For every new construction of a building be it for any purpose for industrial, residential, or commercial purposes, it is important for the correct planning of electricity installation to ensure the prevention of every danger in the working environment and the people residing there for long hours, or permanently. This electrical installation in different types of buildings involves the use of other electric cable installation systems that include many options that are easy to handle the increased load or overheating of the wires. Out of different electricity installation systems, the raceways or the cable trays are among the best choices, but why? To know this and to find the answer to the most important question: raceway or cable tray, which one to choose, we are here.
What is a cable tray?
A cable tray is one of the most widely used cable installation systems for the better protection and arrangement of the wires in different setups like industrial, warehouses, or even commercial places. They are available in different designs and shapes to easily meet all the requirements and specifications of the customers by their modification properties. The major reason for using these cable trays in different industrial or commercial setups especially is their robust nature as they use steel, fiberglass, or aluminum in the construction of these cable trays.
The key characteristics of cable trays that make them a most valuable product to be used in different industrial setups are:
- Wider Options: Cable trays provide their users with a wide range of options from open or closed-condition designs to different types including the ladder, shelving unit, or racking cable trays, etc.
- Weight Capacity: the robust nature of these cable trays has helped them to have high load-bearing capabilities, especially in the heavy storage industries or warehouses.
- Maintenance: The simple and easily accessible design of these cable trays has helped to ease maintenance and installation of the cables at times of emergencies.
- Ventilation: The open design or pores structure of the cable trays has been a better way of using it and allowing the heat dissipation from cables making them the best option for safe use.
- Versatility: The different designs, shapes, dimensions, and ventilation properties of cable trays have made them a versatile choice in electrical installation industries to be used in any setup that fits your requirements and the type of cable trays.
What is a Raceway?
A raceway is another electric installation system that helps provide a safe environment for the cables due to their enclosed conduits. The major applications of these cable systems are found in commercial or residential setups where the working conditions are harsh and the cables are quite sensitive to being exposed to the environment. Due to the closed conduit system of these raceways, they do not actually provide a large amount of ventilation but in some cases where there are holes or pores in the solid bottom of raceways gives proper ventilation in all such cases.
The key features of raceways that have helped them to be used in residential or commercial areas especially are:
- Safety: The closed structure of these raceways is helpful for the areas where the external factors are excessive in rate, like in chemical plants, monsoon-fit areas, children-prone residences, and others.
- Closed Design: The closed conduit design of these raceways is helpful in harsh environmental conditions or for hyper-sensitive wires that cause great harm if exposed to humans or children.
- Modification: The customization property of these raceways helps them to fit in all the conditions to the needs and choice of the users giving them a lot of benefits from design to size and even a good clean appearance.
- Aesthetic Visuals: The closed system of arranging and accommodating the wires has helped them to increase the appearance of the areas largely, by giving them a neat and clean look always.
- Compliance with Codes: These raceways are best to comply with the different fire safety or explosion safety codes in different areas of their installation.
Raceway and Cable Tray, Which one to Choose?
Even knowing about the two cable systems in detail, there’s always a question in the mind of the buyers about which design or electrical installation system will be the best for their environment. So among raceways and cable trays, which one to choose? Find and decide your answer by learning the differences between them in major aspects.
- Applications: For industries or warehouses where the installation of cables requires huge protection from getting overheated and with wide option availability the cable trays are used there, while for residences or commercial places where protection from the external factor of light-weight cables is important, the raceways are used.
- Environmental Protection: In the areas where the cables carry a higher load and can get easily heated up in the areas, cable trays are the best option while for residences or commercial places where a cleaner look and safety from dust, debris, rain, etc are required go with the raceways as a cable storage system.
- Installation & Maintenance: The cable trays due to their open design are easy to install and maintain, but when it comes to raceways these features are quite the opposite as they provide extended time for installation and complex maintenance but with increased protection and excellent clean look.
- Regulations: Cable trays aren’t the ones to comply with the environmental codes or consider different external factors, while the raceways are the best options in such cases as they help in various hazard, fire-safety, or explosion safety areas.
- Aesthetics: Cable trays are less involved in providing a clean environment to the areas of installation like in industries or warehouses where there is no need for good appearances while in residences or commercial places, aestheticism is prioritized thus using raceway is a prominent choice here.
- Competitive Pricing: The cable trays are mostly cost-efficient solutions for many reasons but the most important is their easy scalability, while the raceways are quite costly due to their extended protection and the fulfillment of necessity in different areas of applications.
FAQs on the Raceway and cable tray, which to choose?
Q1:. Are cable trays suitable for high-voltage applications?
Ans: Yes, cable trays can be easily modified in a way to suit the high voltage cables and to be installed in areas where weight capacity is higher and ventilation is more vital in such cases.
Q2: Can raceways and cable trays be used together?
Ans: Yes, they can be used in a hybrid way as cable trays can be used in areas of high densities where heavy-wight cables are to be accommodated while the raceways can be used to protect them from external factors like rain, dust, debris, etc.
Q3: How do I determine the right size for a raceway or cable tray?
Ans: To determine the correct size for a cable tray of a raceway the most important thing is to first look for the cable volume, the load-bearing capacity required, future expansion, and compliance with the regulatory codes of the area of installation. Depending on these factors you can choose the right size of a cable tray or the raceway as per your need.
In conclusion, both cable systems provide an exceptional feature and economic value to the users when chosen as per the requirements of the users. But to know which one to choose the raceway or cable tray you must know each of their characteristics and differences between them thoroughly.