, it is a better method to control the replacement of cables and isolate them from the surface pressure and the surrounding environment, and to isolate them with auxiliary pipelines. But don't put much hopes that the pipeline will remain dry forever, which will affect the choice of cable types.