Tratos Service Capacity & Packaging Sustainability
Our packaging is manufactured from recycled material, including recycled wood for our drums. The packaging is produced close to our cable manufacturing site, reducing travel requirements and subsequent emissions.
Tratos is a global leader in cable manufacturing, delivering high-performance solutions supported by robust service capacity, sustainable practices, and decades of technical expertise.
Sustainable Packaging
Tratos’ packaging is manufactured from recycled materials, including recycled wood for cable drums, and is produced close to the company’s cable manufacturing sites. This reduces transportation distances and emissions, keeping the carbon footprint of packaging as small as possible.
The company is committed to minimising environmental impact across all operations, embedding sustainability into the full life cycle of its products – from design and manufacture to packaging, installation, and recycling.
Storage & Handling Guidelines
- Movement: Drums must be handled by crane or forklift truck. Dropping drums from vehicles is strictly prohibited.
- Damage checks: Inspect drums before and during fitting to ensure no transport damage has occurred.
- Cable protection: Do not remove staves or end caps until just before installation. Replace cable end protectors once the required length has been taken.
- Unwinding: Always unwind and rewind cables as illustrated in Tratos’ guidelines.
- Transfers: When transferring cable between drums, ensure the minimum bending radius and barrel drum diameters are respected.
Installation Rules for MV Cables
- Temperature: Avoid installing at ambient temperatures below 5°C.
- Bending radius: Refer carefully to the values provided in the Range and Dimensions tables.
- Pull force limits:
- Copper cables: max 5 kg/mm² conductor area
- Aluminium cables: max 3 kg/mm² conductor area
- Examples:
- 1 × 240 mm² copper → 1200 kg max pull
- 3 × 240 mm² copper → 3600 kg max pull
- 1 × 240 mm² aluminium → 720 kg max pull
- 3 × 240 mm² aluminium → 2160 kg max pull
- Armoured cables: Pull force applied to the steel armour is acceptable but only for limited durations.
- Curves & conduits: Use sufficient rollers and conveyors to avoid overloading during bends or pipe entries.
- Overhead cables: Any strain should be carried by the supporting rope during installation and operation.
Thermal Dissipation & Parallel Installations
For parallel trefoil arrangements, ensure:
- Identical conductor material, section, and length
- Correct R-S-T phase sequence
- Proper spacing between cables
- Balanced and correct terminal connections
This ensures optimal heat dissipation and balanced load distribution.
Drum Capacity & Selection
Example selection process:
- Cable type: ARE4H1R-12/20 kV 1 × 240 mm²
- Diameter: 39.1 mm ≈ 40 mm
- Minimum bending radius: 560 mm
- Required length: 500 m
- Minimum drum barrel diameter: 560 × 2 = 1120 mm
- Suitable drums: BL180 / BL200 / BL220 / BL250
- Selected: BL180 (most convenient for 500 m)
Drum Dimensions
Standard wooden drums are used across all Tratos facilities. For special lengths, larger wooden or metallic drums can be provided. Transport restrictions may apply, requiring special trailers or permits.
Disclaimer
Tratos reserves the right to modify specifications without prior notice. The company accepts no responsibility for improper installation or use of its products.
