Flagship

High-Current Flexible Cable

Also called high-current flexible busbar or flexible flat cable

A flexible cable system that replaces multi-splicing cable assemblies and dense bus duct on 200 A to 6,300 A routes.

200 A – 6,300 A, AC and DC
0.6/1 kV up to 8.7/15 kV, plus DC 3 kV and below
IP68, 105 °C conductor temperature
Cut, branch and re-route on site

Product introduction

High-current flexible cable, engineered to replace bus duct

As an innovative application of high-current power transmission, the flexible cable combines traditional cable manufacturing with new materials: a high-purity copper conductor, a wrapping layer, an insulation layer, a metal armour layer and a protective sheath. It replaces multi-splicing cable assemblies, traditional busbars and bus duct in demanding field conditions.

Laying methods: Direct burial, Conduit, Cable trench, Cable tray.

Structure of the high-current flexible cable

Product structure

Five layers, each with a job

1
Copper wire conductor

High-purity copper, sized to the continuous and short-circuit duty of the route.
2
Wrapping layer

Binds the conductor and holds the shape of the flat profile.
3
Insulating layer

Withstands 105 °C conductor temperature at the rated voltage class.
4
Metal armour layer

Mechanical protection for buried, tray and conduit routes.
5
Sheathing

Outdoor-grade compound, IP68 protection, no induced voltage on the surface.

Technical requirements

Specification overview

Specification range: 200 A – 6,300 A
Rated voltage: 0.6/1 kV, 1.8/3 kV, 6/10 kV, 8.7/15 kV; DC 3 kV and below
Rated frequency: 50 Hz
Protection level: IP68
Maximum operating temperature: 105 °C
Number of cores: 4-core (A, B, C, N); 3+1 (A, B, C, N, N 50%); 5-core (A, B, C, N, PE); 3+2 (A, B, C, N, PE 50%); 4+1 (A, B, C, N, PE 50%)

Selection and technical parameters

Cable selection table

Current-carrying capacity is quoted for cable in air at an ambient temperature of 35 °C. Correction factors for buried, cable-tray and conduit installation are supplied with the technical datasheet.

Spec (A)	Switch AT value (A)	Bend radius (mm)	Resistance (mΩ/km)	Impedance (Z 10⁻⁶Ω/m)	Voltage drop (V/m)	Short-circuit strength (kA, t=1s)	Ampacity AC (A)	Ampacity DC (A)
200	160	≥200	94.4	103.8	0.0475	35	220	225
300	200–300	≥200	89.5	85.3	0.0455	40	325	330
400	315–400	≥200	70.8	83.2	0.041	50	430	440
500	500	≥200	71.5	82.7	0.040	58	525	535
630	630	≥200	73.0	72.4	0.038	65	645	675
800	800	≥500	61.4	69.8	0.036	70	815	880
1,000	1,000	≥500	46.6	53.8	0.032	85	1,050	1,090
1,250	1,250	≥500	28.9	40.6	0.030	100	1,275	1,465
1,600	1,600	≥500	23.6	38.0	0.028	115	1,630	2,035
2,000	2,000	≥1,000	21.3	24.1	0.026	129	2,065	2,685
2,500	2,500	≥1,000	14.4	19.7	0.024	135	2,560	—
3,200	3,200	≥1,000	11.9	16.2	0.021	150	3,255	—
4,000	4,000	≥1,000	10.8	12.6	0.019	135	4,040	—
5,000	5,000	≥1,000	7.50	10.3	0.017	175	5,070	—
6,300	6,000	≥1,000	5.95	7.8	0.0145	190	6,340	—

Scroll the table sideways on a phone.

Product comparison

How it performs against the alternatives

Versus multi-splicing cables

Item	High-current flexible cable	Multi-splicing cables
Product performance	Consistent resistance across the run, so current is shared evenly and the cable runs cooler.	Each length has a different resistance, which causes uneven current flow and local heating.
Installation	Small cross-section, compact and flexible; specialist T-connectors keep the joint safe.	Large volume and weight; joints are difficult to handle and are a safety risk.
Current carrying capacity	One cable covers 200 A to 6,300 A.	A single cable carries little current, so high loads need several parallel runs.
Overall cost	High current density and clear copper savings.	Low current density; more copper and higher cost for the same duty.

Versus dense bus duct

Item	High-current flexible cable	Dense bus duct
Appearance and volume	Neat appearance, compact and easy to route.	Takes up a large amount of installation space.
Overload capacity	Temperature rise of 135 K at 40 °C ambient, with more than 33% overload capacity.	Temperature rise of 70 K at 30 °C ambient, with about 15% overload capacity.
Installation and rework	Cut, re-terminate and reconfigure on site; branches can be added while the main circuit stays energised.	Assembled in the factory; difficult to change and re-use is limited, so live branching is not possible.
Backup	Can be switched in as an emergency supply through a changeover box.	Needs a power outage for maintenance; supply cannot be restored quickly.
Energy and loss	Low temperature rise and low line loss; the advantage grows with the cable size.	Poor heat dissipation, larger losses, more than 20% higher energy consumption.

Related accessories

Branching and changeover without breaking the run

Conversion box

Used for branching high-current cable or transferring between flexible cables, which extends the reach of the system.

Pre-branch and T-shaped connector

The main line runs as one integrated circuit with no intermediate joints. Where a load has to be tapped, a T-shaped connector or a pre-branched length is used. Joints are sealed to IP68.

High-current flexible cable installed in a tray

Smart cable

Intelligent monitoring option

The cable system can be supplied with distributed temperature sensing, turning the cable itself into a monitoring device.

Real-time measurement of maximum, minimum and average operating temperature
Measurement and location of hot points, with ±0.2 m positioning accuracy
Data communication to the site SCADA system, conforming to IEC 61850
Alarms for over-temperature, rate of temperature rise, temperature difference and abnormal points
Conductor temperature calculation and dynamic ampacity calculation
Complete data storage, automatic backup and event identification

Detection distance: 2 – 16 km
Channels: 4, 8, 12, 16, 32
Temperature range: −50 °C to +650 °C (customisable)
Temperature resolution / accuracy: 0.1 °C / ±0.1 °C
Supply: 220 VAC, < 2 A
Humidity: < 95% RH, non-condensing

On site

Tray, trench and conduit

One drum means one piece for the whole run — no joint in the middle of a route, and no joint to inspect five years later. These are the three routes it goes into most often.