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A Quick Guide To Selecting The Size Of Cable Glands For Your Project

In installing cables, especially for industrial purposes, it is imperative to prepare adequately to avoid mishaps and the associated frustration. This includes the selection of the right type of cable glands for the project at hand. The last thing that you want is to have the wrong cable fitting at hand when the task is about to reach its completion, or to discover that the cable fittings that were ordered re of the wrong size or type.

The best time to select the size of the cable fittings to be used should be during the planning stage. This will eliminate the hassle of determining the gland size when the project is about to be finished, which in turn can leave more room for errors.

In selecting the size for the cable fittings, there are two important things that must first be determined. First, you or your contractor/cable installer should determine the type of cable which is to be used for the project. Afterwards, it is worthwhile to factor in the cable’s size, construction and the materials used in manufacturing it.

If the project at hand requires the use of armored cables, there are a few factors that need to be determined and accounted for before buying cable fittings.

First, you need to check the cable armor’s type as well as the material used in manufacturing it. Next, check the cable’s short circuit fault current rating, the diameters of the inner bedding, and the lead covering as well as the whole cable itself (where applicable).

Next, determine whether you’ll need a cable gland with corrosion protection or protective plating. This is applicable for use in areas with specific environments. You should also check the materials used in the mating electrical enclosures. Take note that using incompatible metals can lead to adverse side effects.

Next, check the cable’s entry hole, including its type and size in relation to the electrical equipment where it will be attached. Other important things to check include the earth tags, shrouds, entry thread seal, whether accessories like lock nuts and washers are to be used, or whether adapters or reducers and stopper plugs are required.

Doing your homework well ahead of the actual installation of the cables will allow you to avoid the hassle of choosing the wrong cable gland size and facilitate the quick completion of the installation. Do make sure that when the installation is done in high risk areas, prevailing industry, local and international safety standards are adhered to in order to avoid any untoward accident.

Your Choice Of Plastic Fasteners

Plastic fasteners are used in everyday life for a wide variety of purposes. The different types include everything from cable ties and hose clamps to bolts and nuts. They are usually made using tough, corrosion-resistant molded nylon, although there are also fasteners made of metal or a plastic and metal combination.

While their use extends from organizing cables to securing large items together, plastic fasteners are especially in demand in the electrical components market. Energy consumption is a part of life from the prosperous first world to the developing nations of the third world. For this reason, there is a global need for these products.

When shopping for fasteners that serve as power components, you will find yourself presented with a wide range of choices. Some of the most common products included in the selection are the following:

Arrow clips – These offer an affordable means for assembling metal, wood, plastic, composite, and other thin-gauge materials. They come with a hollow body design that allows the clip portion to compress as it enters the mounting hole and expand again to the original state to lock itself in place, effectively securing the assembled pieces together. Installation does not require any tools, and dis-assembly is just as easy. It is reusable as well as vibration-, abrasion-, and corrosion-resistant.
Kayak clips – These are a cheaper substitute for screws and rivets. Easily snapped into mounting holes, they hold fast to different materials, although they are best used for assembling lightweight panels and other components.
Holster clips – The holster shape of these clips with their tapered, bullet-style point allows them to collapse better and slide more easily into the mounting hole for easy finger-tip installation. Since they allow for a larger clip diameter-to-hole size ratio, the retention force applied is also much higher.
Turn fasteners – These are specifically for use with a combination of varying panel thicknesses between .24 inch and .28 inch. They’re ideal for applications where fast and frequent access is necessary.
Push-in fasteners – Just like arrow clips, these also offer a cheaper way to assemble different thin-gauge materials. They have a slotted leg design that allows for assembled components to lock together more securely. They are reusable and resistant to vibration, abrasion, and corrosion.

These are merely some of your options for fastening power supply components together securely. Make sure to source them from a reputable supplier to ensure that the items you get are good quality.

