How to Select Cold Shrink Cable Accessories-Cable Conductor Size (Cross-Section)

Cold shrink cable accessories, a crucial part of today's electrical infrastructure, are widely recognized and used. These accessories primarily consist of terminations and joints, playing a vital role in ensuring reliable electrical connections.

Cold shrink terminations and joints offer sealing, insulation, and stress control for connections between equipment terminations or other cable connectors.

As shrink cable accessories need an open flame or hot air tools, whereas cold shrink uses pre-expanded materials attached to a removable core.

When the core is pulled out, a tight and seamless cable seal forms quickly, making for a faster, easier, and safer installation.

Choosing the right cold shrink accessories for your cable system needs careful analysis. This article aims to help you make the correct choice when selecting termination and joint accessories based on the cable conductor size (cross-section).

A size of the conductor and the cable's overall diameter are key factors in making the right choice.

The conductor's cross-section, measured in mm² or AWG, determines the size of the connector hole needed to fit it.For example,cold shrink kits are made for specific conductor sizes, like 50-120 mm².When choosing, make sure the wire size matches. Otherwise, If it's too thin, there won't be enough contact. If it's too thick, it won't fit. You'll always find this info in the sizing table on the accessory's packaging or data sheet.

To determine the overall cable diameter, the cold shrink tube must not only fits snugly over the cable's outer jacket, but also fits over the cable's insulation for terminations after the semi-conductive screen has been removed. Just like the conductor's cross-section, each kit is designed for a precise range of cable diameters. the tube may not seal properly if the cable is too small and it will not fit or will be over-stretched when it is too large. It will compromises its radial pressure and long-term sealing ability.

Selection application:Measuring the cable's conductor size, its outer diameter over the jacket and over the insulation before ordering any accessory is necessarily. In fact, is reliable for picking the right cable's dimensions’ kit model number to check the manufacturer's sizing guide. By carefully checking these manufacturer details, engineers and techs can ensure a safe, reliable, and long-lasting connection.