State-of-the-art Burner & Flame Technology flame treatment systems are making the 3,500-mile journey from the North West of England to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
When Dubai Cable – which is owned by the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai and has supplied cables for some of the most famous landmark construction projects of the past few years – needed advanced flame treatment technology, the company turned to BFT. With more than 15 years’ experience in developing and manufacturing precision burner technology, and the flexible processes and depth of knowledge to allow a tailor-made solution to each individual application, BFT was able to meet their requirements exactly.
Now systems created in Stalybridge for optimum performance, efficiency and safety will be utilised in the Middle East as part of Dubai Cable’s impressive and growing operation. The company supplies international customers in 40 countries and currently has three cable manufacturing factories, a copper rod plant and PVC compounding facility, giving a manufacturing capability of more than 110,000 metal tonnes of cables and wires every year.
Many applications call for a protective graphite coating to be added to the plastic surface of this cable – with insulation resistance testing, this semiconducting layer acts as an early warning system for any damage or breakdown of the cable before it reaches the main conducting cores, and allows operators at a new site to check the cable has been pulled and laid correctly before anything is switched on. To ensure the strong adhesion between the graphite and cable that will make this effective, the surface must be pre-treated.
Flame treating the plastic, and thus oxygenating its surface layers, is a highly targeted and efficient means of increasing its wettability and producing an area suitable for bonding. BFT has the capability to provide customised high-intensity flame technologies perfected for this role. The company’s extensive range of ribbon, double-row, single-row and ring burners in all sizes is complemented by the ability of the skilled team to adapt or develop any of these designs to suit specific requirements. Every surface treatment burner comes with BFT injectors and needle valves for crucial precise and safe control.
Dubai Cable has previously provided cables for the world’s tallest building, the Burj Dubai (now known as the Burj Khalifa), the futuristic Dubai Metro and the man-made island archipelago, the Palm Jumeirah. With the UAE’s incredible vision for the future, BFT expertise may well be found at the heart of some extraordinary and record-breaking projects in the years to come.
