Efficient electrical panel design: systematic cable management with HelaDuct wire retainers
It was the wind park maintenance engineer who brought the truth to light. Loose cables dangled in her face when she opened the switch cabinet of the turbine she was scheduled to inspect. The cables should have been fixed in place with elastic bands. But they had perished – something that wouldn’t have happened with the right retainers. Learn how to simplify and professionalise cable management in electrical panels and switch cabinets using accessories from the HelaDuct product range.
Lengths of cable in an electrical panel are like nerve pathways. Not only do they look untidy if they are not properly arranged in wiring ducts; maintenance work and installation will take longer than necessary, become inefficient and cost-intensive. In the worst case scenario, operative systems can even be interrupted. Damage to sensitive cable insulation resulting from them rubbing on sharp duct parts during maintenance work will lead to incorrect signals or short-circuiting.
Prevent loose cables in the switch cabinet permanently
HellermannTyton’s HelaDuct product range offers a professional and durable solution for securing cables in wiring ducts: “HelaDuct is a system solution for quality-conscious panel builders,” explains James Orsini, Product Marketing Manager at HellermannTyton.
Orsini understands the need of panel builders to present themselves professionally to their customers: “HellermannTyton differs from other suppliers on account of the variety of accessories for wiring ducts we offer and the flexible way that you can work with them. Our accessories enable panel builders to work much safer, faster and more cost-effectively.”
In turn, this helps panel builders to impress their customers and give them good value, too: “Clients want to see that everything in the panel looks professional, tidy and robust, especially if the finished cabinet is installed, for example, on a ship, on a train or in a wind farm where it is subject to strong vibrations.”
Safe cable management: retainers in the wiring duct
In order to keep installation options open and ensure a reliable and firm hold on the duct base, the HelaDuct product range includes two different wire retainers:
HelaDuct HTWD-BWR base wire retainers are installed in the wiring duct before the cables are laid;
HelaDuct HTWD-NFWR and HTWD-WFWR wire retainers can be installed in the wiring duct after the wires have been laid.
“HTWD-BWR retainers offer significantly higher safety and more robust fixing than conventional solutions because they are mechanically affixed to the duct,” says Orsini. Other solutions on the market usually use adhesive, he explains. However, this poses certain risks. The retainer can come unstuck at any time, especially when the cabinet warms up significantly: “Changes in temperature do not affect our base wire retainers. They also hold firmly when you lift the cover off the ducts or are wiring vertically or overhead.”
Fixing the retainers in the duct is simple. HTWD-BWR retainers are locked securely into place in the duct with an easy twist. HTWD-NFWR and HTWD-WFWR retainers are simply clicked into place.
Space-saving cable installation with HelaDuct accessories
The HelaDuct range also offers the ideal solution to anyone intending to use cable ties or other fastening components in their wiring ducts. The HTWD-CTH and HTWD-TL fastening components make it easy to fasten components directly to the base of the wiring duct.
HTWD-CTH is used for securing cable ties, while HTWD-TL is use to fix the wiring duct on the bespoke HelaDuct mounting blocks for DIN support rails. The major advantage of all HelaDuct accessories is that the secure anchor does not protrude from the duct base. The duct can consequently be fixed flush to the walls of the panel or switch cabinet without any problems.
HelaDuct accessories don’t just make wiring installation in ducts more efficient. They also help save space: ”Space is money where electrical panels are concerned. Panel builders work with accurate measurements to optimise their use of space. That’s why we provide wiring ducts in handy dimensions. We also offer them with both narrow and wide ribs to cater for applications with thinner or thicker cables,” explains Orsini.
HelaDuct accessories and special tools: for quality-conscious panel wiring
As the responsible Product Marketing Manager, James Orsini is keenly aware of the needs of panel builders for quality wiring ducts: “All customers approach wiring ducts the same way. They make sure that the ribs can be easily snapped off without leaving any burrs. This prevents damage to the cable insulation from sharp edges.”
Customers also check that the side walls can be easily slit right down to the base: “Whenever I present the product to customers, they first run their fingers over it to see if it’s smooth or whether they might injure themselves”, explains Orsini. “This is simple test is often how the switch cabinet builder decides if a wiring duct is quality or not. That is the most important feature.”
Click here for an overview of all our products for quality-conscious panel builders:
From safe-to-use wiring ducts, to accessories and special tools, everything fits seamlessly together in the HelaDuct system: “Even panel builders whose customers need special solutions will find what they are looking for here,” says Orsini. “HelaDuct guarantees panel builders and their customers a durable, top-quality solution”.
Now online: HellermannTyton INSIDE!
Take a look behind the scenes at the world’s leading cable management supplier. Find out how we tick. Our expert James Orsini describes one of his favourite products in this video: https://youtu.be/cz4FjYpIpK8
#2634 HelaDuct 2
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