Why do Power Conductor Manufacturers Make Alloy Conductors?

Power conductors are the only reason we are able to use electricity in our day to day life. If there would not have been any power conductors we would not have the luxury of using all the appliances and gadgets that we use today. We need to ask ourselves, do we actually know what power conductors are and how complex is the process is of manufacturing these conductors? Any cable or wire which conducts electricity or helps in transferring electricity from one point to the other is a power conductor. The size and capacity of these power conductors depends on where or for what purpose they are needed. It is impossible to imagine transmission of electricity or power without power conductors. Power conductor manufacturers are using the best technology these days to ensure a quick turnaround time as well as superior quality of product to meet the needs of consumers.

When we think of power conductors or cables, we simply think of wires made of aluminium or copper which we generally see on the overhead power transmission lines and in our home in the general wiring done using copper wires. We fail to acknowledge that there is lot more to power conductors than what we know, especially when it comes to the types of power conductors. The term power conductor is generally associated with the overhead transmission lines which carry very high voltage electrical current. Power conductor manufacturers who supply the overhead power conductors use aluminium, copper and steel to manufacture these conductors. There are various types of conductors which are manufactured like All Aluminium Conductors (AAC), Aluminium Conductor, Aluminium Reinforced (ACAR), All Aluminium Alloy Conductor (AAAC), Aluminium Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) etc. All these conductors have different qualities and transmission companies use the conductors based on their need and the cost involved in the transmission project.

The conductivity of a power conductor depends on the material used for manufacturing. The power transmission companies focus on some key factors while making a choice of conductor for a particular project. The key factors are conductivity, sag and weight of the conductor, durability and tensile strength. Conductivity is the most important factor which rules the choice. The cost of these conductors also varies depending on their type; for example an all aluminium conductor costs less compared to the alloy conductors because the variation in the cost of the raw materials for both the types. The tensile strength and weight of the conductors also vary depending on the material they are made out of. The alloy conductors fare better as compared to the all aluminium conductors on this parameter too. However, the fact still remains that all have their own uses and are widely applied by power generation, transmission and distribution companies.

Power conductor manufacturers are constantly developing better products to add to their existing product range and this gives them the advantage of being able to meet the needs of a wide range of consumers. It will be safe to say that the quality of conductors has significantly improved in recent times. The high voltage power conductors manufactured these days usually contain either a tube or wires of steel at the core of conductor and these are wrapped in strands of aluminium. The steel provides strength to the cables and aluminium acts as conductor of electricity. Steel reinforcement helps these conductors to bear heavy stress caused due to mechanical strain, the weight of conductor and factors like wind, gravity, ice etc. The conductors used in local distribution are lighter and contain lesser number of strands of wire as compared to the conductors used in long distance transmission lines.