PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC Armoured Cable

What is PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC Cable?

The PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC cable is a low-voltage, individually and collectively screened, galvanised steel wire armoured (SWA) multi-pair communication and instrumentation cable featuring plain copper conductors, Polyethylene (PE) core insulation, individual and overall Al/PET electrostatic tape screens with tinned copper drain wires, a PE inner bedding layer, SWA armour, and a flame-retardant PVC outer jacket complying with BS/PAS 5308 and EN 60228 standards. It is designed for fixed transmission of analogue, digital data, or voice signals up to 300/500V originating from critical field transducers—such as pressure sensors, proximity detectors, and microphones—in industrial and petrochemical process environments where enhanced signal security and heavy mechanical protection are required.

Engineered to deliver clean signal transfer and withstand severe mechanical abuse in outdoor or underground plant sectors, this cable utilizes low-loss polyethylene core insulation to achieve low mutual capacitance and prevent signal distortion over extended transmission lines. The dual-layer screening system—comprising individual pair-by-pair Al/PET tape shielding to suppress intra-cable cross-talk between adjacent circuits, backed by a collective Al/PET screen to deflect external electromagnetic interference (EMI)—provides maximum electrostatic defense. Beneath the chemical-resistant PVC outer jacket, heavy helical galvanised steel wire armour provides superior tensile strength and radial crush resistance, ensuring long-term operational integrity during direct underground burial.

PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC Cable Construction

• Conductor: 0.5mm² and 0.75mm²: Class 5 flexible stranded copper; 1.0mm²: Class 1 solid / Class 2 stranded copper; 1.5mm² and 2.5mm²: Class 2 stranded plain annealed copper conforming to EN 60228.
• Insulation: Solid Polyethylene (PE) compound delivering superior dielectric performance, low mutual capacitance, and high insulation resistance (>5 GΩ/km at 20°C).
• Individual Screen: Aluminium/Polyester tape (Al/PET) with a continuous tinned copper drain wire applied over each pair to prevent circuit-to-circuit cross-talk.
• Collective Screen: Overall Aluminium/Polyester tape (Al/PET) with an integral tinned copper drain wire providing 100% electrostatic shielding against external EMI.
• Bedding / Inner Sheath: Extruded Polyethylene (PE) layer providing a robust, moisture-resistant intermediate foundation for the armour wires.
• Armour: Galvanised Steel Wire Armour (SWA) helically applied to deliver heavy-duty mechanical protection, tensile resistance, and direct burial suitability.
• Outer Sheath: Specially formulated industrial Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) compound, flame retardant per IEC/EN 60332-1-2 and bunched fire test IEC/EN 60332-3-24.
• Core Identification: Individually screened pairs are number-coded with Pair 1 colouring (Black/Blue), or standard BS 5308 colour-coded pairs extending up to 50 pairs.
• Sheath Colour: Blue (for intrinsically safe circuits) or Black (for general industrial instrumentation).

Applications

PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC cables are specifically engineered for interconnecting measuring instruments, process transducers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and supervisory distributed control systems (DCS) where both individual pair channel isolation and heavy mechanical crush protection are required. Their dual-screened, steel wire armoured construction makes them ideal for direct burial in ground trenches, outdoor open raceways, and aggressive petrochemical environments.

Typical installation environments include:

• Direct Burial Applications: Direct underground burial in petrochemical plant trenches and utility corridors at suitable depths without auxiliary conduits.
• Petrochemical & Refining Complexes: Transmitting sensitive analogue 4-20mA transducer signals and digital telemetry across outdoor processing units.
• Intrinsically Safe (IS) Circuits: Hazardous-area low-energy signal networks identified via the dedicated blue outer jacket.
• High-Density Industrial Plant Telemetry: Multi-pair analog and digital transducer links requiring individual pair shielding to isolate differing voltage and frequency signals from cross-talk.

