Calling all panel builders

[ban-all-sheds]

Anybody here build control panels or distribution boards?

 

[ricicle]

I build the occasional control panel.

 

[RF Lighting]

We build a few motor control pannels at work.

What are you after?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm after someone to make me some terminated lengths of tri-rated cables for use in a CU I'm building....

Not for free, BTW.

 

[jockspark]

I'm after someone to make me some terminated lengths of tri-rated cables for use in a CU I'm building....

Not for free, BTW.

dont know if they still do it i used to order mine from RS components

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I know they sell tri-rated and BS 6231 by the reel - I'll have a rummage to see if they do short pre-terminated lengths....

 

[jockspark]

they done them a few year ago you could try CEF

 

[333rocky333]

What diameter cable and colours would you want

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well I was thinking 25mm², in case I ever ended up with a 100A supply. The only thing that puzzles me is that I'm pretty sure that the cables you get in normal CUs with 100A incomers are only 16mm², but I can't see how they can carry 100A at 70°.

Happy to be proven wrong and go for 16mm² though.

Brown & blue, or red & black - I'm not bothered

 

[lazygit]

Why tri-rated?

 

[GaryMo]

Why tri-rated?

Flexibility, like normal CU link cables?

 

[NotHimAgain]

Well I was thinking 25mm², in case I ever ended up with a 100A supply. The only thing that puzzles me is that I'm pretty sure that the cables you get in normal CUs with 100A incomers are only 16mm², but I can't see how they can carry 100A at 70°.

Happy to be proven wrong and go for 16mm² though.

Brown & blue, or red & black - I'm not bothered

For the sake of discussion let's assume the tri-rated cable has a full load operating temperature of 90° C.

My copies of the BS EN 60439-1 and BS EN 60439-3 are probably out of date but the principles are unlikely to have changed much.

Distribution Boards for use by unskilled persons have a temperature rise limit of 70° C on outgoing terminals. The temperature limit on busbars and conductors which are part of the DB is limited by, for example:
permissible temperature limit of insulation.

However, it does say that it can also be limited by: permissible temperature limit of the insulating materials in contact with the conductor.

So this appears to mean that a 16mm² cable running at 90° C would be ok provided that no cables rated at a lower temperature are allowed to touch it

I wonder what the DB installation instructions say

 

[ban-all-sheds]

For the sake of discussion let's assume the tri-rated cable has a full load operating temperature of 90° C.

Tri-rated is actually OK up to 105°, but the principle is the same..

So this appears to mean that a 16mm² cable running at 90° C would be ok provided that no cables rated at a lower temperature are allowed to touch it

A tad tricky to guarantee within the confines of a CU/DB...

I wonder what the DB installation instructions say

I'll let you know when I've written them. Any suggestions?

 

[NotHimAgain]

My only suggestion would be to use 25 mm² cable for the internal connections - but it would appear that you have already decided to do that .

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The MK 5561 stacking kit may be my answer - depending on size...