12 Top Innovative Products and Services to Cut Labor Costs and Boost Safety

Dr. Yuhsin Hawig, VP of Applications Engineering

CABLETECHSUPPORT???SERVICES

?Southwire's CableTechSupport? Services group includes experts with advanced degrees and certifications in electrical engineering. They fulfill over 15,000 technical requests each year to help end users, engineers, contractors, and installers meet project requirements, gain approvals from project owners or building inspectors, and respond to issues in the field. This team also produces whitepapers and online calculator tools that provide guidance for product and solution selection. Visit CableTechSupport? Services to access the comprehensive?technical library.

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?WE DELIVER POWER…RESPONSIBLY?

?In 2022, Southwire entered a partnership with the Copper Mark, an assurance framework and social and environmental governance program for responsible copper production. Southwire offers more than 180 Reinforced, Resilient, and Reliable?wire & cable products that are deployed in various industries, including infrastructure, industrial, and utility applications. Visit Products Supporting Sustainability Objectives to access the engineering spec library and select products to meet?your project's sustainability objectives. ?

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1.????? WILDFIRE FORENSIC TESTING

A covered conductor or tree wire is a Covered Aerial Medium Voltage (CAMV?) product that upgrades bare overhead conductors to mitigate wildfire ignition in areas where trees crowd the right-of-way. The rugged crosslinked covering over the bare conductor is proven to prevent arcing and flashovers. Wildfires with high-temperature flames can char the outer covering and thermally deform the inner conductor, which is strung under tension and is the weight-bearing component. Southwire offers comprehensive forensic testing to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of the extruded polymer layers as well as the mechanical performance of the conductor to help utility customers decide on repair or replacement.

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2.????? METAL CORROSION INVESTIGATION

Rain and ground water are excellent electrolytes because they contain a variety of organic chemicals and minerals, which can trigger metal corrosion. In addition, local air quality combined with varying degrees of carbon dioxide, salt, ozone, sulfur, and other pollutants, such as fertilizers or deicing agents, can increase the rate and the severity of corrosion. Corroded conductors can be found in both below-grade or above-ground installations. Southwire has helped industrial and utility customers confirm the root cause of the metallic corrosion using SEM elemental analysis and FTIR chemical fingerprinting.

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3.????? CONCENTRIC NEUTRAL CALCULATOR

Most MV cables contain a "full size" copper neutral rating for a single-phase system or a “one-third” neutral design relative to phase conductor size when used for a 3-phase supply. Modern rapid switching equipment at substations reduces short-circuit current and duration compared to decades ago. Using reduced neutrals from 1/4 to 1/12 saves metal cost upfront but can pose a risk due to insufficient short-circuit capacity. Southwire was the first in the industry to launch an online and mobile version of the Re3? Concentric Neutral Calculator?to customize the size and count for a specific conductor. This transformational free engineering tool lowers utility and renewable power cable costs without compromising long-term reliability.

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4.????? LABOR ?SAVING ESTIMATOR

?Direct buried cables are subject to damage from nearby construction, corrosive soil, and wildlife. Installing these cables in conduit protects against these environmental hazards. The SIMpull? Cable-in-Conduit (CIC) product features flexible and coilable High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) duct extruded around one or more cables. All wet-rated underground products can be designed with an all-in-one CIC assembly. Southwire is the first to launch a free online Re3? CIC Labor Saving Estimator based on National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA) labor rates. This tool calculates the total labor savings compared to pulling cables onsite into a conduit.

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5.????? BUILDING WIRE SELECTOR

From residential homes, high-rise buildings, and battery energy storage units to EV charging stations and data center facilities, Southwire's patent-pending Re3? Building Wire Selector recommends 600V products to match an end user’s specified location, installation, current, and run length. This free online tool delivers electrical calculations including ampacity, resistance, and voltage drop. It also links to the product spec sheet allowing access to engineering data for a specific stock code and color and mitigates concerns about under-sizing the conductor or exceeding the 3% voltage drop per the NEC?.

