EKF metal trays - a systematic approach to cable management

The power supply system of any object implies the presence of a large number of cable lines. And the larger the facility, the greater the cable communications. The organization of all cables and wires is a separate task. They should be conveniently located, not take up much space, while they need to provide easy access for maintenance. More importantly, the cables must be protected from mechanical damage and, if necessary, from environmental influences. For projects that use open cable routes, a metal tray will be the solution to all these tasks.

 

There are several types of metal trays. EKF manufactures perforated, non-perforated and ladder trays. Durable sectional products will allow you to mount the cable route in a short time. They are suitable for power and low current systems. High variability of application allows you to lay communication routes on walls, ceilings and floors. To protect against corrosion, metal cable trays undergo a galvanizing process.

EKF Tray Systems

To install the cable route, you will need not only metal sections, but also precisely selected additional elements: suspensions, flanges, taps, fasteners and many others. That is why EKF offers tray systems:

• T-Line (perforated and non-perforated);
• M-Line (stair);
• R-Line (wire) - will go on sale at the end of September 2019.

Each of them has a full range of accessories, as well as a wide range of accessories, suspensions and hardware, which simplifies the design.

Metal trays are a relatively new product in the EKF catalog, the company launched its production in 2019. EKF metal trays are produced at our own factory in Moscow; they have a patented design and technological features. In addition, with own capacities, the question of the availability of products in stock does not arise.

Let's look at the EKF trays themselves and their features.

T-Line perforated and non-perforated trays

The T-Line series is a cable metal tray with sections from 35x50 to 100x600 mm, as well as covers and all the necessary elements for them. The standard length of one section is 3 m. However, EKF is ready to produce custom-made products of a different size for projects and non-standard solutions.

EKF's perforated metal tray is a section with a unique perforation design. Holes with special shapes, sizes and locations provide good natural cooling for conductors, but do not reduce the strength of the entire structure.

Perforation is applied by double stamping - longitudinal and transverse. This results in increased rigidity of the base of the EKF perforated tray.

 

By the way, perforation is not only for natural thermoregulation.In perforated trays it is more convenient and faster to lay lines, to fix cables.

Reliability is one of the key qualities that the company sought to develop its trays. In both perforated and non-perforated products, additional stiffeners are provided in the side walls.

The EKF non-perforated metal tray is designed for projects in which open cable communications need maximum protection. Cables and wires laid in trays without holes will not be subjected to mechanical stress and will be protected from the effects of the external environment. Typical applications are high-dust production facilities and projects with cable routes in the open.

Using an unperforated metal tray with covers will give the greatest guarantee of the safety of open lines.

T-Line Trays Design Features

Unique punching is far from the only hallmark of the EKF trays. In order that the installation can be done quickly, and the resulting design is highly reliable, they use special solutions:

• Sections are connected using eyelets and horseshoe elements. With this method, docking trays "father-mother" occurs without the use of connecting plates and screws. One section is inserted into another and secured with eyelets. After that, you can freely, without additional support, connect the sections with screws.
• The rounded edges of the walls of the tray give the cable additional protection during installation.
• Covers easily connect to trays using surface threads. The special shape of the lid lock allows them to fit snugly on the tray. If the track is laid vertically along the wall, the covers will not open under the weight of the cable.

Stairways M-Line

The staircase variant is even more convenient in terms of installation and maintenance of cable communications. Two longitudinal profiles - spars, combined by crossbars, create a design similar to a staircase. Such a tray provides high natural thermoregulation and provides the easiest access for system maintenance. At the same time, the M-Line trays serve as a reliable support for heavy cables. These are strong metal sections with high bearing capacity.

Methods of connecting the elements of staircases, similar to the non-perforated and perforated cable trays of T-Line, save up to 40% of the time for installation of the route.

Tray selection

For each object, its own version of the tray system is designed - for a specific route of the route and with its own set of elements. One of the most important criteria for the selection of sections and fasteners are the characteristics of the cable group.

When selecting metal trays, you must consider:

• The level of maximum permissible loads on the tray and fasteners.
• Cross-sectional area of ​​cable bundles - free space should remain in the tray. According to the PUE, the sum of the outer diameters of cables in blind boxes (trays) should not exceed 35% of the cross section in the light, in boxes (trays) with openable covers - not more than 40%. Under the future expansion of the network it is worth laying an additional 25% of free space.
• Permissible bending radius of cables.
• It is desirable to stack power cables in a wide tray with a low side, and low-current cables in a narrow one with a high side. If both types of cables fit into one tray, you need to put them as far away from each other and separate them with a partition.
• It is advisable to distribute the cables along the bottom of the tray, rather than concentrating them in the corners.

EKF has successfully passed the certification of fire-resistant cable line (OKL) in conjunction with the Concord plant. In addition, the EKF trays have been tested in an independent laboratory for compliance with Safe Workload Parameters (BRN).