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Armoured Cable Glands

Why Do We Use Cable Glands?
- To firmly secure cable entering a piece of equipment
- To maintain the ingress protection of the piece of equipment (minimum of IP54 for 'e' and 'n' type enclosures. Where the enclosure wall thickness is less than 6mm a sealing washer or thread sealant will be required to maintain IP54 protection)
- To maintain earth continuity between a piece of equipment and any armouring in the cable
- To ensure containment of an internal explosion in flameproof equipment

Is There a British Standard for Cable Glands?
The Code of Practice for selection, installation and inspection of cable glands used in electrical installations is covered in BS 6121-5 1989 Mechanical cable glands.

Selecting Cable Glands
Items to consider when selecting a cable gland for a particular installation include:
- Possibility of electrolytic action between the gland and the enclosure. Shortened lifetime for the glands and the cable entries can result if incompatible materials selected. The most common materials used are brass, stainless steel and plastic. Material choice will influence cost.
- Degree of Ingress Protection required. See our page on IP ratings.
- Certification of gland for use in Hazardous areas
- Normal or barrier gland required
- Size of cable being terminated
- Size of cable entry on piece of equipment

What is a Barrier Gland?
Barrier glands are similar to normal glands, except a compound sealant material is used to ensure the inside of the cable is gas tight as well as the outside.

When Should a Barrier Gland be Used?
BS EN60079-14 Electrical Apparatus for Explosive Gas Atmospheres Part 14 - Electrical Installations in Hazardous Areas (other than Mines) provides a selection process for deciding if a barrier gland is required. There are various options to consider, however if the hazardous gas require IIC apparatus, or if the volume of the enclosure is greater than 2 litres then it is likely you will need to use a barrier gland. IIC apparatus is generally associated with Hydrogen.

Gable Gland Sizing
A rough gland sizing table is provided below, however reference should be made to the British Standard referenced above.

Nominal Conductor Area (mm²)	Number of cores
Nominal Conductor Area (mm²)	1	2	3	4	5	7	10	12	19	27	37	48
1.5	--	20S	20S	20S	20S	20S	20	25	25	25	32	32
2.5	--	20S	20S	20S	20	20	25	25	25	32	41	40
4	--	20S	20S	20	20	20	25	25	32	40	--	--
6	--	20	20	20	This chart is for guidance only. Consult relevant British Standards before making final selection.
10	--	20	25	25
16	--	25	25	25
25	--	25	25	32
35	--	25	32	32
50	20	32	32	40
70	25	32	40	40
95	25	40	40	50
120	25	40	50	50
150	32	50	50	63
185	32	50	50	63
240	40	50	63	63
300	40	63	63	75
400	50	63	75	--