Using Waterproof Cable Glands For Outdoor Light Fittings

Waterproof cable glands are best used in environments wherein there is a possibility that water and debris can pass through a cable’s openings. These cable fittings form a tight seal that act as a barrier against water and debris and prevent unnecessary damage to the electronic devices where the cables are attached.

Used with light fittings, these cable glands perform two key functions:they attach the cable to the light fitting, and seal off the cable opening from water and particles. When the light fitting is to be used in the outdoors, the use of a waterproof cable fitting is deemed essential. Using the wrong cable gland can undermine the fitting’s ingress protection of IP rating and can lead to the entry of water and particles into the fitting.

The IP rating refers to the amount of resistance a light fitting has against water and other particles. The higher the rating is, the higher the light fitting’s resistance against both water and dust.

When installing light fittings outdoors, it is imperative that the cable glands are tightened. Once installed, the cable glands need to be checked on a regular basis. If these show signs of deterioration, these should be replaced immediately.

If you are using single core or multiple cables, avoid the use of a single cable gland. This can only lead to the entry of water. If you must use more than one cable in the installation of light fittings for outdoor use, choose a junction box instead. This will eliminate the possibility of water and dust seeping through the cable’s openings.

But apart from the use of the appropriate type of waterproof cable fittings, property owners should also carefully select the appropriate electrical cables. Refer to the recommendations of the manufacturer of your light fitting. Often, manufacturers recommend 3-core electric cables that are rubber sheathed. However, for outdoor use, a PVC-sheathed cable is preferable due to its high level of sealing capacity.

Whenever possible, enlist the aid of a qualified electrician to install your outdoor light fittings for you. This will not only help you avoid the hard work of installing fittings on your property or eliminate the guesswork involved, but more than that, hiring a professional can also ensure the safety of your household and your property. After installation, call in the electrician at least once a year to check your outdoor light fittings as well as the cable glands used. Should these show signs of deterioration, have these immediately replaced.

Plastic Fasteners – Different Kinds of Rivets

Many people tend to ignore the little bits of hardware used to hold things together, but they’re very much important to the integrity of the entire assembly. Fasteners play a huge role in keeping different items functional, so it’s important to choose good quality ones of the right kind.

Fasteners come in metal, plastic, or a combination of both, but plastic fasteners are preferable in many instances. They are used in a wide range of applications, but they are especially ideal for power supply components and units since they make assembly easier and faster. Plastic fasteners are as durable as their metal counterparts and they are definitely more flexible and affordable.

Some of the most common fasteners used are rivets. You can see these items in a variety of applications from tanks and bridges to energy supply equipment. As power components, these rivets popularly come in the following types:

Snap – This is designed for a quick, easy, and tool-free installation. It only needs pressure from your fingertip to be applied. Simply place it in the hole and then press down on the head. The legs will expand to secure the components in place. To remove it, just pull up on the head. You can go for the regular kind of snap rivets or the heat-resistant variety. It has a round head that provides a clean and finished look.
Countersunk – This one comes with a flat, chambered head that is easier to pull up than the snap rivet’s round head. This type of head also makes dis-assembly quicker. Installation is also fast, easy, and tool-free. It requires the same simple installation process of placing in the hole and then pressing down on the head.
Releasable type – This comes with a prominent, large finger grip, knob-shaped head, which makes installation and dis-assembly even faster and easier. Same with the previous two types, you only need to press down on the head to install and pull up to remove. This type of rivet can be used multiple times.
Drive fastener – This comes with a hollow body, making it more flexible for easier installation. It is used on a wide range of materials, from wood and metal to plastic and rubber.

There’s obviously more to fasteners than meets the eye. With the variety available, it’s important to figure out which one is best for your purpose. Hopefully, the above descriptions will assist you in selecting the right type to use.

From Basic To Flashy – Style-ize Your Plastic Grommet To Match Your Room Design

Grommets are popularly used nowadays to organize cables (which households and offices have a lot of) and they come in a variety of shapes and materials (hard plastic, flexible ones, wood, and metal). Considered the most popular grommets these days are those that are made of plastic because they’re lightweight and they offer a larger range when it comes to design.

