Cable Guard system prevents cable theft

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5 August 2009 News

Aberdare Cables has established the rights to distribute a locally developed cable theft prevention system. The company has a partnership, sole distribution and intellectual property agreement with the product developer, Bert Gruber, and the inventor, Alan Goldring, to distribute the Cable Guard product in South Africa and sub-Saharan countries where Aberdare is represented and has distribution networks.

According to Aberdare, cable thieves directly cost the South African economy about R5,5-billion a year, with Transnet, Telkom, Eskom and the Gauteng municipality each reportedly losing amounts varying between R863 million and R900 million a year. The modus operandi of these cable thieves is normally to use powerful vehicles to pull long lengths of cable out of the ground.

Lengths of cable fitted with Cable Guard have been subjected to continuous full-throttle pulling and deliberate jerking in a number of tests to simulate cable theft. In one case, a 185 mm² multicore PILC electrical cable, typically used for a mains supply ring feed, was conventionally laid in deep trenches, and compacted to the required 93% MOD (ASHTO) standard. An 8 ton truck, an 8 ton double differential mechanical horse, and a model 428 Caterpillar 4-wheel drive backactor excavator all failed to remove the cable.

Gruber said that the strength of Cable Guard was clearly demonstrated by the final test involving the excavator. “In this case a digital strain gauge was used during the pull-out tests, and it measured a direct pull force of more than 6 tons. The unburied length of cable coming out of the trench, and connected to the towing point, actually broke as a result of the tensile force applied, leaving the remaining buried cable, with Cable Guards fitted, unmoved and undamaged underground.” The cable in the trench fitted with Cable Guards was then excavated and closely examined. “This cable had clearly not moved, and there was no visible damage to either the cable, or the Cable Guards,” added Gruber.

The Cable Guard system components are injection moulded from reinforced engineering polymers, resulting in both strength and corrosion resistance. Cable Guard has been registered, is trademarked and a worldwide patent on the product has been lodged.

For more information contact Aberdare Cables, +27 (0)11 456 4200.

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Cable Guard system prevents cable theft

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