Cable sleeves protect and hold conductors in cables for electricity transmission, telecommunications, and other purposes. Different types are available for varying voltages and settings. Sheaths can crack over time due to weathering and strain, and technicians use specialized tools to cut them for splicing and repairs.
A cable sleeve wraps around the outside of a cable to hold and protect the conductors inside. The sheaths are used in cables for electricity transmission, telecommunications and other purposes. Several types are available to handle varying voltages and settings. These include heavy-duty sheathing for high-voltage power lines and lightweight products for managing internal telephone wires for homes and other facilities. Cable manufacturers can produce their own sheath or contract it out to another firm that specializes in insulation supplies.
One function of a sheath is to help bind conductors together if there are multiple strands within a cable. The internal cavity can also be filled with lubrication or insulation to protect the conductors. Rain, snow and other environmental hazards cannot enter the cable with the sheath intact, which reduces the risk of shorts and other problems. A cable jacket also protects bystanders and workers by limiting the possibility of direct contact with a live cable.
The sheath may include one or more layers of insulating and waterproofing material. Considerations in sheath design include how much energy the cable carries and where it will be used. Heavy insulation may be required for potentially hazardous environments, such as outdoor environments and power plants with high-energy wiring. This type of cable jacket would be overkill for a setup like home speaker cable, which doesn’t carry enough energy to pose a significant risk and is used in a relatively tame indoor environment.
Over time, a cable sheath can crack. This can be the result of weathering and strain; cables can blow in the wind and develop kinks, for example, or possibly degrade with constant exposure to ultraviolet rays or salt. Fault checkers can locate cracks and determine if the cable inside is damaged. It may be possible to use a repair kit to repair the jacket, while in other cases it is necessary to replace lengths of cable because they are defective.
Technicians also need to be able to cut a cable sheath for splicing, repairs, and other tasks. They use specialized tools that can cut through thick material so that the outer layers of jacket and insulation can be quickly removed to access the inside of the cable. For safety reasons, the tool may have a non-conductive handle in case the cord is energized while the technician is working on it. Such tools are available from industrial electrical equipment suppliers and similar companies.
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