Professional cable manufacturer
BS 5467 · IEC 60502 · Class 2 copper to IEC 60228 · 90 °C XLPE · steel wire armour over a PVC bedding
Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC 0.6/1 kV Armoured Power Cable
Low-voltage armoured power cable built for routes that get dug up, driven over or gnawed at: copper conductors, XLPE insulation, galvanised steel wire armour and a black PVC over-sheath, in 4 × 4 mm² to 4 × 400 mm² and 2 to 5 cores.
1.5–400 mm²
Cross-section range by core count
1 – 5
Cores, plus multicore up to 37
+90 °C
Continuous conductor temperature
3.5 kV / 5 min
Routine withstand test
↓ Download Datasheet (PDF)
Made to BS 5467, IEC 60502
Class 2 copper to IEC 60228
Armour checked for continuity and lay
MOQ 100 m — samples available
PVC ARMOURED POWER CABLE · 0.6/1 kV
0.6/1 kVRated voltage U₀/U
+90 °CContinuous conductor temperature
+250 °CShort-circuit, 5 s
8 × DBending radius when laying
3.5 kV / 5 minRoutine withstand test
Key Specifications
The essentials, at a glance
The six numbers an electrical contractor or EPC checks first on an armoured LV power cable — before reading the size table below.
XLPE
Insulation, 90 °C rated
SWA
Galvanised steel wire armour
PVC
Over-sheath, black, Type ST2 family
Class 2
Stranded copper to IEC 60228
IEC 60332-1-2
Single cable vertical flame test
−20…+90 °C
Operating range
Product Overview
What SWA is for — and what it is not for
This is the standard low-voltage armoured power cable: plain annealed copper conductors to IEC 60228 Class 2, extruded XLPE insulation rated +90 °C continuous, an extruded bedding, a single layer of galvanised steel wires, and a black PVC over-sheath. That layer stack is the BS 5467 arrangement for 0.6/1 kV cable, and it is also the arrangement covered by IEC 60502 for extruded-insulation power cable at this voltage. The same stack with a halogen-free sheath instead of PVC is BS 6724 — same geometry, same armour, different compound; that version is on its own page.
It is worth being precise about the armour, because the phrase "armoured cable" gets used to mean two different things. Steel wire armour is a mechanical layer: it takes radial crushing loads, it lets the cable be pulled without the sheath being asked to carry the whole tension, and it gives a gnawing rodent something harder to get through than a PVC jacket. It is not an EMC screen. At the frequencies that disturb control and instrumentation circuits, a layer of steel wires does close to nothing, and a cable specified as "armoured" on the assumption that it is also screened is a mistake that surfaces later as an intermittent fault. If you need screening, that is a different construction — see the YY/SY/CY Control Cable family for the copper-braid option.
On earthing: the armour can serve as a circuit protective conductor where it is effectively earthed at both ends and the applicable local wiring regulations permit it — but that is an installation decision with a continuity and current-carrying assessment behind it, not a property of the cable. Where a separate protective conductor is required, order a 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 core construction with the PE as a separate core; do not assume a four-core cable contains one.
The size table below is the real one, and it is the same table our engineers quote from. Every core count has its own diameter, weight, armour wire size and current rating, so there is no single "rated amps" for this family. The two current columns are the two sets of reference conditions the manufacturer publishes — in air at 30 °C and direct buried at 20 °C — and they differ by 20–25 %. Size against your route, not against a headline number.
Where the numbers come from matters here. Every diameter, weight, conductor resistance, armour wire diameter and current rating in Table 1 is the nominal value published for this exact construction, and all of it is repeated back on the drawing before the drum is made. Nothing in the table is inferred, and where a value is not published for a construction we leave the cell out rather than filling it with a plausible-looking figure.
For the halogen-free version of the same cable, see the LSZH Armoured Power Cable. For this family in fixed sections, see the 16 mm² 2-core and 4 × 70 mm² pages.
More about the manufacturer: About SORIVO →
Key Features
Eight things that decide the specification
XLPE at 90 °C
Cross-linked polyethylene insulation raises the continuous conductor temperature to +90 °C and the short-circuit allowance to +250 °C, which is where the extra ampacity over a PVC-insulated cable comes from.
Galvanised Steel Wire Armour
A single layer of galvanised steel wires over the extruded bedding. It is there for crushing, pulling and rodent resistance — we will not describe it as a screen.
