Powermite, a division of industrial and electrical products distributor Hudaco, will launch its new thermoplastic poly- urethane (TPU) cable during this year’s Electra Mining Botswana mining, industrial and power generation exhibition, which will take place at the Fair Grounds, in Gaborone, from September 1 to 3.

Powermite sales and marketing director Donovan Marks tells Mining Weekly that the new cable is manufactured with a transparent TPU sheath that is moulded over reflective tape, which works similarly to the reflective strips on safety vests, making the cable more observable, particularly in low lighting conditions.

“The reflective tape enables workers to identify the cable in hazardous conditions, preventing unnecessary damage to the cable, which could result in loss of operational power,” he explains, adding that the cable is ideal for use in opencast and underground mining applications.

Besides the transparent TPU sheath, Powermite offers the cable in other colours, including green, blue, red, yellow, orange and black; however, the coloured cables do not have the reflective feature of the transparent cable.

Marks further points out that TPU is almost four times more shear resistant than rubber-type cables, making it a more robust material and significantly extending the cables’ effective operational life span.

Owing to the superior mechanical properties of TPU tensile strength, tear and abrasion resistance are three to four times greater than rubber cable equivalents, making it less prone to damage when being pulled or dragged on the ground.

He highlights that, while there is currently no South African National Standards (SANS) specification for cables manufactured using TPU materials, Powermite is developing the specifications with the South African Bureau of Standards.

“However, the cables are [currently] manufactured in line with SANS 1520 standards, which outline the specifications required for flexible electric trailing cables used in mining applications,” says Marks.

Powermite’s TPU cables, which are available in sizes from 35 mm2 to 240 mm2, were developed in the US and are manufactured in Europe.

Meanwhile, Marks notes that this year’s Electra Mining Botswana exhibition will also afford Powermite the opportunity “to continue building relationships with our existing mining customers in Botswana, as well as to continue to grow our market share in the country’s mining industry”.