Armoured Cables | UK Manufactured

Armoured cable

Why armoured?

For any electric circuit that may be at risk of physical damage, armoured cables provide the ideal solution. An armoured cable is a power cable or control cable that is designed for 600/1000V mains supply electricity. Single core armoured cables feature aluminium wire armour (AWA), whilst multi-core armoured cables feature galvanised steel wire armour (SWA) due to their different reactions to magnetic fields. Prysmian XLPE insulated, PVC sheathed SWA and AWA cables are manufactured in accordance with BS 5467 and BS 6724.

Types of Cable Armour

There are different materials used as cable armour to protect electrical cables. One type is AWA (Aluminium Wire Armoured) cable, which has aluminium wires applied to the bedding layer around the core for mechanical protection. Another type is SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) cable, which has a layer of galvanised steel wires applied to the bedding layer around the cores providing excellent protection against damage, impact, and corrosion. These materials depend upon the cable configuration, single or multicore.

Installation methods for armoured cable

Armoured cables can be installed using a range of different methods including in air, surface, tray, basket or in ducts, but are also suitable for direct burial installations. Armoured cables have built-in protection, so they can be installed directly into a trench without further physical protection. Prysmian BS 5467 is well suited to areas at risk of mechanical damage such as large scale industrial environments. Whereas Prysmian BS 6724 is designed for use in public buildings where low smoke, zero halogen and reduced flame propagation is required for safety in shopping centres, hospitals, and airports.

UK Manufactured

Prysmian manufactures armoured cables at our each of UK factories in Eastleigh, Aberdare and Wrexham. We use advanced production techniques, with high-quality steel and aluminium wires helically applied or ‘layed-up’ onto the bedding layer to add mechanical protection for superior strength. Our Prysmian commitment to quality ensures that our SWA and AWA cables meet or exceed industry standards for reliability and performance.