Class 2 Stranded Copper
Plain annealed copper to IEC 60228 Class 2. Larger sections are compacted or sector-shaped, and that shape is published for the size so the termination can be planned.
Five-Layer Construction
Conductor, XLPE insulation, bedding, steel wire armour, PVC over-sheath. Each layer has its own thickness in the size table, so nothing is left as "per standard".
Direct Burial and Duct
The armour and the PVC over-sheath together take the cable outdoors, underground, into ducts, troughs and cable trays where mechanical damage is expected.
1 to 5 Cores, plus Multicore
1.5 mm² to 400 mm² depending on core count, with 7, 10, 12, 19, 27 and 37 core versions available at the smaller sections for distribution and auxiliaries.
3.5 kV / 5 min Routine Test
Every completed length is withstand-tested at 3.5 kV AC for 5 minutes, with conductor resistance and insulation resistance measured and recorded.
Halogen-Free Variant Available
The same construction with an LSZH bedding and over-sheath to BS 6724 for confined spaces, tunnels, stations and plant rooms where smoke and acid gas are the design driver.
Applications
Where armoured LV power cable is used
Any route where the cable has to survive the environment rather than being protected from it.
01
Underground Distribution Feeders
Direct-buried and ducted LV feeders between a transformer, a main board and outbuildings, where the armour is what keeps the cable serviceable after the trench is backfilled.
02
Industrial Plant Power Distribution
Sub-mains to MCCs, motor control panels and process equipment inside a plant, on tray or in trench where mechanical damage is likely.
03
Substation and Switchroom Wiring
LV connections between transformers, switchgear and distribution boards, including the runs that leave the building and go underground.
04
Pump Stations and Water Treatment
Buried and ducted supplies to pumps, valves and aeration equipment, where the joint bay and the pull are the parts that decide the drum length.
05
Construction Site and Temporary Supply
Overground and buried distribution that gets walked on, driven over and moved, which is exactly the duty a steel wire armour is specified for.
06
Renewable and Battery Plant
LV collection and auxiliary power runs at solar, wind and energy-storage sites, outdoors and in cable trench, feeding inverter and transformer stations.
07
Rail, Metro and Tunnel Services
Traction auxiliary and station power where mechanical protection is mandatory and the fire performance requirement usually pushes the design to the halogen-free version of this same cable.
08
Marine, Port and Quay Supply
Shore power, crane and dock supplies where abrasion and salt-laden air both have to be survived and the cable is pulled through ducts and over edges.
Technical Specifications
Full specification sheet
The complete parameter set — the same data our engineers quote from.
Table 1 Four-core Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC to BS 5467 — dimensions, weight and current rating
| Cores × size (mm²) | Conductor dia. (mm) | Insulation (mm) | Bedding (mm) | Steel wire dia. (mm) | Overall dia. (mm) | Weight (kg/km) | R20 (Ω/km) | In air 30 °C (A) | Buried 20 °C (A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 4 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 16 | 500 | 4.61 | 42 | 39 |
| 4 × 6 | 3.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 18 | 750 | 3.08 | 54 | 49 |
| 4 × 10 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 20 | 950 | 1.83 | 75 | 65 |
| 4 × 16 | 4.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 22 | 1300 | 1.15 | 100 | 84 |
| 4 × 25 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 27 | 1900 | 0.727 | 127 | 107 |
| 4 × 35 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 30 | 2500 | 0.524 | 158 | 129 |
| 4 × 50 | 9.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 31 | 2750 | 0.387 | 192 | 153 |
| 4 × 70 | 11.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 37 | 4000 | 0.268 | 246 | 188 |
| 4 × 95 | 13.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 41 | 5250 | 0.193 | 298 | 226 |
| 4 × 120 | 15.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 46 | 6750 | 0.153 | 346 | 257 |
| 4 × 150 | 17.0 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 51 | 8000 | 0.124 | 399 | 287 |
| 4 × 185 | 19.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 55 | 9750 | 0.099 | 456 | 324 |
| 4 × 240 | 22.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 61 | 12500 | 0.075 | 538 | 375 |
| 4 × 300 | 24.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 68 | 15000 | 0.060 | 621 | 419 |
| 4 × 400 | 27.8 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 3.15 | 78 | 20000 | 0.047 | 721 | 464 |
Overall diameters, weights, conductor resistances and current ratings are the nominal values published for this construction; they are not guaranteed limits and the final values are confirmed on the drawing for the ordered drum length. Conductor resistance is the 20 °C DC value — at the 90 °C conductor temperature of this insulation it rises by roughly 20 %, which is why a voltage-drop calculation must not use the 20 °C figure. The two current-rating columns are the two sets of reference conditions the manufacturer publishes, in air at 30 °C and direct buried at 20 °C; they differ by 20–25 % and neither is a single "rated current". Real ampacity depends on the installation method, ambient or soil temperature, grouping, soil thermal resistivity and burial depth, so please size against the conditions of your route rather than against one number from a catalogue.