Plastic grommets are truly useful organizational items, especially if most of your appliances and gadgets are all confined to just one area and you want to make sure that you know which cable is attached to which gadget. However, like most functional organizational items, they are not designed to be particularly stylish; sure, they come in a variety of colors and finishes, but overall, they are rather plain. If you’re the type of person who prefers a continuity of style in all the components of your workspace or home, the usual plastic grommet indeed will look out of place in your space.

But the cool thing is that if you want to improve its appearance, it’s easy enough to do so. Since it’s made of plastic, practically anything will easily adhere to it. To provide you inspiration on how to turn your plain and boring plastic grommet into a stylish one that goes really well with your space design, here are four “style-i zing” ideas.

Use Washi tape. This Japanese paper tape is like small wallpaper but with more choices of attractive designs. They’re perfect for all shapes of grommets and if you wish to change them every now and then, it’s easy to do so because Washi tape does not leave any sticky residue on the surface.
Use sticky rhinestones. This is such a trend among girls who like to bedazzle everything not only for a more girlish style but also to make anything really stand out. Stick some rhinestones on your floor access, flare, or innovator grommet, and the place where you stash all your cables will surely be easier to find.
Personalize with letter monograms. You can use patches and just use fabric glue to attach the monogram patch. Personalizing with letter monograms will make sure that nobody will just come into your space and take your grommet.
Use glitter tape. You can find these in most dollar stores – they’re fun and easy to apply. If you’re looking forward to the holidays and your plastic grommet will be taken out to help organize all the cables of your sparkly lights and other electric Christmas décor, make them blend in better using glitter tape.

What Are Plastic Rivets And Why Do We Need Them?

It is probably not a word you’re likely to hear in, well, everyday conversations. But it is in just about anything we use: the plastic rivet fastener.

Plastic rivet fasteners have several applications. These small, seemingly unimportant items can be used in computers, appliances, furniture, electronics, construction, kid’s toys, business machines, and even recreational vehicles. There is even a plastic rivet designed for rockets. Yes, the kind you launch.

Since plastic rivets do serve a variety of applications, it only follows that there is a specific size, configuration, and style perfectly suitable for each application. And so you will find these plastic rivet fasteners in different designs. Although, perhaps to the untrained eye, they may look the same from afar, but up close they will each have particular differences.

The Pro-Lok Rivet, for example, might look similar to the two-prong pre-driven rivet. But the Pro-Lok is actually designed for applications where its appearance counts. Its smooth and over sized head is contoured and polished so it looks a bit more finished than the two-prong pre-driven rivet.

Some plastic rivet fasteners may be installed by hand or by machine. The one-piece fastener featuring a pre-driven pin is one such rivet. The one-piece fastener is used for any applications that call for a front mount, removable (and reusable) push-type plastic rivet.

Other brands that make the same one-piece fastener design theirs to be used for securing electronic components to circuit boards, finger guards to cooling fans, and so on.

Some plastic rivet fasteners can secure just about any material. R-Lok’s plastic expansion rivet is one such example. Its design enables it to be used for a wide range of applications. But this rivet is particularly effective for urethane, rubber, padded fabrics, and other soft materials.

Another type of rivet that can work with many applications is the three- and four-prong non-driven rivet. This plastic rivet can come in different sizes and styles. It can also take on a variety of materials and panel thicknesses.

The other types of plastic rivet fasteners include: the ratchet rivets, which are intended for rigid and compressible materials; the R-Tite rivet, which features a two-piece R-Tite design and allows for a controlled grip range; the snap rivets, which perfectly connect flat panels together, and these rivets are also used where a finished head is required on both sides.

Computers. Toys. Business machines. RVs. Rockets! Plastic rivet fasteners. Such tiny little things — such grand applications.

