We are increasingly seeing machines relying upon machines in modern production plants, which means that the failure of one seriously impacts upon, if not closes an entire production line. Indeed, as production is increasingly geared to the needs of the final customer, the failure of one component can potentially affect the entire supply chain and have huge implications for your reputation and future business.

Power and data is vital for this smooth operation and when you consider that a typical production plant has thousands of cables, and that just one failed connection could halt the entire production line, it puts the importance of cable protection into perspective.

The problem is that in many applications, the cabling has to face up to some potentially serious hazards. These might include heavy washdown, contact with oil, grease and chemicals, vibration, tensile or pull off strength, impact and/or crushing and much more.

To ensure long term continuity you need to consider the entire cable protection system, both the flexible conduit and the fitting that connects the conduit and cabling to where it terminates.

The first step is to conduct a risk assessment for the application, identify the hazards that the cabling is likely to face and then specify a complete flexible conduit system to ensure the cable’s long-term protection.

Most cabling will be subject to three or four different hazards, but these of course will vary according to the application.  

You also need to consider the magnitude of each hazard to ensure that you get sufficient cable protection at the right price. Applying the principle of TOTEX, cheapest is generally not best when you consider the cost and risk of downtime or failure, but equally you don’t want to over-engineer the solution.

Take for example crush or impact resistance; there is an outdated rule of thumb where the specifier insists on metallic conduit without considering the nature of the hazard faced by the cabling.

The technology for non-metallic conduits has advanced dramatically, meaning that they can generally offer a tough enough solution at a fraction of the price and also offer a simpler to install solution.

For example, Flexicon’s metallic systems range offers compression strengths starting at 45kg/100mm going up to 570kg/100mm, whereas its non-metallic conduits offer compression strength to 150kg/100mm. At face value, many opt for the metallic option, but even when compression strength and crush resistance might be an issue, in all but the most extreme cases, 150kg/100mm – or probably less – is more than adequate.

The point is to identify the hazards and then also consider the degree of each hazard and specify appropriately.

Any cable protection system must also consider the fitting, since it is often the interface between the conduit and the fitting and/or the fitting and the equipment that could be a potential weak link.

Just like flexible conduit, new fitting technology has made great strides over the last few years to help ensure system integrity and continuity.

The new one piece Flexicon Ultra fitting, for example, provides 360^o strength providing a tensile strength to 70kg, the highest levels of anti-vibration and shock protection performance tested to EN 613373 Cat 2. It also features integrated sealing technology to deliver IP ratings of 66, 67,68 (2 bar) and 68 (72h at 1m) and 69.

Correctly specified flexible conduit systems will help keep the production line operational over its life to deliver the uptime that you should aspire to in a modern interconnected world.