NEW HELP IN HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS
ARMOR-X® welded-armor cable is now UL-Listed for the toughest hazardous locations.
- Published in Southwire's Power Cable Update newsletter in September 1997
- Reprint permission granted
Dealing with flammable gases? Gasoline storage? Petrochemical plants? Pulp and paper mills? Now you can choose a cost-saving alternative to conduit for Class I, Division 1 hazardous locations: ARMOR-X from Southwire.
"Class I hazardous locations include extremely flammable gases like acetylene, hydrogen and gasoline fumes. In Division 1 sites, these hazards can surface during normal operations," says Mark Dixon, development engineer.
The 1996 National Electric Code permits certain Class I, Division 1 installations to use "Type MC cable, listed for use ... with a gas/vapor-tight continuous corrugated aluminum sheath [and] an overall jacket of suitable polymeric material ..." [Section 501-4(a)]. Southwire's ARMOR-X cable construction falls in this category.
You can install ARMOR-X for significantly less than conductors in conduit. That makes the hazardous location applications interesting to cable specifiers with an eye on budgets.
UL Adds New Listing
The new use of continuous-armored MC brings additional requirements, so Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has defined a new listing. UL-2225, Standard For MC Cable and Cable Fittings For Hazardous (Classified) Locations defines the test requirements. Cable that passes the tests can be marked HL.
"UL beefed up impact- and crush-resistance for Class 1, Division 1, but ARMOR-X performance goes well beyond UL requirements," Dixon says. "And ARMOR-X is rated for safe installation at temperatures down to -50° C, where the standard is -25°C."
ARMOR-X shines in applications with long runs. It's produced on machinery that can produce long lengths without a joint in the armor.
Options Make a Complete Cabling System
You can get ARMOR-X in 600V to 35kV ratings and conductor sizes from AWG #14 to 1000kcmil. Phase conductors are color-coded at the factory for fast installation.
Jacket options? Lots of them. Jackets can be colored, oil-resistant, sunlight-resistant and flame-resistant. Insulation choices include PVC, XLPE and Southwire's low-smoke, non-halogen SOLONON®.
"ARMOR-X is a complete cable system," Dixon says. "You can install it in cable trays, bury it, embed in concrete or hang it from a messenger. As a conduit alternative, you can put in multiple conductors in less time than it takes to cut and install the empty pipe." |