How To Choose And Store Bushings For Longer Use

A bushing can be used for different electrical applications. This insulated device can be made with different materials and offers a variety of features suitable to your specific need. Whether you’re a contractor or a retail consumer, buying the right type of bushing for a particular job ensures that you do not waste any money and time. Here are some quick guidelines to consider when getting this essential device.

Know what you need.

There is a bushing designed specifically for high-voltage applications on breakers and transformers. There are several key types of bushing for this purpose: composite bushing, dry bushing, oil impregnated paper-insulated bushing, and ceramic bushing, among others.

Then there are low-cost yet high-quality bushings for cable TV, computer data lines, phone cables, modems, and even alarm systems. So before you make that all-important purchase, be aware of the insulated device’s variety. This will not only help you choose the right bushing with the right material, but also save you money.

Shop online.

The key to benefitting from the convenience of online shopping is to pick the right electrical store. Look for longevity in the business and high quality products, not just competitive prices. Also, go with online electrical stores that offer ease in online purchasing as well as technical expertise. And make sure that the online store provides comprehensive details and relevant information about every electrical component you might need.

Check the specifications thoroughly.

As mentioned earlier, every type of bushing will come with different features. Before you click the item to your shopping cart, you will want to go over the features as well as specifications listed on the shop’s page. You don’t want to have to return products that do not fit your, for example, telecommunications cables. And be sure that the bushing comes with standard certification.

Now storage of your bushing is just as important as buying the right device. It would be a shame to purchase the right product and then expose it to potential damage with poor storage. To be safe, always read the manufacturer’s instructions for proper storage and follow them to the letter.

In general, always keep the bushing in areas where it will not acquire mechanical damage. For high-voltage bushing types like liquid- or plastic-filled bushing, you will need to store them in an upright position because horizontal positioning could create air bubbles into the filler insulation. And always inspect your bushing for damages before using them to avoid problems later on.

Braided Sleeving — Where To Use It And How To Buy It

Much as you’d like to do without them, cables and wires are still necessary in today’s life. Wireless technology may be stepping up and improving some aspects of your life but there are still key items in your home or office that require the use of cables and wires. And these things can get pretty hairy to untangle and really dangerous when left in their disorganized state. Also, knotted cables and wires can make any space look bad.

And these are the exact reasons why you need braided sleeving. This fiber woven sleeve insulates and protects electrical components, not just organize them. Sleeving comes in different materials for different applications: fiberglass for welding and manufacturing, nylon for automotive and mining applications, Teflon for aerospace and military applications, and Kevlar for applications that require advanced engineering and something stronger than steel.

For simple cable and wire management, you’ll want the not-so heavy duty braided sleeves, something suitable for general purpose. Now if you need something that will help you identify wires easily, the braided monofilament sleeving offers the widest array of colors, so you can basically color-code the number of wires or cables you have. The braided monofilament also features the greatest expandability and flexibility from among the various types of sleeves.

If you’re looking for visual appeal, not just utility, the braided multifilament may be a good choice because it features a soft, fabric-like look. But beauty isn’t the only thing to consider about the braided multifilament; it is also tightly constructed, which minimizes internal abrasion of more delicate wires.

When it comes to versatility, the braided wraparound sleeving is the ideal choice. It is designed for components that cannot be taken apart. With a wraparound sleeve, you simply open up along its length and easily wrap over the bundle of cables or wires. The braided wraparound sleeve is best for applications in workstation cabling, automotive and marine engine retrofits, and network bundles, to name a few.

Aside from getting sleeves that are designed for your specific application, make sure you read about its features thoroughly. Is it tough enough that the sleeving will be resistant to cuts? How well can it protect your cables and wires from mechanical damage? Can it be bent or flexed numerous times without incurring any damage? Is it ideal for irregular shapes and contours? Is it flame retardant? And can you easily fit it onto your cables and wires?

Organizing your cables and wires is easy and doable. Just remember to pick the right sleeve for your specific application. And look for features that correspond to your wire management needs.

