Cable Trays & Baskets

• Design Saving Costs

For electrical projects where the process is not fully formed or defined before the start of the design, the cost of and time used to cope with changes during the engineering and drafting design phase will be significantly less for a cable tray wiring system.

Since it only takes a few minutes of design time to change the width of a cable tray to gain additional cable fill capacity, the extra inches that get included will conveniently accommodate large numbers of small diameter analog or digital signal cables. 

Cable trays come with a unique feature that allows cables to enter or exit the electrical tray anywhere along the cable tray’s route – this allows for easy accommodation of cable additions. In addition, a good cable tray wiring system is capable of simplifying the overall wiring system design since fewer details are required for properly designed cable tray runs.  

• Material Procurement Costs Savings

Cable tray wiring systems have fewer components, which means there will be savings due to fewer components to organize, order, receive, store, and distribute. 

Other than that, the cost of the cable trays, supports, and other items may provide a material savings of up to 80%. This would be in comparison to the costs of conduits, supports, junction boxes, pull boxes, and miscellaneous materials. 

Moreover, for feeders or branch circuits, where parallel phase conductors are involved in the installation process, copper cost savings exist for cable tray wiring systems. 

• Installation Cost Savings 

Installation of any kind of electrical tray, whether it is a metal cable tray or plastic cable tray, all require fewer hours than a conduit wiring system would. In fact, this is one of the major costs that you can save through a cable tray wiring system. 

The electrician experience level required is lower, as well as the fact that smaller-sized electrician crews will be more familiar with installing cable tray wiring systems than they would be with conduit wiring systems. This leads to manpower leveling since the average crew size would be almost the same number. 

An electrical cable tray can be installed faster because the work is capable of being completed in a shorter time period because of the decreased space conflict with other construction disciplines – specifically in cases where there is a larger amount of piping installation involved in a project. 

• Maintenance Cost Savings

Circuit additions won’t be a burden in the future because of the cables being able to enter or exit the cable tray anywhere along its route. The potential for moisture-related equipment failures is also decreased significantly because of how cable trays do not provide the internal moisture paths the way conduits do. 

Damage to a properly installed plastic cable tray is limited to the area of flame contact, in addition to a few feet on either side of the flame contact area – cable trays will not be a fire ignition source. And another advantage is that cable tray wiring systems can be quickly repaired within two to six days in cases of significant damage. 

• Aluminium Cable Tray

Metal cable trays made of aluminum are a good choice because they can be used in almost any environment. They have a reputation for having a good strength-to-weight ratio and a strong resistance to corrosion. 

Moreover, thanks to aluminum being lightweight in nature, these metal cable trays are easy to install. Most metal cable tray manufacturers claim that aluminum trays are around 50% lighter than other cable trays. 

• Plastic Cable Tray

A plastic cable tray will provide an economical solution to providing a solid structure for electrical cables, raceways, and insulated conductors used for electric power distribution. Getting a plastic cable tray means obtaining a non-corrodible system for cable installations. 

The way they are designed is specifically to keep labour costs on-site to a minimum. Most plastic cable trays are manufactured from rigid, unplasticized PVC that is self-extinguishing and non-flammable – making them perfect for all practical purposes.

• Ladder Cable Tray

Ladder cable trays are different from the usual cable trays – they are designed for use as supports for cables and aren’t enclosures to aid mechanical protection. Ladder cable trays are usually supplied in 3 or 6m in length and have solid covers present to protect the cables from falling objects, dust, and water. 

Cable ladders also provide free airflow, and that is essential to avoid overheating of the cables. They are exposed and easily accessible, making inspection and future modifications easy to do. 

• Solid-bottom Cable Tray

This type of metal cable tray is the best fit for fiber-optic cable installations where drooping of cables may affect system performance, making solid-bottom (non-ventilated) cable trays perfect for the job. 

The main purpose of the solid-bottom electrical cable tray is the concern for electromagnetic/radio-frequency interference protection. 

• Wire Mesh Cable Tray

Wire mesh cable trays are made of stainless steel wires by welding wires together, forming a basket-like mesh. In situations where a lot of smaller cables are used, such as for telephone or computer networks, it is better to use lighter cable trays. 

This type of industrial wire tray is made of wire mesh and is often referred to as a cable basket. They are also often designed in the form of a single central rail and ribs to support the cable on either side. They are often used for low voltage, telecommunication, and fiber optic cables supported on short spans.  

A cable tray’s bottom coverage helps reduce electromagnetic interference, while the perforations enable water drainage and ventilation. The cable tray serves to provide additional support and prevents cables from drooping, which could lead to damaging the circuit’s overall performance.

Cable trays come in all kinds of shape and sizes, and a ceiling cable tray/suspended cable tray is one of them. A ceiling cable tray is attached to the ceiling and so is a sensible option for labs, offices, and factories. The goal of a ceiling cable tray is the same – to manage and contain electrical cables and keep them separated from human bodies and work spaces. 

A cable ladder will have a simple design with rungs connected that are perforated, making it easier to fasten ties or cable cleats directly onto the ladder. Cable ladders are best suited to support heavy cables, cable bundles, and pipes at long support spans. 

On the other hand, cable trays only have a single sheet of metal and many have slot patterns that make it easier to position equipment and fasten cable ties and other fixings, such as cable tray hangers and tubing. 

Thanks to the variety in electrical cable tray dimensions, cable trays are capable of supporting all types of wiring. Some of these include high voltage power lines, power distribution cables, control cables, telecommunication cables, and fiber optical cables. 

Yes, it is necessary to have cables tied down in cable trays as this maintains sufficient spacing between cables. The reason can also be to segregate or confine specific types of cables to certain locations. A solid fixed barrier accompanying the cable trays is always a plus in these case scenarios.

It is usually permitted for high voltage cables to be installed in an electrical tray in industrial establishments where qualified personnel is available to service the installation. Usually, multiconductor cables rated over 600 volts are separated from lower voltage cables by the use of a separate cable tray or a solid fixed barrier.

Yes, multiconductor cables that are rated 600 volts or less can be permitted to be installed in the same cable tray.

Ladder trays, also known as cable runways, have a range of straight lengths and various shaped fittings designed to facilitate changing cabling directions or levels easily. 

Cable ladders are one of the strongest products when it comes to supporting cables as they offer high load capabilities over long spans, and so are often installed on sites where a reliable and safe distribution of high volumes of cables is needed. 

On the other hand, an electrical cable tray is used for project planning. Cable trays are much easier to use when laying new cables onto a cable tray system because the needs of an ongoing project is subject to change over time. Cable trays are also mechanically safer compared to cable ladders.

A common guide is to fill a tray to no more than around 40 to 50 percent of its cross-sectional area, leaving room for heat dissipation and future cables. Grouping many cables closely can reduce their current-carrying capacity, so check the derating factors in current wiring regulations and the cable manufacturer's data when planning heavily loaded runs.

Cable tray can be cut with a hacksaw or angle grinder, and the cut edge should be deburred and treated with cold galvanising spray. For changes of direction, factory flat bends and tees give a consistent radius and cleaner finish than site-made bends. Always wear gloves and eye protection when cutting metal containment.

Power and data cables can share a tray if they are segregated, for example by a divider or by keeping a set distance between them, to reduce interference and meet safety requirements. Check the guidance in current wiring regulations and the data cabling standard used for the project before routing different circuits together.