Solar Cables for Wind Turbines

Wind is caused as warm air rises and cooler air rushes in to replace it. It is the sun which heats the air, so many refer to wind energy as a form of solar power. It’s been well known for centuries that wind energy can be used to generate power.

A wind turbine harnesses the energy in the wind; small systems can be used to power electrical appliances and lights in a usual household. With a wind turbine, the larger the blades, the more energy generated. The blades are used to catch the wind, causing them to rotate and generate electricity. The more wind, the more electricity produced.

Groups of wind turbines are often build in locations with strong winds, such as out at sea or in valleys. These groups of turbines are known as wind farms, and are typically used for commercial production of electricity. This type of wind turbine is usually three bladed and has computer controlled motors which point them into the direction of the wind. These turbines can have tip speeds of over 200mph, high efficiency and low torque ripple, which contribute to reliability.

Commercial wind turbines are light grey in colour and blend in with the clouds. Their presence can sometimes upset local residents when built in the countryside.

The blades can range from 20 to over 40 meters in length, with the steel towers standing up to 90 meters high. It is possible to connect your own small wind system to the National Grid and sell any energy produced to an electrical supply company.

These large turbines require industrial cables, Lapp Group supplies many of these, including specialist Solar Cables.

Hydraulic Testing & Hose Connectors

Advancements in Hydraulic Testing, Assembles and Fittings

Hydraulic hoses are used in wide variety of markets in industry all around the planet. Industrial hoses are used to transfer high pressure gas or fluid in machinery and industrial plant processes. The hazards that come with leaks are great, so the safety mechanisms required are put through stringent testing procedures.

All of the auxiliary adaptors, staple couplings, valves and other hose fittings are fully tested for endurance and flexibility.

Staple Adaptors

There are many industrial hose connectors in the market; most notable is the hydraulic hose staple adaptor. A staple adaptor is effectively a mechanism which connects two hoses together by the ends, these are used for high pressure fluid transfer in hazardous environments (like underground).

The connection often needs to be held together under extreme pressure, in order to do this, staple adaptors utilise a staple lock which is a piece of steel shaped like a staple u-bend which is fed into both the male & female couplings of the hydraulic hose.

Rotary Staple Couplings

Large scale bore mining needs hydraulic hoses which are able to withstand high pressure fluid and gas transfer while moving freely due to the vibrations caused by the high stress environment. For such applications rotary staple couplings are used, these reduce stress by allowing the hose assembly to move freely while in operation, yet retain a high pressure locking mechanism.

Hydraulic Hose Assembly Protection

The hazardous environments that hydraulic hose assemblies are required to work in demand protection solutions which will protect the outer surface of the hoses. Now days, there are a number of protective coatings which are resistant to abrasion and extreme temperature. Protection can be used for both single and bundled hoses.

This type of hose protection is ideal for oil spill and electrical cabling, there are grades of protective silicon coated sleeves that are fire resistant.

Hose Assemblies

Custom made hose assemblies for specific locations around the world are common due to the varying environments which hydraulic hoses are required to work in. There are certain product lines which are generic, but many manufactures will produce bespoke hose assembly solutions suited to their requirements.

Skintop Cable Glands

Lapp Group has launched a multi cable bushing system for installation of pre harnessed or pre assembled cables. The Lapp Group specialists have developed the new SKINTOP® CUBE, a system made up of just a SKINTOP® CUBE FRAME and flexible SKINTOP® CUBE MODULES.

The cubes can be easily attached to appropriate assembled cable; the cable is then clicked into the frame and fixed in place. The cubes help protect against vibrations and strain and is sealed in accordance with IP64. It is a very simple process as no additional parts are required to secure it.

The patendted sealing modules have a flexible clamping range, coming in 4 different sizes. The sizes include 4-6mm, 6-9mm, 2-12mm and 12-16mm. The glass-fibre-reinforced polyamide SKINTOP® CUBE FRAMES come in two sizes for 16-pole or 24-pole connector installation openings.

There are many advantages, there is more flexibility through a large variable clamping range, the use if simplified due to quick assembling and disassembling, the frame remains on the housing allowing modules to be removed with the cable, there are no special tools, sealants or lubricants required, and the cube is resistant to oil, grease and ultra violet rays.

NYY and NYCY Cables

NYY and NYCY cables are black PVC jacketed, power and control cables with single and multi-wire conductors. NYCY and NYY cables are designed for energy supply in various locations, such as cable ducts, power stations and distribution boards as well as many industrial applications.

Both NYY and NYCY cables can be used in brickwork and in concrete; the NYY cables can be installed in open air, underground, in water and indoors. The cables are available in both single and multi core variants. They are sometimes referred to as general mains power cables in the industry.

The cables have a conductor of bare copper wires, with PVC core insulation and PVC based outer sheath.

Rubber Cables

Standard industrial rubber cables are ideal for outdoor use, in damp and wet conditions. Some can operate while submersed in water. A rubber cable needs to have a tough sheath capable of withstanding moderate use in mechanical environments under stress.

Different types of rubber cable are used in different applications, the H05RR-F cable is for lightweight hand and workshop tools, whereas some like the H07RN-F cable is more suited for high levels of stress in heavy duty equipment.

Examples of the rubber cable are the H05RR-F, a lightweight rubber sheathed cable, the NSSHOU cable; which is a mechanically robust rubber sheathed mining cable, and the H07ZZ-F cable; a Low Smoke Halogen Free cable.

Authorities are recommending the use of Halogen free cables throughout the world, as cables can produce hydrogen chloride gas if burnt that forms hydrochloric acid when in contact with water. As the rubber cable is used in many public areas and buildings there are certain safety requirements that installers must follow.

Low Smoke Halogen Free Cables

Low smoke halogen free cables have increased in demand largely, as public safety has become a more prominent issue. Contractors have been advised to use materials which aren’t hazardous to health when burnt, mostly when installing cables in public areas and building. Low smoke halogen free cables are the ideal choice, as they reduce the amount of toxic gas emitted during combustion.

During a fire, the smoke is well known to be the biggest killer. Using non-hazardous materials helps reduce the risk if a fire happens.

Proper low smoke halogen free cables are usually referred to as Low Smoke Zero Halogen cables; there is often confusion between which cables are suitable and the safest to use. Many cables are referred to as “low fume”, but can often contain halogen, which when burnt releases hydrogen chloride. When hydrogen chloride comes into contact with water, it forms hydrochloric acid which is toxic to human skin.

Industrial Connectors

Industrial Connectors for cables are the solution in applications where reliability, durability and flexibility are important. Cable connectors help connect different types of cable to different appliances and devices. There are a range of cable connectors; including rectangular, circular and pin and sleeve styles. Connector enclosures provide a range of environmental protection.


Rectangular connectors offer a system of housing, inserts and contacts that come together, forming robust and secure solutions that are easy to assemble. Examples of rectangular connectors include for EPIC MC Modular and EPIC H-B Housings.

Circular connectors are single connectors for use on servo motors and servo harnessing. Available as couplers, these connectors can be used for simple cable to cable and cable to machine applications. Some circular connectors, such as the EPIC CIRCON LS1 Circular Connectors come with an integrated EMC screen termination.

Pin and Sleeve connectors are ideal for use in light industrial wiring applications.