Aug 21 2010
Draka Cableteq announced today that for the first time its innovative Lifeline cable technology is being made available to the materials handling and metals processing markets.
Lifeline cable technology is based on a proprietary ceramifiable insulation that can withstand a fully-involved structural fire with temperatures of up to 1850°F for as long as two hours, thus meeting the stringent UL 2196 standard.
Unlike flame retardant cable whose requirement is not to propagate a fire, fire rated cable is required to continue to operate during an emergency. Lifeline cable technology will permit the orderly shutdown of equipment, aids in the safe evacuation of personnel and keeps power flowing to fire-fighting systems.
In testing, mill owners reported that Lifeline Cable is already saving them both time and money. When fires occur, standard cable melts in conduit, completely blocking access to install replacement cable. Clean-up of the melted cable is slow and tedious oftentimes necessitating the running of new conduit, both costly and time consuming. With the Lifeline cable technology, clean-up requires only the removal of the ash, a quick procedure which allows for the immediate installation of the replacement cable.
Field tests of lifeline coaxial cable (in video monitoring of blast furnaces) and variable frequency drive cable, was so successful that the personnel at these locations dubbed Lifeline as their “miracle cable.”
Lifeline cable technology is now available for the following: annealing furnaces, AOD, Blast and basic oxygen furnaces, coke ovens, hot strip mills, hot dip aluminizing and galvanizing, RH vacuum degasser, emergency communication coax cables and ventilation power with VFDs.