Table 2 Two-core and three-core neighbouring sizes
| Cores × size (mm²) | Conductor dia. (mm) | Insulation (mm) | Bedding (mm) | Steel wire dia. (mm) | Overall dia. (mm) | Weight (kg/km) | R20 (Ω/km) | In air 30 °C (A) | Buried 20 °C (A) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 × 10 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 17 | 650 | 1.83 | 86 | 77 |
| 2 × 16 | 4.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 19 | 900 | 1.15 | 115 | 100 |
| 2 × 25 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.25 | 23 | 1200 | 0.727 | 149 | 129 |
| 2 × 35 | 6.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 26 | 1700 | 0.524 | 185 | 155 |
| 3 × 70 | 11.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 32 | 3000 | 0.268 | — | — |
The two- and three-core rows are given at the same 30 °C air and 20 °C buried reference conditions as Table 1, from the same data set. Note that two-core ratings are consistently higher than four-core at the same cross-section — a 2 × 16 mm² cable carries 115 A in air against 100 A for 4 × 16 mm² — because fewer loaded cores share the same surface area. Duct and tray installation, ambient temperature and grouping all move these figures, so use them as the starting point for a sizing calculation and not as the answer to it.
Table 3 Construction and performance parameters
| General Information | |
| Product Name | Cu/XLPE/SWA/PVC 0.6/1 kV Armoured Power Cable |
| Product Family | Copper conductor, XLPE insulated, steel wire armoured, PVC sheathed low-voltage power cable to BS 5467 |
| Reference Standards | BS 5467; IEC 60502 for the 0.6/1 kV extruded-insulation construction; conductor to IEC 60228 Class 2; flame retardance to IEC 60332-1-2. |
| Rated Voltage U₀/U | 0.6/1 kV |
| Electrical Ratings | |
| Rated Voltage U₀/U | 0.6/1 kV |
| Max. Conductor Temperature | +90 °C continuous, the XLPE rating |
| Short-Circuit Conductor Temperature | +250 °C maximum, taken as the IEC 60502-1 short-circuit condition for XLPE-insulated copper cable, limited to 5 s. It is a calculated duty, not a temperature the cable may sit at. |
| Test Voltage | 3.5 kV AC for 5 minutes on the completed cable — the routine withstand test for 0.6/1 kV finished cable |
| Voltage Drop | A first-order estimate is 2 × R20 Ω/km for a single-phase circuit and √3 × R20 Ω/km for a balanced three-phase circuit, using the 20 °C resistance from the table. Add the reactance term and correct the resistance to the operating temperature before using it for a final design. |
| Construction | |
| Conductor | Plain annealed copper, Class 2 stranded and compacted to IEC 60228; larger four-core sizes are sector-shaped |
| Insulation | Extruded XLPE, nominal thickness 0.7–2.0 mm across the range |
| Bedding | Extruded PVC, nominal thickness 0.8–1.8 mm depending on the size |
| Armour | Single layer galvanised steel wires, 0.9–3.15 mm diameter depending on the size |
| Outer Sheath | PVC, black; nominal thickness per the size table |
| Core Identification | Blue, brown for two-core; blue, brown, black, grey for four-core; confirmed against the drawing |
| Environment | |
| Operating Temperature Range | −20 °C to +90 °C — the range published for this construction |
| Minimum Installation Temperature | 0 °C. Below this the PVC bedding and sheath stiffen; warm the drum area or postpone the pull rather than forcing the cable. |
| Bending Radius when Laying | 8 × overall diameter, the manufacturer figure for this construction. The final radius should be confirmed against the applicable standard and the actual installation method. |
| Weather Resistance | Rated good for outdoor and buried service by the manufacturer data sheet. |
| Flame Retardance | IEC 60332-1-2 — single insulated cable vertical flame propagation |
| Rodent and Termite | The steel wire armour is the barrier. It is a mechanical layer, not a chemical one, so it resists gnawing rather than repelling it. |
| Configuration & Logistics | |
| Core Configurations | 1 to 5 cores as standard; 7, 10, 12, 19, 27 and 37 core versions at the smaller cross-sections. Configurations with a separate protective conductor (3 + 1, 3 + 2) are quoted individually. |
| Cross-Section Range | 1.5 mm² to 400 mm² depending on core count — see Table 1 and Table 2 |
| Sheath Options | PVC as standard; halogen-free LSZH to BS 6724 on the separate LSZH version of this cable |
