7 Things we learned about cable manufacturing

7 Things we learned about cable

Cable is a commodity purchase a bit like milk and bread in supermarkets, everyone knows the price, and it all looks very similar. Or does it? Here are some interesting facts we learned during a visit to Doncaster Cables, the UK's largest cable producer.

By Gordon Routledge
Thursday 8th August 2019

1. Cable is an economic indicator.

Last year Doncaster Cables produced enough cable to go around the world 11 times, that's over 440 million meters. One of the most popular cables 2.5mm twin and earth, makes up around 20 million meters per year - a great metric to measure the strength of the housing market.

2. Not all cable reels are equal

Have you ever checked that cable on a reel is 100 meters long? Doncaster Cable is what it says on the reel and never anything less. Other manufacturers may not be so generous, and some quote a tolerance up to minus 5 meters - that's about £2.00's worth in 2.5mm T&E money.

3. French electricians work naked

Singles used for conduit wiring in France don't have a cable drum. The norm is a coil wrapped in a robust plastic wrapper, and the cable is pulled from the middle, no reel holder needed. Sounds crazy? We tried it out, and it works.

4. When is copper not copper?

When it's aluminium clad in a thin layer of copper. Copper is expensive stuff, and this is just one of the many tricks unscrupulous manufacturers use to gain a competitive advantage. It's estimated that up to 1 in 5 cables in the UK market is either fake or substandard. If a cable seems very cheap or very light, there may be a hidden reason.

5.Not as difficult to strip as you think?

Low smoke no halogen (LSNH) outer sheath has a reputation for being difficult to strip. Doncaster Cables have put a recess over the central earth core so that you can run a knife along for easier stripping.

6. Made in the UK?

Doncaster cables is the only cable manufacturer in the UK to make the full range of general wiring and flexible cords actually in the UK.

7. Fed up of the cable reel side collapsing?

In response to customer feedback Doncaster Cables increased the reel sidewall thickness to keep electricians happy.

Thanks to Doncaster Cables for allowing us access to the factory - subscribe to our youtube channel to get notified when our cable videos from our visit go live.

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