Specifications & Dimensions

The PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 PE/ICAM/PE/SWA/PVC cable series covers multi-pair configurations from 2 pairs (2P) up to 30 pairs (30P), including 3-pair layouts, across nominal conductor cross-sections of 0.5mm², 0.75mm², 1.0mm², 1.5mm², and 2.5mm². Operating at a rated voltage of 300/500V, the cable supports fixed ambient temperatures from -40°C to +80°C and flexed moved installation from 0°C to +50°C, maintaining a minimum bending radius of 12× overall diameter for fixed installations. Conductor DC resistance values at 20°C range from 39 Ω/km (0.5mm²) down to 7.41 Ω/km (2.5mm²), with mutual capacitance values of 115 pF/m to 120 pF/m for individually screened pairs, minimum insulation resistance exceeding 5 GΩ/km, and maximum L/R ratios between 25 µH/Ω and 65 µH/Ω, with all overall dimensions strictly manufactured in compliance with BS/PAS 5308 and European harmonized tolerances.

Standards

Huadong Cable Group manufactures and factory-inspects PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 ICAM armoured instrumentation cables to guarantee complete adherence to British and European electrical, mechanical, and safety standards:

Design Standards: BS/PAS 5308, EN 60228
Flame Retardancy: IEC/EN 60332-1-2 (Single cable vertical test), IEC/EN 60332-3-24 (Bunched vertical fire test)
Mechanical & Environmental Defense: Galvanised Steel Wire Armour (SWA) suitable for outdoor exposed runs and direct burial
Voltage Rating (Uo/U): 300/500V
Temperature Spectrum: Fixed: -40°C to +80°C; Flexed/Installation: 0°C to +50°C
Regulatory Compliance: CE Marked, European Regulation EN 50575 (CPR Compliant), Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU, RoHS Directive 2015/65/EU, REACH EC 1907/2006

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the primary difference between PE/CAM and PE/ICAM in PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 cables?
A: PE/CAM cables feature only an overall collective Al/PET screen over the core bundle, whereas PE/ICAM cables incorporate individual Al/PET screens with dedicated drain wires on each pair in addition to the collective screen, delivering complete suppression of intra-cable cross-talk between adjacent signal channels.

Q: Why does the cable feature both Polyethylene (PE) bedding and a Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) outer sheath?
A: The extruded PE bedding provides a durable, non-hygroscopic cushion directly over the screened cores beneath the steel wire armour, while the flame-retardant PVC outer jacket offers superior flexibility, UV resistance, and chemical protection in outdoor and underground installations.

Q: What is the minimum bending radius required for PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 SWA cables?
A: The cable requires a minimum bending radius of 12 times the overall diameter (12× OD) for fixed installations to safeguard both the galvanised steel wire armour and the internal screening foils from mechanical distortion.

Q: What payment terms does Huadong Cable accept for international industrial export orders?
A: We accept standard international commercial payment terms including Telegraphic Transfer (T/T) and 100% Irrevocable Letter of Credit (L/C) at sight for engineering procurement contractors, system integrators, and plant infrastructure builders.

PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 – Why Choose Huadong Cable?

Huadong Cable Group manufactures PAS BS 5308 Part 1 Type 2 ICAM armoured instrumentation cables in strict conformity with British BS/PAS 5308 specifications and EN 60228 conductor standards, verified through rigorous IEC/EN 60332-1-2 and IEC/EN 60332-3-24 flame propagation testing. Utilizing high-purity oxygen-free Class 5 flexible stranded copper (0.5–0.75mm²) and Class 2 stranded plain annealed copper (1.0–2.5mm²), our precision extrusion lines apply solid polyethylene (PE) insulation to ensure superior dielectric performance, low mutual capacitance, and insulation resistances exceeding 5 GΩ/km. Combined with continuous individual and collective Al/PET screening foils, tinned copper drain wires, an extruded PE bedding, heavy galvanised steel wire armour (SWA), and an industrial flame-retardant PVC outer jacket, our cables deliver complete cross-talk cancellation and rugged mechanical survivability across aggressive petrochemical installations.

With more than 20 years of precision cable engineering expertise, Huadong Cable Group operates fully automated multi-pair stranding, planetary cabling, high-tensile wire armouring, and polymer compounding workshops certified to ISO 9001, CE, CPR (EN 50575), RoHS, and REACH protocols. By eliminating commercial intermediaries, we provide competitive direct factory pricing, 100% routine and type test Mill Test Certificates (MTC) tested in accredited testing facilities, tailored continuous drum lengths packaged on ISPM 15 heat-treated export wooden reels, and seamless door-to-port logistics for EPC contractors and industrial instrumentation builders worldwide.