Power utilities rely on reliable cable-jointing technology to support their substations, switchyards and transformers.
Developed in the 1960s from the introduction of rubber and polyethylene insulated cables, heat shrink and cold shrink accessories have become popular cable jointing solutions.
But there are distinct differences between the two, something which global innovator 3M has seen first-hand.
Not only did 3M pioneer cold shrink technology, but the company has worked to improve the technology and extend its capabilities over many decades. This has seen 3M create advancements in cold shrink splices and terminations for medium voltage and 69/72.5kV applications.
And while the success of this technology has led many other companies to offer their own cold shrink solutions, as its inventor and key proponent over decades, 3M is uniquely placed to help drive the next evolution of cold shrink cable jointing.
In fact, many of 3M’s cold shrink medium voltage products have been in service for more than 40 years.
While cold shrink products typically use rubber materials such as silicone or ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), heat shrink typically uses plastic-type materials such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), Kynar polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or other similar types of material.
3M outlines the key differences between cold shrink and heat shrink technology, detailing their distinct attributes and engineering methodologies.
View 3M’s whitepaper here.
