3M
Key product areas within the division include copper and fibre interconnect solutions for access, enterprise and electronic OEM environments. Jointing and terminating solutions for electrical power cables cover low and medium voltage classes and are used by over half the UK’s leading public power utilities today. The Novec brand of speciality chemicals helps companies to prepare surfaces during electronic product design and manufacture and a fire suppressant fluid has recently been added to the portfolio. 3M Volition fibre and copper structured cabling systems, designed for rapid and reliable connectivity, have been installed in some of the UK’s leading public and private organisations. All these areas are backed by the company’s extensive and on-going R&D programme, as well as local customer service teams.
The electrical markets division of 3M, the diversified technology company, provides electrical solutions not only to many of the UK’s power utilities, but many industrial markets, also. These include oil and gas, mines and quarries, large private construction projects and rail markets. While the range of products may be broad, they are typified by their durability and ease of use. Many 3M products are also designed with health, safety, and environmental issues in mind. For instance, 3M has cable joint and termination kits designed specifically for hazardous areas.
Covering a wide range of low and medium voltage applications, 3M works closely with contractors and distributors to provide both standard products and bespoke solutions. All 3M electrical products are supported by the company’s extensive R&D, technical and training teams.
Typical applications
3M electrical products are used in a wide range of applications including jointing, terminating and repairing power cables, not just within the national grid but other situations too, such as supporting private transport networks, or construction projects. Other uses for 3M electrical products include insulation and protection, watertight sealing, electrical and heat resistance and transference, locating and identifying power cables.
Product range summary
3M has more than 50 years experience in electrical products and processes. Innovations include the original development of electrical insulating PVC tape and the 3M™ Cold Shrink range, today used by many utilities and construction companies to join and terminate low and medium voltage power cables. Highlights of the 3M range include:
- Tapes - 3M has a range of more than 30 electrical tapes for insulation, jointing (including arc and fire resistant tapes), corrosion protection, all-weather protection, wire identification and environmental sealing tapes.
- Low voltage joints – jointing systems for a diverse range of applications, including PVC, XLPE, paper, armoured and un-armoured power cables up to 3.3kV (up to 6.6kV for unscreened cables), using resin systems, heat shrink and 3M Cold Shrink technology.
- 3M Cold Shrink - eliminates the need to use a heat source and specialist equipment when connecting or terminating cables. Advantages include rapid and consistent installation, high durability over many years, and health and safety benefits. Furthermore, since installation is rapid compared to other methods, with less room for manual error, the overall cost of a project is reduced, both in the short term as well as on-going cost-of-ownership. The range caters for just about any situation that an installer may come across, even when involving kinds of cabling that have long ceased to be manufactured. Since no heat is used, Cold Shrink can also be used in hazardous areas, for example on oil rigs and coal mines. Products include Cold Shrink tubes for jointing and terminating cables, end caps and barrier boots for use when decommissioning or terminating cables, and silicone rubber separable connectors for medium voltage terminations. Cold Shrink is available in kits to support a wide variety of typical applications, giving the installer everything needed in one package.
- Heat shrink – easy to install, 3M Heat Shrink tubing and moulded parts provides a tight fit, even over irregular shaped objects. The 3M range includes a choice between thin, medium and thick-walled, as well as adhesive-lined tubing.
- Cable and fault locators – 3M’s Dynatel cable locator range enables utilities, contractors and construction companies to record easily the location of underground cables and pipes, and to locate underground faults in the future. Features include interfaces with GPS field mapping systems.
- Earthing kits – designed to provide complete armour-continuity across joints and termination earthing.
- Resins – for both low and medium voltage applications, 3M resins provide excellent adhesion and high mechanical, electrical and chemical resistance. The range covers polyetherurethane, iscocyanate-free and non-solvent resins.
- Cable wire and management – solutions in this area include wire identification systems, lubricants, cable cleaning and preparation products.
- Lugs and connectors – suitable for just about every cable or wire type, 3M has a wide range of high quality connectors and lugs for applications including power, telecom, automotive and data transmission.
Technical support – local and global
3M is committed to research and development, spending more than 1.5 billion US dollars globally on R&D each year. 3M Eurolab, based in Neuss, Germany, has been pivotal in the development and introduction of jointing and terminating, backed by the 3M US laboratory, which is the primary centre for development of electrical products. Closer to home, 3M has a dedicated technical support team based in the UK, working closely with distributors, customers and their contractors to solve real-world problems by providing practical and cost-effective solutions.
Customer support and distribution
3M electrical products in the UK are available primarily via specialist and general distributors. To support the needs of this community and its customers, 3M has invested in a customer service team specifically for this division, backed by 24/7 online support for distributors to place orders and make enquiries.
