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Aug 26, 2023

Cable trunking 101: What Is It, Types & Benefits

In today’s world, we are surrounded by electronics. This helps keep us connected, but it also means that we have cables everywhere. The bad thing about this is that they can quickly become an eyesore

In today’s world, we are surrounded by electronics. This helps keep us connected, but it also means that we have cables everywhere. The bad thing about this is that they can quickly become an eyesore or even a security risk. To sort the mess out, there are several methods you can use, with the most common one being cable trunking. Trunking offers lots of benefits besides organization, and it also comes in various types to make it usable in different areas.

If you are just starting your journey in cable management, we’ll take you through the basics of cable trunking.

In the simplest form, cable trunking systems like these are a housing for your cables. It is basically a pathway that groups your cables together and guides them in a certain direction. This hides the cables and ensures that they don’t get tangled. It also protects them from potential damage.

There are several types of cable trunking available.

PVC Cable Trunking

PVC cable trunking, which is made from a string plastic material, is the commonly utilized form of cable trunking. One of the factors that make PVC trunking quite popular is that it’s quite affordable. You can also use in lots of projects.

Metal Cable Trunking

This type of trunking is made of materials such as steel and aluminium, which means that its strong and durable. Metal trunking is meant to offer strength, so it’s often used in harsh environments or where cables need to be protected from physical impact.

Adhesive Cable Trunking

Adhesive cable trunking is unique in that it comes with its own adhesive. This means that you can simply stick it on a wall, so you don’t need to drill holes. Adhesive trunking can come in handy in home DIYs or rental spaces where you don’t want to make modifications to the building.

Flexible Cable Trunking

Flexible cable trunking is meant to be used in tight spaces or corners as you need to bend cables. Therefore, the trunking is made of rubber or light PVC, making it possible to flex without breaking. It often comes with coiled or spiral wraps to contract and expand as needed.

Cable trunking offers lots of benefits.

Aesthetics

Cables lying around are always an eyesore. Cable trunking makes it possible to have an organized and clean appearance, as all cables are housed within designated pathways.

Protection Against Hazards

Cables can always get damaged, and even more easily, when exposed to factors such as dust, moisture, and physical stress. When you use cable trunking, you give the cables a shield that will protect them from potential hazards.

Easy Maintenance and Accessibility

When you just tuck cables away, they will easily become tangled, and doing maintenance or accessing a specific cable won’t be easy. When using trunking, you only need to open the trunk cover or just pull/add a cable.

Enhanced Safety

Exposed cables don’t just look bad; they also pose safety risks. When using trunking, you avoid the risk of tripping. You’ll also prevent things such as short-circuiting.

Prevention of Interference

When cables are running haphazardly, they are often susceptible to signal interference. This will affect the quality of your connections, leading to an ineffective network setup. Cable trunking will ensure you maintain proper distance, and the trunking can also prevent interference.

Scalability and Flexibility

Networking and electrical needs keep on changing, and you will often find yourself laying new cables or even removing some. Whichever it is, cable trunking helps make it easy. All you need to do is insert a cable into the pathway or simply pull it out to remove it.

Compliance and Regulations

When doing cabling, you have a responsibility to protect property and other people, and there are various standards and compliance regulations that you need to follow. Using cable trunking helps you tick most of these by providing a structured and controlled cable layout. So it’s not just a cosmetic solution, it’s a strategic investment in optimizing your space, ensuring safety, and streamlining operations.

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