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NEMA 4X Stainless Steel Wireway System - Waterproof Cable Management

NEMA 4X Stainless Steel Wireway System - Waterproof Cable Management

NEMA 4X STAINLESS STEEL WIREWAY SYSTEM

When it comes to cable management Machine builders and installers supplying equipment into hygienically sensitive areas are often forced to compromise between the flexibility of an open system such as wire basket cable tray, which provides less cable protection but an easier installation, or a closed system such as conduit, which increases the levels of ingress protection but reduced flexibility.   Alternative wireway options are available from Lasnek providing increasing levels of cable integrity, including the ultimate wireway solution offering similar cable protection offered by that of a conduit system. The Lasnek FT range of stainless steel IP66 / NEMA 4X wireway system is available in trough widths ranging from 2.5” through to 8” square.

What’s the current solutions, and the limitations?

For many years the choice of cable management solution for cables located at low levels within a production environment and subjected to potential water or dust ingress has been limited to conduit or a lower rated wireway system such as NEMA 1, 3 or 12, or more recently an open system such as wire basket. Each system has inherent environmental and installation compromises. Conduit is typically limited to typical working OD of 32mm / 1”1/4 and while providing a high degree of mechanical protection, the installer may have practical installation issues, with pulling larger diameter cables while maintaining any cable fill regulations. Open wire basket wire may offer a more economic alternative, but with exposed cables it not only provides lower mechanical protection, it requires those experienced in using wire cable tray read more about wire way v wirebasket.  Wireway, while providing good access and cable protection brings its own integrity issues, as any system rated below that of 4X may not be either acceptable or desirable within wash down environments.

Open Wire Basket Tray

Closed Conduit System

So what’s the solution?

Lasnek’s FT range of NEMA 4X / IP66 rated water proof and dust proof stainless steel trunking system is designed to address the environmental issues highlighted above by using either basket or lower rated wireways. It has the added advantage of being available in dimensions ranging 65mm / 2.5”mm through to 200m / 8” square to address the cable fill limitations of using conduit. Factor that any installed cable can be accessed from the fixed, hinged length cover, it provides a practical solution for any future cable expansion.

Lasnek’s FT type 4X wireway solution has been used in multiple installations over the last 15 years.  Using a supplied silicon gasket, each length or bend are simply bolted to each single piece end flange –no specialist tools or cutting required. Each length is supplied in pre-manufactured sizes spanning 300mm / 12”, 600mm / 24”, 900mm / 36”, 1500mm / 60”, 3000mm / 120”.   A number of 22.5 / 45 / 90 degrees bends are available, they are fully welded and like the lengths,  are simply installed by rotating to the desired configuration and connected to the flanges using the hardware provided. It should be highlighted that there is no requirement for specifying specific bend configurations, such as internal, external or Flat as with NEMA1 products, therefore reducing the number of components required.

So what is the catch?

While the system offers the installer the best possible solution, it does come at an increased cost. Typically 4X systems are three times more than those of a similar sized NEMA1 one lay in system and 6 times that of wire basket tray. As the NEMA 4X is a pull through system the lengths cannot be reduced in length on site, therefore more consideration to both routing and planning, prior to any purchasing decisions.

Summary

Lasnek’s Stainless Steel NEMA4X provides the best possible solution to cable management where the highest integrity against dust and water is required.  It provides a reliable, repeatable, easy to install system, while providing guaranteed cable access from the captive cover. While it can be considered as the ultimate solution, it will be for the purchaser to consider if either the technical advantages justify the commercial uplifts over that of the other solutions outlined or that environment demands the advantages this system provides.

Get in touch

For more information or to discuss your specific requirements, please contact us:

Email: sales@lasnek.com
Lasnek
1005 N Commons Drive
Aurora
IL 60504
Tel: 678-999-4589
www.lasnek.com

Lasnek.
1005 N Commons Drive, Aurora, IL 60504
Tel: 866-995-9337
Business Hours
Monday - Friday: 08:30 - 17:00 (CST)
Closed for Federal Holidays