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Cable management for mining projects

Safe and Effective Cable Performance

The most important aspect in mining-specific cable management is the competency of the company that provides the solution – delivering quality products and to the highest possible standards of installation and workmanship.

In contemporary mining as well as other industries, cables are used for data transmission and supplying electricity. However, cables can only serve their purpose safely and effectively if they are well managed.

A sum of many parts

While cable management is a broad discipline, sound cable management can best be described as a sum of many parts, involving the getting the products, workmanship and installation right. Each of these elements has to be optimal. Otherwise, any lapse is bound to have implications on performance in specific applications in environments in which cables are deployed in mining. Cable failure of any kind can result in equipment downtime, which can result in loss of productivity and revenue loss, as well as fire accidents or electric shock. These are two incidents which should be avoided at all costs.

What constitutes cable management systems?

Mining Business Africa conducted a survey of some of the major suppliers of cable management systems to companies operating in mines and other explosive environments. From the information, some common aspects emerge, in the areas of products, workmanship and installation. To avoid vouching for the organisations and or the brands they stand for, any references to names have been deliberately left out.

  • Product

Naturally, cables for application in harsh environments in mining and power generation projects should be of a high quality. Diameter, weight, and bend radius are the key parameters in cable choice. It is important that the cable system meeting these should be of expected quality standards.  As a basic requirement, the products should have ISO 9001 as well as BMTrada System ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certification. This would guarantee the integrity of the product supplied.

A cable management system is a unit or fitting, which includes the following heavy-duty products – cable trays, cable raceways, cable glands, conduits, cable connectors and glands, cable carriers, cable lugs, junction box, and others.  Cable management systems allow systematic organisation of cables connected to electrical devices. Most importantly, they ensure that cables are secure and specific connections can be traced for easy inspection on quality and compliance.

Exposed wires and cables, as a result of poor or low-quality cable management systems, can result in hazards such as fire and electric shocks. Ultimately, cable management systems ensure safety protection for personnel and equipment.

Based on end-user preferences, according to suppliers, mining-specific cable management systems should be both quality-oriented and functional. A research document on trends in the mining sector on trends likely to shape cable management procurement in 2022 and beyond.

From a quality standpoint, a cable management system should be robust enough to protect electric wiring and cables from moisture, compression, abrasion and impact. From a functional perspective, there should accommodate the need for subsequent repair and maintenance.

The type of cable management systems used depend upon risks if they are exposed in environments in which they are deployed. Trailing cables for mobile equipment, for instance, should offer sufficient resistance to abrasion and greases, while data transmission require shielding to prevent electromagnetic interference from other signals, and power cables additional mechanical protection, for instance addition of explosion-poor materials or fire-extinguishing characteristics. It is interesting to note how far some manufacturers have gone to accommodate industry requirements.

  • Workmanship and installation

It is one thing to have quality cables that ticks all the boxes in mining requirements, it is entirely another that they function in areas where they are deployed in extreme conditions and work safely and efficiently. So, workmanship and installation are critical.

The installation of a cable management system depends on the nature of the environment in which cables are to be used. For instance, in underground mines, electric power is reticulated in roadways. This can be a potential hazard when the cables are exposed, resulting in electric shock or fire.  In this case, sheathing and earthed wire can be used to manage the situation.

In some environments, particularly in deep mines, cables may not be able to support their own weight if hung vertically. This may require the use of other support.

Even in some cases, flame proof or intrinsically safe may be recommended depending on the purpose. Flameproof means enclosed within a container able to prevent any internal explosion, while intrinsically safe means that the power is too low under any conditions to produce a spark of sufficient power to ignite gases like methane.

No cutting corners

Last but not least, the most important aspect in cable management is the competency of the company that provides the solution – delivering quality products and to the highest possible standards of installation and workmanship. The first question prior to procurement of a solution mining companies should ask seek convincing answers to is: Does the supplier have the necessary technical design skills, manufacturing capability and logistics expertise to deliver a specified product on time and within budget?

Clearly, there should be no cutting corners in the planning and implementation of cable management. This is bearing in mind the impact of cables on safety and productivity in the mining environment.

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