What is the admissible pulling force you can exert on a cable?

When laying a cable, the cable drum is unwound and the cable is led to its “location” by pulling on the end of the cable. If you pull too hard, you may damage the sheathing, or the entire cable and your installation will not be safe to operate. But how hard can you pull on a cable?

The maximum pulling force during installation is stated in the construction standards, which differentiate between pulling with a pulling head or with a pulling sleeve.

where in S = sum of the section of all conductors in mm², without counting any screen or armour

It is important to distribute the pulling force evenly among the conductors.

 

 

Maximum pulling force with Chinese fingers

If a fleeter (Chinese fingers) is used the maximum pulling force should not exceed 1000N (*)

(*) values taken from the construction standards of Dutch cables

Remember to replace the protective caps after pulling, unless you are going to connect the cable immediately.

 

Reduce the risk of damage

When pulling cables, some friction between the cable and the surface is inevitable. This makes you pull harder on the head of the cable, which can cause damage to the cable or sheath. By using adapted cable guides and cable rolls, that friction is reduced, so you need less pulling force and you reduce the risk of damage.

Not only the correct guidance is important, but also the correct bending radius.