For different businesses whether industrial, commercial, or residential cables are the most important part of any building, but they come with some drawbacks. Their hanging or sagging from the walls or roofs of the building not only affects the visual appearance but is also unsafe in many working or environmental conditions. Thus, in order to enhance the safe arrangement of wires and keep them safe from different external factors, cable trays are one of the best ways. These systems not only provide easy installation but also are versatile. But what is a cable tray? Know in detail!
Cable Trays: Purposes
Electric cable trays are primarily used to support and manage the wires effectively, giving them a sleek and clean look. The design of these trays is made in such a way that it gives easy routes for cable management, easy modifications, and adjustments in order to meet the future expansions of the business. Thus, these cable tray wire supporters find their wider application in factories, manufacturing plants, data centers, and so on.
Cable Trays: Benefits
The use of cable tray wires brings along with it a lot of benefits for the users. These benefits include:
Affordability
One of the biggest and major benefits of using these cable trays is the affordability, making it fit for the choice of either small or larger scale businesses.
Easy to maintain
The electrical cable tray design makes it easy to maintain, as they have open designs that make its maintenance a hassle-free process, reducing the time and cost of the business.
Alternatives that are safer
The open design of these cable trays has made them a safer alternative as they prevent the risk of overheating by providing effective heat dissipation or ventilation for the wires.
It’s Flexible
The cable tray sizes are one of the most helpful features that have made them flexible enough to meet specific present or future needs of the business, whether in terms of adding or removing the cables or shifting them from one to another place.
Advantages
The advantages that cable tray users find from it are:
Cost- Effective
Initially, the cable trays look more expensive than other wiring systems, but are cost-efficient solutions with minimal maintenance, replacements, and labor requirements.
Maintenance
The open design of cable tray wires helps professionals detect the problem quickly to troubleshoot and resolve it. This overall reduces the cost and time for different businesses.
Security
Electric cable trays due to their different design are safe for the wires which are either sensitive to external factors or for those prone to overheating and requiring ventilation.
Disadvantages
Though cable trays come with a lot of benefits, they still hold some disadvantages for their users. This includes the open design which is beneficial for ventilation but exposes wires to external damage, additionally, the improper installation of cable tray wires can lead to potential damage to the wires itself.
Cable tray types
Cable trays come in different sizes and types in order to meet the specific needs of any business. Thus, the different cable tray types are as follows:
Ladder Cable Tray
What is a cable ladder? A cable ladder or a ladder cable tray is something that looks like a ladder, has an open-design structure, and is ready to install, maintain, or arrange the wires in it.
Solid-Bottom Cable Tray
This provides a flat base for cable laying, and maximum protection from external factors to the sensitive wires, lacking ventilation due to the closed conduit design.
Wire Mesh Cable Tray
These are basket-like designs, used to provide effective ventilation for the wires prone to overheating due to their mesh-like structure.
Trough Cable Tray
These cable trays find not just proper routes but also support to wires from their side rail, used widely in commercial complexes.
Channel Cable Tray
The cable trays are best for light cables storing very few cables and are good for space premium areas.
Perforated Cable Tray
These have a series of holes or perforations for easy ventilation to heavy wires, still offering protection from external factors.
Single Rail Cable Tray
These cable trays provide support to lightweight cables and help in providing a proper route in complex paths.
Types of Cable Trays Based on Material
Cable trays apart from their designs are also distinguished or classified through the type of material used in their construction. This includes:
Aluminum Cable Trays
The cable trays which are lightweight, easy to fit in space premium places, and provide support to light-duty cables, are easy to install and resistive to corrosion as well.
Steel Cable Trays
The most important material and most widely used in cable tray construction is steel, which provides long-term durability and protection from external factors through its robust design.
Stainless Steel Cable Trays
As a property of hygiene in industries, these stainless steel trays are used as they are robust and also corrosion-resistant.
Fiberglass Cable Trays
One of the major used materials in cable tray construction is fiberglass, as they are fire-resistive, non-conductive, and suitable to chemical exposures.
Conclusion
Therefore cable trays are one of the best and most widely used wiring or electrical systems that not only provide route but also support and proper protection from overheating or other external factors to the wires. So for any real-time confusion regarding its prices or installation contact SimcoSteel now.
FAQ1: What is the best way to determine the size of a cable tray?
Ans: To determine the cable tray size and types you must know about the number of cables to be accommodated, the space availability, load requirements, and future expansions.
FAQ 2: How do you select cable trays?
Ans: Depending upon your requirements of load and number of cable accommodations, followed by the protection necessity and future growth possibilities you can choose the cable trays.
FAQ 3: Is a cable tray or conduit a better wiring system design?
Ans: Both find their individual benefits, as for the sensitive wires conduit systems are good to protect from external damage, while for overheating-prone wires the cable trays with open design are a good choice.
FAQ 4: Are cable trays and cable racks the same?
Ans: No, cable trays are used to arrange and organize the wires while cable racks are used to hold or mount the wires.