Top 5 Reasons Why It’s Smart To Use A Wire Protector For Your Cables

Electrical and phone cables can be a challenge to organize, especially if you didn’t have any foresight in designing your home and creating those special hiding places or compartments under your floors, in your ceilings and walls so that messy wiring or cables could be kept concealed. More often than not, these cables become a tangled mess on the floor that people usually trip over and get unplugged from the socket, spoiling the fun (especially if the cables belong to the entertainment center). Sometimes, messy cables or wirings attract pests, too; the little creepers nibble at the rubber covering, thus exposing the wires and making them dangerous to use.

A wire protector is a product that can easily take care of these problems. It’s affordable and it certainly will keep those wires out of the way. Listed below are the top reasons why it’s simply smart to use wire protectors in your home or office.

Wire protectors will prevent accidents inside your home; nobody will trip on those snaking cables across the room that either lead to injuries or damage to furniture. You can also prevent young children from turning them into toys.
They can help maintain the nice and seamless appearance of your home. Aside from the fact that cables gather dust, it’s just not pleasing to the eyes to see them even if they are neatly laid down on the floor.
You can preserve the quality of your cables better if you use these wire protectors which are commonly made of hard plastic that can prevent damage caused by vibration, abrasion (foot traffic comes in contact with the wire protector, which cushions the wires effectively – even heavy equipment can land on the protector and the wires will remain free from damage) and incidental contact with other materials that produce heat.
These wire protectors can also make cable management and identification easier especially if you put similar cables through the same protector. You would no longer have to go through a lengthy process of sorting your cables out and untangling them to find the one that you need to plug in.
With these wire protectors, you can also prevent pest infestation in your home. Without the messy bundle of cables, there’s no room for tiny creepers to hide in. it’s important to mention as well that exterminators claim that cockroaches and other small insects, as well as rodents, are attracted to the taste of wire coverings, but if you would choose to protect your cables or wires with a hard wire protector, you can prevent these pests from entering your home and feasting on your cables.

Organizing The Workplace With Cable Clips

Adults spend a third of their daily lives inside the workplace. It is no wonder, then, how their working environment exerts a great influence over their health, well being and even moods. A safe and well-organized workplace is thus essential not only in keeping accidents (or even fatalities) at bay, but more importantly, other professional and personal benefits which impact both the organization and its members. What are these benefits?

Employee morale and efficiency

Organizing work areas and stations instils a sense of pride among an organization’s workers. From a practical perspective, keeping clutter at bay decreases time and effort associated with performing tasks. In turn, this translates to greater productivity which can increase the business’s bottom line.

Making a good impression

A clean and organized workplace speaks volumes about the organization and its personnel especially in terms of professionalism. When potential hires visit the factory or office, the prospect of work becomes more appealing. And of course, if you have guests coming over, it will give them a positive impression of your business.

Health and safety

Organizing the workplace is an integral aspect of building a culture of safety. Investing in safety allows organizations to minimize, if not eliminate, risks and hazards which cause accidents. These accidents, in turn, can lead to losses in terms of productivity, money and even reputation.

The task of organizing the workplace will vary from one organization to another, based on its unique circumstances. But whether it is an office or a factory that needs to be organized, one common element that can be found in these two are cables.

Often, organizing the workplace does not require complicated schemes or the investment in new tools and equipment. Sometimes, all you need are cable clips.

Wires and cables have become a familiar fixture in most workplaces, attesting to the increased reliance of businesses on technology. However, the cords and cables of these devices can gradually have a life of their own, becoming all tangled up and sometimes causing trips in the workplace.

Managing cables at the workplace will depend on the type and amount of cords and cables as well as their location. Phones and computer cables, for example, should be secured in such a way that clutter and unnecessary trips are reduced. Excess cables can be wound neatly while clips may be used to help cords stay in place.

In the industrial setting, it is imperative to use clips that can withstand the workplace’s unique environment on top of performing its key function.