JSC "Uralcable" (part of the "Cable Alliance Holding", which unites the cable assets of UMMC) purchased new testing equipment worth about 3 million rubles. The climatic chamber allows testing cable products at low and high temperatures, as well as relative humidity.
“On new equipment, we mainly conduct periodic and qualification tests. The first ones are held every six months or a year and confirm the compliance of the products with the established requirements. Qualification tests are required, for example, when replacing material on our initiative or at the request of the customer. Previously, we had one cold test chamber, and for moisture testing we sent samples to the Tomsk Scientific Institute of NIKI. Now we can give our own conclusions and, most importantly, we can more actively master the production of new designs, "said Nikita Lesnikov, head of the quality service of Uralkabel.
The operating temperature range of the new climatic chamber is from -80 to + 180 degrees. Several samples can be placed in it at once. To check the quality of insulation, the cable is kept in frost from 1 to 6 hours, in a humid environment - from 2 to 20 days. There are so-called cyclic tests, when a sample is immediately transferred from cold to heat and vice versa. The new equipment has modern software where you can set the number, length of cycles, etc.
“Cable products should serve the customer for a long time, retaining all their operational properties. As a rule, the cable is subjected to heavy loads, high temperatures, for example, in motors. It must also withstand frosts, say, when laying in the Far North, etc. With heat and cold tests, we check the integrity of the insulation, and in a humid environment, its resistance. There are also regular tests. As a result, the customer receives a high-quality product that meets its requirements and the requirements of the standards, ”noted Olga Ivanova, Deputy Director for Quality at Uralcable JSC.
