AAAC 240mm2 Aluminum Alloy Conductor 37/2.87 BS EN 50182 Bare Cable for Coastal Overhead Lines

This AAAC 240 mm² conductor is formed from thirty-seven 2.87 mm wires of heat treated 6201-T81 aluminium alloy, with a calculated area of 239.4 mm², an overall diameter of 20.1 mm, a calculated weight of 659.4 kg/km, a rated strength of 70.61 kN and a D.C. resistance of 0.1387 Ω/km at 20 °C. It is designed to BS EN 50182 with alternative compliance to ASTM B399/B399M and IEC 61089, and it is the size most often specified for primary and secondary distribution lines running through coastal belts, industrial zones and other corrosive environments where an ACSR would lose its steel core long before the aluminium reached the end of its life.

The alloy conductor removes the failure mode that dominates ACSR service life. With no steel core there is no galvanic couple, no zinc coating to be consumed and no hidden rust working outward from the centre of the conductor, so a 240 mm² AAAC keeps its strength in salt-laden air, around chemical plants and on routes exposed to fertiliser or animal waste. Electrically, the 6201-T81 alloy works at 52.5 % IACS, and because the conductor is homogeneous its resistance of 0.1387 Ω/km is lower than an ACSR of comparable nominal area, so line loss falls and the same conductor carries appreciably more current without a temperature rise. Mechanically the alloy delivers 70.61 kN rated strength, higher than plain aluminium of the same size, which allows the spans and tensions normally expected on a distribution route, while the thirty-seven wire construction keeps the surface smooth enough for fittings and clamps to seat properly.

The conductor is only as good as its alloy. The 6201 charge is checked for magnesium and silicon content and heat treated so that the wire reaches the T81 condition, where conductivity sits at 52.5 % IACS without the tensile strength falling away; this balance is verified by sampling both properties along the coil. Wire is drawn to 2.87 mm and inspected for diameter, surface finish and defects before stranding, and any wire with laps or slivers is rejected. Stranding follows a controlled lay length and tension pattern for the thirty-seven wire build, keeping the conductor round and the layers closed after cutting. Production lengths are tested for overall diameter, lay, weight and D.C. resistance, and the finished conductor is tensile tested to confirm the 70.61 kN rating. Manufacturing runs under ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001:2007 with 100 % inspection before dispatch.

• 6201-T81 alloy wires: 52.5 % IACS conductivity with higher strength than plain aluminium
• No steel core: no galvanic corrosion, no zinc coating to fail in coastal or polluted air
• Rated strength 70.61 kN: distribution span tensions with margin for wind and ice loading
• D.C. resistance 0.1387 Ω/km: lower loss and higher ampacity than ACSR of similar nominal area
• 37/2.87 mm build: round, smooth conductor that seats properly in clamps and fittings
• BS EN 50182 basis: also produced to ASTM B399/B399M and IEC 61089 on request

Primary and secondary distribution lines in coastal belts, industrial and chemical plant areas, routes through farmland with fertiliser exposure, and any ACSR line where core corrosion has become the limiting maintenance cost. Confirm the size against span, sag and fault level for the specific route.

Supplied on wooden or wood-and-steel drums with flange marking for model, size, stranding, length, standard and batch. Packing list, inspection record and routine test report accompany each shipment, and third-party inspection can be arranged on request.