Armoured & Unarmoured Cables
Armoured and unarmoured power cables for underground, tray and conduit installation.
About Armoured & Unarmoured Cables
Power cable carries the main feeders of a plant or building: from the transformer to the main panel, and from the panel out to motors, sub-boards and pumps. We supply armoured and unarmoured LT and HT power cable from Polycab and KEI, and armoured control and instrumentation cable from LAPP.
Low-voltage cables up to 1.1 kV are made to IS 7098 Part 1 with XLPE insulation or IS 1554 Part 1 with PVC insulation. Medium-voltage XLPE cables from 3.3 kV to 33 kV follow IS 7098 Part 2. Conductors are aluminium or copper, stranded and compacted to IS 8130. Multicore cables are armoured with galvanised steel round wire or flat strip, while single-core cables use aluminium wire or strip armour because steel armour is not used on single-core AC circuits.
Armour gives mechanical protection for direct burial and exposed tray runs, and serves as an earth-continuity path where the design allows. Unarmoured cable suits conduit and protected trays. We size every run for current, volt drop and short-circuit withstand, then derate for laying method and grouping.
Key specifications
| Voltage grades | Up to 1.1 kV (IS 7098-1 / IS 1554-1); 3.3 kV to 33 kV XLPE (IS 7098-2) |
|---|---|
| Conductor | Aluminium or copper, stranded / compacted / shaped per IS 8130 |
| Insulation | XLPE, PVC, HR-PVC; zero-halogen options (KEI) |
| Armour | Galvanised steel round wire or flat strip (multicore); aluminium wire or strip (single-core) |
| Cores | 1, 2, 3, 3.5 and 4 core power cable; multicore control cable |
| Size range (LT, KEI) | 1.5 to 1000 sq mm single-core; 1.5 to 630 sq mm multicore |
| Outer sheath | PVC ST2, FR, FRLS(H), LSZH |
| Operating temperature | −40 °C to 90 °C (KEI LT range) |
| Control / instrumentation | LAPP ÖLFLEX INSTRUM, 500 V and 1100 V grades, GI wire or strip armour on request |
Features & benefits
- XLPE insulation carries more current than PVC at the same conductor size
- Steel wire or strip armour for direct burial and exposed runs
- Non-magnetic aluminium armour on single-core cables
- FRLS and LSZH sheaths for tunnels, basements and public buildings
- Aluminium conductors for long, heavy feeders where weight and cost matter
- KEI LT range BIS-certified to IS 1554-1 and IS 7098-1
Where it’s used
- Transformer to main LT panel feeders
- Underground and direct-buried distribution
- Cable tray and trench runs in plants
- Motor, pump and DG set feeders
- Solar plant AC collection
- HT distribution up to 33 kV
Standards & compliance
Armoured & Unarmoured Cables — FAQs
When do I need armoured cable instead of unarmoured?
Use armoured cable for direct burial, trenches and exposed tray runs where it can be struck or crushed. Unarmoured cable is fine inside conduit or in protected trays and ducts.
XLPE or PVC power cable — which is better?
XLPE insulation is rated for a higher conductor temperature than PVC, so it carries more current at the same size and handles faults better. PVC cable to IS 1554 is still used for smaller and control circuits.
Aluminium or copper conductor?
Aluminium is lighter and costs less for large feeders, but it needs a bigger size for the same current. Copper suits smaller sizes, tight spaces and terminations on equipment rated only for copper lugs.
Do you supply armoured cable in Lucknow?
We supply armoured and unarmoured cable from Polycab, KEI and LAPP across Uttar Pradesh. We work from Varanasi and Lucknow. We can also take on glanding, termination and laying as part of an installation package.
Why is single-core cable armoured with aluminium?
In a single-core AC cable, the magnetic field around the conductor would induce currents and heating in steel armour. Aluminium is non-magnetic, so manufacturers use aluminium wire or strip armour on single-core cables.