| Standard Lengths | 500 m to 1000 m per drum depending on cross-section; cut lengths on request |
| Packaging | Wooden drum or steel drum; custom drum and marking on request |
| MOQ | 100 m — sample length negotiable |
| Lead Time | 15–30 working days; 5–7 days for stocked configurations |
| Customization | Core count, cross-section, sheath colour, flame-retardant grade, drum type and customer marking |
The standard-based values on this page are limited to what the construction is actually built and tested to: BS 5467 for the armoured 0.6/1 kV arrangement, IEC 60502 for the extruded-insulation construction, IEC 60228 Class 2 for the conductor and IEC 60332-1-2 for the vertical flame test. The 3.5 kV AC / 5 minute figure is the routine withstand test applied to every finished length. The +250 °C short-circuit temperature is a 5-second design condition from the IEC 60502-1 basis for XLPE-insulated copper cable, not a service temperature. Insulation resistance is a manufacturer routine-test value confirmed on the report for the supplied drum. Diameters and weights are nominal and are re-confirmed on the drawing before production — final selection should be based on the installation method, the ambient conditions and the applicable local requirements.
Certificates & Standards
Verify before you buy — we make it easy
Made to BS 5467
The construction — copper to IEC 60228, XLPE insulation, galvanised steel wire armour and PVC over-sheath — is the BS 5467 arrangement for 0.6/1 kV armoured cable. We quote the standard the cable is built and tested to; we do not write "certified" where the correct statement is "made to". The test certificate and conductor-resistance records for the supplied drum come with the quotation.
Request the test documents →Type test and routine test
A 3.5 kV AC withstand test for 5 minutes is applied to every completed length and recorded, and the XLPE insulation and PVC sheath are type-tested as a system for the 0.6/1 kV rating. If you need the type-test report for the exact construction you are buying, ask for it by the ordered size and we will send the one that matches.
Request the type-test report →CE marking as applicable, DoC on request
There is no CE certification for cable — CE marking is a manufacturer’s declaration of conformity, and which directive applies depends on the installation. We will not print "CE certified": a Declaration of Conformity and a RoHS declaration are provided on request for the construction supplied, together with whatever national approval documentation the destination market requires.
Request documentation →
Transparency note: certification status and exact scope should always be confirmed against the certificate for the selected product configuration. We provide the certificate and test reports with every quotation — no blank promises.
Quality & Factory
Checked layer by layer, not just at the extruder
An armoured cable fails at the armour or at the drum end of the process as often as at the insulation, so the release checks cover the layer that is hardest to inspect later.
- 1Copper and compound intake — the conductor is checked for cross-section, class and DC resistance, and the XLPE and PVC compounds are checked against their data sheets, before the insulation is extruded.
- 2In-line dimensional control — conductor diameter, insulation thickness, bedding thickness, armour wire diameter and the final sheath thickness are monitored during production rather than sampled after the fact.
- 3Electrical routine tests — conductor resistance, insulation resistance and the 3.5 kV AC / 5 minute withstand test between conductors and between conductors and the armour are measured on the finished length and recorded against the drum.
- 4Armour and finished-length check — armour wire diameter, lay and continuity are verified, and the completed length is measured against the ordered overall diameter and drum length before the drum is sealed.
19+
countries served
60+
industrial & panel projects
100%
routine test before shipment
How to Order
From inquiry to loaded carton in 5 steps
Send Inquiry
Tell us the core configuration and cross-section, the sheath type you need (PVC or halogen-free), the installed route and the quantity.
Confirm Configuration
We confirm the core configuration, cross-section, sheath type and any separate protective conductor with you, send the construction drawing for approval, and quote against it — normally within one working day.
