Ellis develop cable cleat for major UK Power Networks specification

Cleats for cables that will increase the power supply capacity across London

Cable cleat manufacturer Ellis was called when it became clear that cable being laid in a vital section of the new London Power Tunnels network couldn’t be satisfactorily restrained using a standard cable cleat.

Richard Shaw, managing director of Ellis: “Cable cleats are designed to operate across a range of cable diameters, but in this case the size of cable being used straddled two standard cleat sizes, and because of cable manufacturing tolerances there was a risk that no matter which cleat was chosen, it could prove unsuitable.”

Ellis cable cleat solution

• developed a new size of cleat
• ensured the cable fell directly in the middle of the cleat’s cable range
• negated any potential problems caused by manufacturing tolerance

Difference in terms of size between the new product and the standard Ellis solutions is small but when it comes to safety and the integrity of the system, it is vital.

Richard Shaw: “Using standard products the customer ran the very real risk of the cleats being too small, in which case the cable would not fit, or too large, in which case the cable would not be kept in a proper trefoil formation and so would not be restrained in the axial direction. And even if the cleat was fit for purpose when the first deliveries of cable arrived on site, it would be possible for further deliveries of cable to have a greater or smaller diameter, still within the manufacturer’s tolerance, and render the cleat unfit for purpose.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this whole project is that we now have a cable specific cleat that the client can quickly and safely specify for any installation where they intend using this particular cable,”

Ellis’ new cleats, which have been added to its Emperor range, are being installed throughout the 32km network of power tunnels being built under London to carry high voltage (HV) cables that will increase the power supply capacity across the capital.