Manufactures in the industry of wire and cable are all aware that high voltage power cable requires extreme attention to technicalities as well as intricate calculations regarding voltage, resistance to current, insulator, and conductor material.
Based on standard categorization criteria high voltage cable (HV) and extra high voltage cable are used for transmitting electric power of 33 kilovolts to 230 kilovolts and above.
High voltage cable ordinarily comprises a conductor of a steel core with an aluminum cover and an insulator.
The reason for the selection of this compound of metals is that aluminum is the fourth conductive metal in rank, it is light, highly flexible, and cost-efficient, but it does not provide the tensile and shear strength needed for the conditions where high voltage cables are installed.
On the other hand, the core of the conductor is made up of steel.
with regards to conductivity, steel is tenth in rank making it a mid-core conductor for electric power.
But the tensile strength and strong nature of steel make it a good choice for areal installation of high voltage cables.
Together with the appropriate conductivity of aluminum and the strength of steel they provide the necessary features required for high voltage cable.
The insulator in high voltage cable is made up of several dielectric layers made of different materials each of which fulfills a particular requirement.
The dissection of an industrially produced sample cable reveals material from the core towards the last layer to be the copper or aluminum conductor semi- conductor water resistant tape, XlPE that is polyethylene crosslinked insulator, extruded semi- conductor, semi-conductor water resistant tape, or graphic paper, copper wire shield for electric protection, semi- conductor water resistant tape a cover of tin for protection against chemical corrosion, aluminum armor wire or tape and finally an outer PVC sheath.
Cable Price Trend
the price of wire and cable has experienced an upward trend in recent years.
Several factors influence the price of wire and cable, the main reason for such a rise is the high price of metals such as copper aluminum, and steel.
The important point to note is that the price of wire and cable is announced daily, and the price of cable is a function of that price.
For this reason, many prefer to use aluminum cable because aluminum is far less expensive than copper.
Also, the lower price of aluminum compared to copper is why it is being widely used in power distribution networks for example a meter of 2*1 made of copper is twice as expensive as a meter of aluminum wire.
We also see differences in the price of cable based on its type and function, the thickness, and the quality of the conductor.
with regards to the quality of the conductor the question is whether to buy cheaper but lower quality cable or high-quality cable with a 10 percent increase in price.
It is certainly advisable to pay the extra 10 percent and avoid the damage and loss of having to change the whole cable and wire system after a short time.
As go move towards bigger sizes in cables we are faced with a natural increase in prices.
Also, depending on what type and what different layers of insulator enshroud the cable we see different prices.
As can be seen when calculating the market price of cable, we need to take into account various factors.
US Wire and Cable Market
The US did not manage to secure its authority in the wire and cable market and manufacture for long, and bludgeoning brands soon gained market share and fame for their quality General Cable for example a producer of wire and cable in highland heights has several offices and is able to produce in several countries this company was founded in New Jersey in 1927 was the result of mergers of some old companies from the 19th century namely Philips(safety and security cable) and Rome (underground cable) the company is actively producing copper and aluminum cable, optic cable, also in producing electrical wire and cable for energy consumption, construction, industrial and communication.
In the year 2017 prosimian bought out General cable for 3 milliard dollars.
The deal was finalized in 2018.
The annual income of this company is about 4.9 million euros and the number of staff is 11700.
During this time wire and cable producing companies all around the world, particularly in developing countries were actively improving their products and expanding their markets.
As for the middle east market, one country with remarkable progress in the field of wire and cable in Iran.
With endless reserves of copper and aluminum And the added advantage of a flourishing petrochemical industry, Iran can manufacture all types of cable and wire without dependency on the import of raw materials.
These factors have turned Iran into a prominent centerpiece of wire and cable production, and for the same reason, we are often faced with reasonable prices and top-quality products.
Copper Cable Market
The market for copper cable has undergone dramatic changes in recent years with the European market declining.
Although the biggest ever producer, Germany has cut back its exports along with Italy, and France.
To name other major exporters in Europe we can mention Portugal, Spain, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
Among the main European importers, are Romania, the UK , Australia, and Slovakia. Despite this decline, altogether, the EU is still a net exporter of wire and cable.
While Europe has not been able to hold up its upward trend Asian countries are experiencing an expansion of share in the world market.
One such country is Iran, with a production increase of 70 percent in a period of ten years.
considering the profitability of this industry and the global rise of demand for this product, we see an upward trend in the number of Iranian cable-producing companies.
Also, a similar trend is observed in the type range and variety of the cable produced by these companies.
This means countries importing cable from Iran are experiencing a wide range of choices and do not need to procure their cable from different places.
Generally, it seems the patterns in the global market of cable and wire are changing and the emergence of new powers is inevitable.