Flexicon Cable Protection Systems for UK Rail Infrastructure.

Back to Blog Listing

Flexicon Cable Protection Systems for UK Rail Infrastructure.

Flexicon specialise in protecting your Cables from hazards for now and for the future

Flexicon are focused on bringing customers the latest solutions and technologies for Cable Protection. They design, develop and manufacture our products from our headquarters in Birmingham, UK therefore you can be assured of our quality and engineering excellence

Flooding is one of the most extreme forms of hazards for electrical systems. If product is submerged Ingress Protection becomes critical.

When it comes to protecting Safety and Performance Critical Cabling, Flexicon have listed some of the Potential hazards to consider in Rail applications.

Abrasion

• Process of scraping or wearing something away 

Chemical resistance

• Reaction to different compounds or substances 

Lightning Strike

• Damaged caused by natural electrical discharge 

Impact

• Sharp or blunt forces which could cause damage 

Crush / Compression

• Forces applied to cause deformation 

Fire

• Destructive burning

Tensile Strength

• Resistance to conduit being pulled from the fitting

EMC

• Electromagnetic Compatibility


Water may be present as rain, condensation, immersion including flooding, spray, jet wash cleaning, ice formation and melting.

Suction can be created by rise and fall of temperature although conduit systems are normally vented to atmosphere through at least one end. A vented conduit system has advantages over a sealed enclosure with cable glands as the conduit allows the air inside the enclosure to expand and contract with temperature changes.

In conjunction with some of our major rail customers we have completed more onerous testing than the standard tests required to give the customer confidence that true performance adequately represented real life installations.

• IPx8 carried out at 2 bar for 1 hour at minimum bend radius

• IPx8 carried out at 1 metre under water for 72 hours at minimum bend radius

• IPx8 carried out under water and ice at minimum bend radius for 5

cycles of; 10 hours at -15°C followed by 5 hours at +40°C

• Flexing conduit under water for 5 days (exhibition display)

• Corrosion resistance - 1,000 hour salt spray testing to EN ISO 9227 NSS @ 35°C

• UV resistance - up to 21,000 hours testing using xenon arc

• Vibration and shock-testing to EN 61373 category 2, bogie mounted

UV

• Resistance to Ultra Violet Radiation

Fatigue Life

• Weakness caused by repeated variations of stress or continuous and repeated movement

Corrosion

• Damage caused to materials based on chemical reaction

Theft & Vandalism

• Stealing, unauthorised removal or deliberate damage

Temperature

• Intensity of heat present 

- high or low. Rapid

changes of temperature

Grazing animals /

Vermin or pests

• Livestock

• Sharpening of teeth and searching for food

Vibration & Shock

• Shaking or sudden movement

Salt Water

• Prolonged exposure can cause dezincification

(Corrosion)

Rail - Fire Performance

The reaction of products in the event of a fire is critical when it comes to effective product specification. There are recognised national and international standards related to products performance and reaction to fire. Flexicon can offer a wide range of conduit systems which have been independently tested

At Flexicon we define a Low Fire Hazard product as having all of the following properties

Highly Flame Retardant to prevent a fire starting or limit its development if one does start.

Low Smoke emission in the event of a fire to enable people to see their way to escape.

Low Toxicity in the event of a fire to ensure people are not overcome during their escape.

Halogen Free gives an indication of low smoke and low toxicity. It also rules out halogen acid gas emission - a fact that is of interest to insurers as acid smoke can destroy computer equipment and damage the structure of a building. Halogens are Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine and Iodine.

Benefits of using flexible conduit…

Providing an inherent mechanical barrier for cabling, Flexible Conduit offers more than just protection for Cables and Installations. It allows users and specifiers to do things differently, challenging traditional installation practices and offers unrivalled product performance.

Flexible Conduit vs Rigid Conduit

• No bending / corner accessories required

• Simple Cutting plus no thread cutting required

• Suitable for Static and / or Dynamic Applications

• Improved strength to weight ratio

• Long Coiled Products as opposed to Straight lengths - easy to handle

• No specialist tools required

• Easy routing of product around obstructions 

• Can be composite, metal or plastic material

• Can be retrofitted

• Can configure pre made assemblies / harnesses

If you would like more information on Flexicon or Flexicon solutions, please contact our dedicated Flexicon technical team on 0121 706 7777 or technical@dpbuildingsystems.co.uk for more free help

To see more information visit Flexicon suppliers shop Click Here