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Quality Control
Quality Control
Quality Control (Q.C) – Checks
In QC department there are three sections to check the products staring from the raw
material used to produce the cable and during all various process of production till the final
stage to ensure the quality of the products and they are confirming to the required
specification before it shipped to customer.
Raw Material In process Test Final Stage Test
1st Stage – Raw Material Test
All raw materials are brought into the stores “to be tested” area and placed into the
warehouse for QC to process and test according to materials book & work instruction for each
material. These are then reported on and either accepted or rejected as below chart explains
in detail.
2nd Stage – In Process Test
The purpose of the “In Process Checks” is to maintain production standards and ensure the
compliance of product under manufacture is falling within the tolerances set out &
manufacturing specification. All checks are done to ensure the various stages are within
accepted tolerances and this in the end ensures the final product is completely inspected and
checked before being shifted to further process. There are various stages in which the
manufacturing of any cable is checked, measured, recorded and then logged, any deviation
along anyone of these stages will be immediately detected and the process of this cable
halted (hold) in the stage where the testing is being carried out.
Wires Drawing Process – Here following parameters have to be checked during this process
to ensure a quality wires are produced,
(1) Elongation test for 10 % of the drawn wires
(2) Tensile Strength. for 10 % of the drawn wires
(3) Wire Diameter for 10 % of the drawn wires
(4) Ovality (roundness) for 10 % of the drawn wires
Stranding Process – Here the tests carried out are to check both the actual cross section area
of particular size as specified by standard & customer requirements through measuring the
electrical resistance of the conductor and weight, to ensure the compliance of the conductor
under manufacturing.
(1) Resistance measurement e.g. a resistance of conductor, specified to be 0.0991 ohms per
kilometre maximum, a measured 1‐metre length is measured to confirm this value. The
measured value must be less or equal 0.0991 ohm. It should be also not too low than
0.0991 Ω/km by more than the objective tolerance (see the quality objectives for each
parameter of cable in every process last two pages)
(2) Weight measuring: One meter sample of the stranded conductor shall be taken from the
end of every drum & weighing for cross check purpose only.
CALCULATION OF LOAD FOR TUBULAR TEST PIECES
Size of Outer Dia. Thick. of Area of Cross Area Actual Total
Core of Piece Insulation Section (cm²) Mech. Load
(mm2) (mm) (D) (mm) (δ) (mm²) (A) Stress (N) (g)
1.5 2.96 0.70 4.97 0.0497 0.994 101.36
2.5 3.41 0.70 5.96 0.0596 1.192 121.55
4.0 3.95 0.70 7.14 0.0714 1.428 145.70
6.0 4.5 0.70 8.396 0.0840 1.68 171.30
Table # 2
3RD Stage – Final test
(1) Low Voltage Cables
(A) High Voltage Test 3500Volts (3.5 kV) for 5 minutes
A voltage of 3500 Volts is passed between a single conductor and the neutral (or earth),
which is applied for a period of 5 minutes respectively. A voltage of 6.2 kV is also passed
between the phases to test the insulation between the different phases respectively.
If this process of testing the individual core are successful passed and there are no indication
of any breakdown then the cable proceed to the next test, which is:
(B) Measuring the Conductors Resistance
The conductor resistance of each cutting length on drum shall be measured to verify the
length of the cable as well as the cross section of the subject conductor.
Normally the conductor’s resistance in the final test will pass as it has already been measured
during the stranding process, so in the final test the main purpose of measuring the
conductor resistance is to confirm the cable length.
For testing MV or HV cables electrically, cable terminals must be prepared as shown in the
above figure. The prepared terminal length is vary from cable to another depend on the cable
rating voltage e.g. for 11 kV cables the length of the insulation (after removing the outer semi
IN PROCESS PRODUCT
• COPPER & ALUMINIUM WIRE DRAWING
• CONDUCTOR STRANDING
• INSULATION PROCESS
• ELECTRICAL SCREEN
• LAYING UP (ASSEMBLING)
• FILLING
• ARMOURING
• OUTER SHEATH
IN‐PROCESS PRODUCT TEST
• SURFACE ( VISUAL )
• DIMENSION
• TENSILE STRENGTH
• ELONGATION
• SPARK TEST ON INSULATION LINE
• HOT SET FOR XLPE INSULATION
• CABLE MARKING
• PARTIAL DISCHARGE
(For screened Cores of MV / HV Cables)
CABLE FINAL TESTING
1. ROUTINE TEST
Tests made on every finished length of cable or during manufacture to ensure compliance
with construction requirements and demonstrate the integrity of the cable.
• Sampling criteria : 100 % of finished product
2. SAMPLE TEST
Tests made on samples of cable to represent production batches and provide a periodic
check on manufacturing consistency.
• Sampling criteria: 10% of total quantity order as per IEC 60502.
3. TYPE TEST
Tests made during the development of a new grade of cable design to establish
performance characteristics.
• Sampling criteria: 1 sample of new design product.
FINISHED PRODUCT ROUTNE TEST
(100% TEST)
• VISUAL INSPECTION OF CABLES DRUMS
• CONDUCTOR RESISTANCE
• VOLTAGE TEST
• PARTIAL DISCHARGE FOR MV & HV CABLES
• INSULATION RESISTANCE (IF REQUIRED)
• TAN δ FOR HV CABLES (10 % OF CUTTING LENGTH)
QC Engineer Work order No.
and Drum No.
QC Manager To be reviewed
and published in
MRM
QUALITY CONTROL DEPARTMENT
QUALITY OBJECTIVEES (1)
Date of setting: 01‐03‐2006
Date of implementation: 9/03/2006
1. CONDUCTOR RESISTANCE:
A. COPPER CONDUCTORS:
From 1.5 mm² to 6 mm² ‐1.5 % + 0.0% from the maximum specified value
Value From 10 mm² to 35 mm² ‐1.0 % + 0.0% from the maximum specified value
Value From 50 mm² to 630 mm² ‐0.8 % + 0.0% from the maximum specified value
B. ALUMINUM CONDUCTORS:
From 10 mm² to 35.0 mm² ‐1.50% + 0.0% from the maximum specified value
From 50 mm² to 630 mm² ‐1.00% + 0.0% from the maximum specified value
2. INSULATION:
A) XLPE Insulation:
From 0.0 mm to 1.0 mm, maximum allowed +8.0% from the average required
From 1.1 mm to 1.5 mm, maximum allowed +6.0% from the average required
From 1.6 mm to 2.5 mm, maximum allowed +5.0% from the average required
More than 2.50 mm, maximum allowed +4.0% from the average required
B) NYA & Flex Insulation:
From 1.5 to 16 MM² conductor sizes, maximum insulation thickness allowed is +6% from
the average required
From 25 to 70 MM² conductor sizes, maximum insulation thickness allowed is +5% from
the average required
3. INNER SHEATH
Only the minimum value has to be achieved & the maximum value shall be 95% of the
nominal value.
Unless otherwise for some special specification or agreement between the manufacturer
& the customer to achieve both value (average & minimum), so in this case the maximum
allowed value should be +6 % from the average required
4. OUTER SHEATH
A. Sheath over Armoring or Direct sheath:
Only the minimum value is required to be achieved & the maximum value shall be 95% of
the nominal one.
B. Sheath over smooth surface or sheath for flex cables:
The maximum allowed value should be +8.0 % from the average required