MV Cable Jointing & Some Quick Jointers Tips Using 3M Scotch Tapes

By Chris Dodds on 9th October, 2015

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Today Levingston George, Lead Specialist Electrical Engineer at AM/NS Calvert in Alabama shares some cable jointing tips using 3M Scotch Tapes.

Levingston George has over 40 years of experience within the construction, maintenance and utilities industries.

A Certified High Voltage Cable Splicer/Lineman and industrial electrician having worked in more than 26 countries on multi-million dollar projects. 

Levingston kindly shares some "tips n tricks" using 3M Scotch Electrical Tapes in the medium voltage power industry......

"In cable splicing and jointing all cable insulation needs to be sanded, be it XLPE or EPR insulation."

"A good rule of thumb is "Cleanliness is the rule and the cleaner the joint the better it will operate and test."

"Many jointers do not understand the requirement of the semi-con screen being square and perfectly cut. SRM (stress relief material) in many of the splicing kits is often disregarded - and then the cable fails. I have also noted that many cable jointers use indenter crimp tools and they forget to fill the voids left by the crimping tool."

"Then the butt splice has air voids and this leads to cable failure. If using an indenter type crimp tool always fill the voids created by the tool with mastic. I have found Scotch 2229 Mastic Tape to be effective for the application. Also 600 volt butt splices should never be used on medium voltage cable -  the cable should be chamfered at the butt splice and the butt splice itself (MV and HV butt splices) are tapered for a reason.

Pictured: 3M Scotch 2229 Mastic Tape

"I also use Scotch 13 Semi Con Tape to go over the butt splice to place the strand shield back on to the medium voltage cable. This prevents air voids at the conductor entering the butt splice and returns the cable to its configuration prior to making the cable splice. PILC is still around here in the USA and there are few splicers who are actually trained to repair it professionally," informs Levingston.

Pictured: 3M Scotch 13 Semi-Conducting Tape

 

Here, a lineman/cable splicer is using 3M Scotch 33 tape to provide electrical insulation layers to a medium voltage cable - taping up the neutral tails.

 

• Further Reading:

Electrical Taping Skills: A Lost Art? Some 3M Scotch Taping Tips

Self Amalgamating Tapes - PIB or EPR?

Video Training - 3M Mining Cable Splice Kit 3100

 

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Category:  Cable Jointing - PhotoBlog

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