A cable lubricant is a specialty product used to reduce the friction of a cable while pulling it into a conduit. Reducing the friction is very important because it decreases the force needed to pull the cable and thus, also reduces the tension on the cable being pulled during installation.
The benefits of using a pulling lubricant
Obviously, a reduced pulling force due to the lubricant means the cable is less likely to be damaged physically. Also, a lower sidewall pressure helps improve the performance of installing the cable and extends its life. Plus, the reduced tension can also mean less wear in the equipment used, increased safety of the installers, and longer cable runs with fewer splices. Overall, all these benefits result in a lower-cost cable installation process.
Where to use cable lubricant?
A lubricant may not be needed for short and straight pulls. But for longer cable runs with greater bend angle, or when pulling heavy cables, using a cable lubricant is highly recommended. The things that can impact how difficult it would be to pull a cable are cable weight, length of the cable run, bend angle, and friction coefficient of the cable jacket.
What is the friction coefficient?
Friction coefficient refers to the measure of the frictional resistance to movement of the cable against the conduit wall. The force used to pull the cable must be more than this coefficient to overcome the frictional resistance of the cable to move it along the conduit. A lower friction coefficient means a reduction in the pulling tension with the same degree.
When determining the coefficient of friction to use, it depends not only on the cable lubricant but also on other factors like conduit type and jacket type. These three factors determine the right amount of coefficient of friction. Though there is no standard friction measurement method applicable, it’s important to calculate the most effective coefficient of friction.
If you know which lubricant to use for your cable installation, just browse our selection online or give us a call today to find you the one you need.
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