What Is The Different Between SWA Cable And STA Cable?

Jul. 08, 2022

Steel wire armoured cable is one kind of armoured cables. Both of SWA cable and STA cable have their own advantages. Their armoured materials are different, swa cable armoured materials is round wire, sta cable armoured material is flat steel. Steel wire armour cable can withstand the general longitudinal pull, it is suitable for short overhead laying or upright, vertical laying. While steel tape armoured cable only for direct buried cables or ordinary pipe wear, ordinary ground, tunnel laying, etc. According to your requirement, we can manufacture STA cable or SWA cable for you.

 

What is SWA Cable?


 

Commonly known as SWA cable, the steel wire armoured cable is a power and auxiliary control cable, designed for use in mains supply electricity. Used for underground systems, cable networks, power networks, outdoor and indoor applications, and cable ducting. The SWA cable can also be referred to mains cable, power cable, armoured cable and booklet-armoured cable. With copper wiring creating the perfect conductors for the core with a range of types such as 2 core, 3 core and 5 core SWA Cables to name a few. You will frequently see the term BS5467 or BS6724 when referring to an SWA cable. These phrases mean that the SWA cable meets the British Standards requirements, for both construction and testing.

 

SWA Cable

 

Typical Construction of An SWA Cable

ㆍConductor: consists of plain stranded copper (cables are classified to indicate the degree of flexibility. Class 2 refers to rigid stranded copper conductors as stipulated by British Standard BS EN 60228:2005)

ㆍInsulation: Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) is used in a number of power cables because it has good water resistance and excellent electrical properties. Insulation in cables ensures that conductors and other metal substances do not come into contact with each other.

ㆍBedding: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bedding is used to provide a protective boundary between inner and outer layers of the cable.

ㆍArmour: Steel wire armour provides mechanical protection, which means the cable can withstand higher stresses, be buried directly and used in external or underground projects.

The armouring is normally connected to earth and can sometimes be used as the circuit protective conductor ("earth wire") for the equipment supplied by cable.

ㆍSheath: a black PVC sheath holds all components of the cable together and provides additional protection from external stresses.

The PVC version of SWA cable, described above, meets the requirements of both British Standard BS5467 and International Electrotechnical Commission standard IEC 60502. It is known as SWA BS5467 Cable and it has a voltage rating of 600/1000V.

 

Usage Of SWA Cable

Using armour as the means of providing earthing/ grounding to the equipment supplied by the cable, is a subject of controversy within the electrical installation industry. This function is technically known as circuit protective conductor or CPC.

Usually an additional core within the cable is specified as the CPC (for example, a three core cable is used instead of using a two core cable for line and neutral, and the armouring as the CPC) or an outside earth wire is run alongside the cable, serving as the CPC. The main concerns are:

The relative conductivity of the armouring compared to the cores (which decreases as the size of the cable increases),

Reliability and Health & Safety issues.

According to recent articles and research conducted by authoritative sources, the practice has been analysed in detail and the conclusion was that, in most cases, the armouring is suitable to serve as the CPC under UK Wiring Regulations.

 

What Is STA Cable?


 

STA cable's full name is called steel tape armored cable. It is a kind of armored cable. STA cable used for transmission lines below 35KV. Steel tape armored cable has two layers of steel tape winding in the inner sheath. The steel tape cable is buried underground, so the steel tape plays the role of protecting the cable.

 

STA cable

 

STA Cable Characteristics

Long-term allowable working temperature: the long-term working temperature of the conductor should not exceed 90℃, and the z-high working temperature in case of a short circuit should not exceed 250℃ (z-long duration should not exceed 5s).

The cable laying temperature should not be lower than 0℃.

Minimum bending radius (D is the outer diameter of the cable)

Single-core cable: 15D.

Multi-core cable: 12D.

Special characteristics

Flame-retardant products: flame-retardant characteristics meet the requirements of GB/T 19666-2005 "General Rules for Flame-retardant and Fire-resistant Wire and Cable".

Flame-retardant and fire-resistant products: Flame-retardant and fire-resistant characteristics meet the requirements of GB/T 19666-2005 "General Rules for Flame-retardant and Fire-resistant Wires and Cables".

 

Usage Of STA Cable

Armored cable mechanical protection layer can be added to any structure of the cable to increase the mechanical strength of the cable and improve the erosion resistance, and it is a wire and cable designed for the areas that are vulnerable to mechanical damage and highly susceptible to erosion. It can be laid in any way and is more suitable for direct burial in rocky areas.

Armored cable is generally a fixed laying power cable, which is fixed in one place and basically does not move, and the power line transmits electric power.

The purpose of cable plus armored layer can enhance the tensile strength, compressive strength, and other mechanical protection to extend the service life in addition to the above.

The armor has a certain resistance to external force but also can prevent rats from tearing, not to cause power transmission problems through the armor, the bending radius of the armor should be large, the armor layer can be grounded to protect the cable.

 

We are an STA cable and SWA cable supplier. Please feel free to contact us if you want to know more information!

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