What Makes an SWA Cable Gland Different

Standard cable glands only seal against the outer jacket of a non-armoured cable. An SWA cable gland serves a dual engineering purpose: it secures the heavy physical steel wire armour (SWA) and provides a continuous earth path, all while maintaining ingress protection at the enclosure entry.

Armour Clamping: The Function a Standard Gland Cannot Perform

A standard non-armoured gland relies solely on an elastomeric rubber seal compressed against the outer jacket. When subjected to axial pull, vibration, or thermal expansion, standard seals can slip, exposing the internal conductors to strain.

Un gland for swa cable integrates an internal two-part mechanical grip—typically a cone and an armour clamping ring. When tightened, this mechanism locks the steel wires permanently in place.

• Axial Retention: Holds the cable securely to resist high pull-out forces.
• Soulagement de traction : Transfers external mechanical stress away from internal terminations and the soft bedding layer directly onto the equipment chassis.
• Résistance aux vibrations : Prevents wire loosening in harsh industrial operating environments.

The Armour as an Earth Path

In steel wire armoured cable systems, the steel wires do not just shield against physical impact; they also function as a protective circuit conductor (CPC). If an insulation fault occurs, high fault current travels along the armour wires back to the source to trip upstream protective devices.

Réglages de contrôle de tension ajustables brass armoured cable gland ensures uninterrupted earth continuity across this connection:

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For outdoor or challenging settings, pairing a brass armoured cable gland with a complete gland kit—including the matching locknut, earth tag, and protective shroud—ensures the assembly maintains structural rigidity and mechanical earth protection for the life of the installation. Our brass and nickel-plated armoured glands ship as complete kits with locknut, earth tag and shroud matched to the body size.

Measuring an Armoured Cable for Gland Sizing

Sizing an cURL Too many subrequests by single Worker invocation. To configure this limit, refer to https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/wrangler/configuration/#limits solely by conductor cross-section (such as 4-core 16 mm²) leads to improper fits on site. Different cable manufacturers use varying insulation thicknesses and filler compounds, meaning the physical dimensions of SWA cables differ even within the same conductor rating. To guarantee secure mechanical retention, earth continuity, and environmental ingress protection, we always size glands against exact physical cable measurements using a calibrated vernier caliper.

The Three Dimensions You Must Measure

To select the right gland for SWA cable, you must record three critical dimensions:

• Bedding Diameter (Inner Sheath): The diameter directly over the cable’s inner bedding layer, beneath the armour wires. This dimension determines whether the inner seal (in double-compression glands like E1W) will seat correctly and whether the cone will slip cleanly under the wires.
• Armour Wire Diameter: The thickness of an individual wire strand within the steel wire armour. Clamping rings and cones are engineered for specific wire gauge ranges; mismatched rings can crush the wire or fail to grip it securely under tension.
• Overall Diameter (Outer Sheath): The maximum external diameter across the outer jacket. This measurement dictates the gland body size and the compression range of the outer sealing ring in cURL Too many subrequests by single Worker invocation. To configure this limit, refer to https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/wrangler/configuration/#limits and E1W configurations.

Reading an SWA Gland Sizing Table

Un ancrage mural en plastique gland size chart matches your measured dimensions against the mechanical tolerances of the gland body and clamping components.

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Material and Finish Selection

Selecting the right metal for an cURL Too many subrequests by single Worker invocation. To configure this limit, refer to https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers/wrangler/configuration/#limits ensures mechanical integrity and stops galvanic corrosion before it compromises an electrical installation. Four materials cover almost every specification, and the choice follows the environment rather than the price.

Brass, Nickel-Plated Brass and Stainless Steel

• Standard Brass: The industry baseline for a brass armoured cable gland. It delivers exceptional mechanical strength and earth fault conductivity for standard indoor switchgear and dry commercial distribution boards.
• Laiton plaqué nickel : Features an electroplated barrier over the brass body. This finish resists atmospheric moisture, prevents tarnishing, and withstands salt-laden coastal air and industrial washdown environments without degrading.
• Grade 316 Stainless Steel: The necessary choice for chemical processing facilities, marine vessels, and offshore oil platforms. It provides unmatched resistance to chloride pitting, acidic atmospheres, and severe mechanical impacts. When routing heavy cable runs to stainless enclosures in corrosive environments, securing the lines with resilient colliers de serrage en acier inoxydable ensures the supporting hardware matches the service life of the gland.