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6.????? COVERED JUMPER AND SWITCHGEAR CABLE

Southwire’s jumper and switchgear cable?can be found in substations installed on insulators and inside switchgears isolated from the ground where a non-shielded cable is desired. This non-UL cable does not have a voltage rating and is not recognized by the NEC?. However, UL approval can be obtained by testing the complete assembly of inside enclosures and equipment. It complies with 6.2.1.3 of IEEE C37.20.2 and 6.2.7.1 of IEEE C37.20.3, which defines the insulation requirements on bus bars. The cable has passed the 150 kV Basic Insulation Level (BIL) test that simulates a lightning strike, allowing it to be operated up to 40 kV.

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7.????? TRIPLE WATER PROTECTION

Water intrusion is a leading cause of cable system failures. Moisture accelerates the dielectric breakdown of insulation and triggers metallic corrosion. A compound is often specified to fill gaps between the strands of conductors in underground MV cables to prevent water from entering. Water-swellable powder can be applied over any shielding type to absorb and retain moisture. Water-swellable tapes are standard designs for underground transmission cables rated 69 kV and higher (HV), but these super absorbent tapes can also be incorporated into MV cables rated 15-46 kV. Triple water protection is achieved by applying two water-swellable tapes under and over the copper neutral wires in addition to a water-blocked conductor. The risk of metallic corrosion is greatly alleviated.

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8.????? LOW-FRICTION PULL

Reducing the friction between the cable and the raceway reduces tension and enables a longer pull distance without splicing. Southwire's patented NoLube? formula permanently reduces the Coefficient of Friction (CoF) of the cable insulation or jacket, eliminating the need for field-applied pulling lubricant, which can be messy, inconsistent, and will wear off during long pulls. ?The SIMpull THHN? and SIMpull XHHW-2? building wires, as well as SIMpull? PVC and PowerGlide? LLDPE jackets for MV cables all contain the NoLube? technology, enabling contractors to safely and efficiently pull cables. More than ten patents have been issued to protect Southwire's inventions.?

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9.????? WILDLIFE-DETERRENT DESIGN

Wildlife such as gophers and?other rodents have sharp teeth that continually grow, causing them to chew on various materials?to control growth and size. Southwire has supported utility, renewable, and industrial customers to protect electrical cables from wildlife damage. Copper wires are better wildlife deterrents compared to the softer aluminum conductors. Rugged overall?jacket materials can be paired with an extra layer of metallic shielding tape to create a rodent-proof design for 600V or 1kV substation controls and MV underground feeders. Contact Southwire today for a wildlife deterrent consultation.

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10.? ALL-IN-ONE REPAIR KIT

Southwire’s Re3? cable repair kit can be applied to both single and multi-conductor products, such as jacketed primary MV, service entrance (USE-2), service drop, and substation control cables. This all-in-one package includes an abrasive strip, a solvent wet wipe pack, one primary repair tape roll, one protective finishing tape roll, and a step-by-step instruction sheet. With same-day shipment available, this cost-saving solution can restore new cables with minor scratches and small nicks to their original integrity and minimize scrap. Damaged conductors (i.e., metal) or products exposed to significant weather events or incidents such as storms, fires, or floods are often beyond repair.

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11.? NITROGEN PURGING SERVICE

Moisture migration can occur during transit, storage, or installation due to unprotected ends or rainwater exposure during construction. Cable with trapped moisture will have a shorter service life and its performance can be compromised, even if the cable is rated for wet locations or direct burial. To prevent premature failures, Southwire offers wet cable consultations or purging services to remove water in new MV or 600V cables. We have delivered emergency field support for over 20 years, including onsite nitrogen-purging services to mitigate unforeseen water intrusion in new cables. High-pressure dry nitrogen gas is applied to the stranded copper or aluminum conductor ends to push moisture out of the cable and restore it to factory condition.

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12.? INNOVATION CENTER OF EXCELLENCE

Southwire's Cofer Technology Center was established in 1992. In 2023, this facility installed an innovative geothermal heat pump technology that has reduced electricity consumption by 40%. The experts that work in this ISO-17025 accredited facility and its UL- and CSA-recognized laboratory have developed proprietary dielectric formulations, conducted advanced metallurgy research, and launched novel cable products. Southwire has more than 500 U.S. and international patents and offers complimentary forensics and testing as a value-added service to our customers.?

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