Please read our article in The Electrical Trade Magazine about the importance of low and medium voltage cable testing

To view the digital magazine article, click the link or read below.

The importance of an accredited low and medium voltage cable testing lab vs the manufactures own Type Tests

Safe and successful energy transmission is crucial for end-users and building safety. As energy demands increase, reliable and efficient electrical infrastructure grows, and new solutions are needed to handle greater loads while maintaining safety standards. A medium voltage cable transmits electrical energy with a voltage rating between 6 kV and 36 kV. These cables are generally used in industrial and commercial applications and utility sectors to connect residential complexes.

Cable manufacturers continue to change the technical design and specification of cables as technology evolves and improvements transpire. Advances, particularly in materials technology, provide opportunities to make incremental advances to the performance of all cables; however, they must be validated by an independent third party and accredited body, certification and comprehensive testing organisations such as BASEC.

A cable's compliance with the standard it's designed for is intended for an initial Type Test, which gives the results of the batch and manufacturing capabilities. They aim to verify if the tested cable sample's materials and construction comply with the specified testing clauses listed within the standards. BASEC's ongoing surveillance scheme continuously checks the cables' conformity to ensure the quality has not dropped from the first set of initial type testing. Type Tests are typically kept for more than five years, and the quality of every batch can't be guaranteed; this is how BASEC's Low and Medium Voltage schemes add more safety to the cable market. An ongoing testing and surveillance programme ensures the conformity of the approved cable ranges, which also incorporates factory audits for production and the ongoing testing of samples.