When Aluminium Is the Wrong Choice

Aluminium is unsuitable for standard SWA cable. Placing aluminium directly against steel wire armour in the presence of ambient moisture creates a strong galvanic cell. The aluminium acts as the sacrificial anode, rapidly corroding away at the contact interface.

This electrolytic reaction destroys the threads, loosens the clamping cone, and breaks earth fault continuity. Aluminium glands must be reserved exclusively for single-core cables armoured with aluminium wire armour (AWA). For all standard steel wire runs, stick strictly to brass, nickel-plated brass, or stainless steel swa gland assemblies.

Earth Tags, Shrouds and Locknuts

A complete armoured cable gland installation relies on the accessories that secure, earth, and protect the entry point. The locknut anchors the gland body to the enclosure wall, the earth tag provides a direct fault current path, and the shroud shields the mechanical assembly from moisture and environmental contaminants. Omitting any of these components undermines the safety and durability of the installation.

Earth Tag Orientation and Continuity Testing

When installing an SWA gland, the earth tag must sit flush against the enclosure wall or gland plate, secured firmly by the locknut on the inside or sandwiched on the entry side depending on the enclosure design:

• Placement: Position the tag directly between the gland body and the enclosure surface to guarantee metal-to-metal contact. Ensure the mating surface is free of paint, powder coating, or non-conductive finishes that could insulate the connection.
• Orientation: Orient the tag’s connection lug to minimize strain on the earth lead. Avoid bending the tag sharply, as micro-fractures in the brass or copper reduce current-carrying capacity during fault conditions.
• Fastening: Terminate a dedicated bonding conductor to the earth tag lug using an appropriately sized bolt, washer, and locking nut.
• Continuity Testing: After torquing the gland and locknut, verify the circuit using a calibrated low-resistance ohmmeter. Measure from the SWA clamping ring back to the main earth terminal (MET). The resistance reading must comply with local wiring standards to ensure immediate circuit breaker or protective device operation during a line-to-earth fault.

Shroud Selection for Outdoor and Buried Runs

Protective shrouds act as the primary barrier against the elements, preventing moisture ingress around the gland threads and armour clamping components.

• Material Compatibility: Use high-grade PVC, neoprene, or low-smoke zero-halogen (LSOH) shrouds depending on site exposure. Outdoor runs require UV-stabilized materials to prevent cracking and hardening under persistent sunlight.
• Sizing and Fit: Select a shroud matched to the specific gland size and cable outer diameter. A loose fit allows water pooling around the gland entry, while an excessively tight fit risks tearing during installation over the cable outer sheath.
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• 2. Gland Body Type: Specify the entry design based on the installation environment:
  • BW: Indoor, clean, dry runs requiring mechanical clamping only.
  • CW: Outdoor weatherproof entry with an outer seal (IP66).
  • E1W: Heavy industrial or wet environments requiring double compression on both the inner bedding layer and outer jacket.
• 3. Entry Thread Type and Size: State the required thread standard (such as Metric M20 to M75, NPT, or PG) and whether standard thread length or extended threads are required for thick enclosure walls.
• 4. Material and Surface Treatment: Identify the base metal. Standard brass armoured cable gland models handle typical industrial setups, while nickel-plated brass or stainless steel (316) is needed for marine, chemical, or washdown zones.
• 5. Complete Gland Kit Requirements: Specify if you need bare glands or a full gland kit containing matching accessories:
  • Earth tag for earth continuity
  • Matching metallic locknut
  • Sealing washer (nylon or fibre for entry threads)
  • Protective PVC or LSF shroud
• 6. Compliance and Ingress Protection: State required certifications, such as BS 6121 or EN 62444 standards, along with target ingress protection ratings like IP66 or IP68.

Send the six fields above and we will come back with a sized gland, the matching kit, and the thread form your enclosure needs — view the BDM-VII armoured range or send the specifications directly.