Sample Evaluation
Sample for qualification — stocked configurations within a few working days.
Bulk Production
Made-to-order lengths are produced against the confirmed drawing; the production window for the size and quantity is confirmed in the quotation, and the routine test is run on every length before the drum leaves.
Delivery & Support
Drum schedule and shipping documents, plus support through installation — pulling tension and bending-radius guidance for the size and route you have, and the electrical routine-test records for the supplied drums.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Mechanical damage: radial crushing from backfill and traffic loading, abrasion when the cable is pulled through a duct or over an edge, and a reasonable degree of rodent resistance because the wires are harder to gnaw through than a PVC jacket. It also lets the cable carry more pulling tension than an unarmoured one. What it does not do is screen. A layer of steel wires is not an EMC barrier at the frequencies that disturb control and instrumentation circuits, and if you need screening you should be ordering a different construction with a copper braid or a foil-and-drain screen.
It can, where the armour is effectively earthed at both ends and the local wiring regulations permit it, because the armour does provide a continuous metallic path. Whether it should be is a different question that needs the fault-current and continuity assessment for your installation, and the armour resistance figure from the size table is what that calculation uses. If the answer is not clearly yes, order a construction with a separate protective conductor core — 3 + 1 or 3 + 2 — rather than assuming a four-core cable has one, because it does not.
There is no single answer, and any page that gives you one is simplifying. The size table carries the two sets of reference conditions the manufacturer publishes — in air at 30 °C and direct buried at 20 °C — and the second is typically 15–25 % lower than the first. Your real figure depends on the installation method (buried, duct, tray, clipped), the ambient or soil temperature, how many cables are grouped together, the soil thermal resistivity and the burial depth. Send us the route and the load and we will confirm the size against those conditions.
Small sizes are circular stranded and compacted; at the larger four-core cross-sections the conductors are sector-shaped, which is published for the size in the table. This matters at installation time: a sector-shaped conductor needs the correct shaping die or a compression lug matched to the sector form, and it cannot be treated as a round conductor when you strip and terminate it. Tell us the lug or gland you intend to use and we will tell you what the conductor looks like at that size.
The figure published for this construction is 8 × overall diameter given at laying, which is 8 × 37 mm ≈ 296 mm for 4 × 70 mm². Treat it as the manufacturer value rather than as the governing number: the applicable standard for your project and the actual installation method can be more demanding, and a cable pulled tighter than it should be can look fine and still have a distorted insulation screen. Confirm the figure against the standard you are working to before the pull.
Not comfortably. The published minimum installation temperature is 0 °C, and below that the PVC bedding and over-sheath stiffen, which makes the cable harder to pull and easier to damage at the sheath. There is also no −40 °C figure for this construction — it appears on a lot of competitor pages without a source. If your site is colder than the published range, tell us the lowest temperature the cable will see at installation and we will advise on the construction and handling rather than let it be forced.
Same construction, different sheath. BS 5467 is the armoured 0.6/1 kV arrangement with a PVC over-sheath; BS 6724 is the same cable with a halogen-free, low-smoke over-sheath and halogen-free bedding. The conductors, insulation, armour and dimensions are the same family of design, so the choice between them is a fire-performance decision, not an electrical one. If the route is a tunnel, a station, a basement or any confined space, look at the LSZH armoured version.
There is no CE certification for cable. CE marking is a manufacturer’s declaration of conformity, and for cable the applicable regime depends on the installation — the Low Voltage Directive, or CPR for reaction to fire, which is documented by a Declaration of Performance and a Euroclass rather than a certificate. We provide a Declaration of Conformity and a RoHS declaration on request, and we will not print a phrase we cannot support.
Need an armoured LV power cable for a buried or exposed route?
Send the core configuration, cross-section, route and quantity — we reply within one working day.
Get a Free Quote
Send your armoured power cable requirement
The more detail you give, the faster and more accurate our quotation. Our engineers reply within one working day.
- Core configuration and cross-section (for example 4 × 70 mm², or 3 + 1)
- Sheath type: PVC as standard, or halogen-free LSZH to BS 6724
- Installed route: direct buried, duct, tray or clipped, and the ambient or soil temperature
- Whether a separate protective conductor core is required
- Length per drum and total quantity, with the drum schedule if the pull is long
- Destination market, for the declaration and marking scope
Inquiry received
Thanks — our engineers will reply within one working day.
Related Products
