Industrial equipment supplier Actum Group has recently supplied its Ball-Lok cable ties for installation of cable management solutions at one of the largest solar plants in South Africa.

Ball-Lok is one of the products in Actum’s Band-It band and fastening systems range, which includes stainless steel bands and buckles, adjustable clamping systems, banding systems, preformed clamps and stainless steel ties.

Band-It Ball-Lok cable ties are quick and easy to apply offering a versatile solution for cable management. The self-locking design allows fast installation and is perfect for harsh environments, such as solar plants, because of their superior corrosiveness and “excellent” ultraviolet (UV) resistance.

“Band-It Ball-Lok cable ties are designed and manufactured to withstand the most challenging of environments – cable sheath protection is of the highest priority and Band-It subject its products to severe testing as certification is more important now with tracking solar modules.

“The Band-It products are used extensively in the solar industry, owing to the products being stainless steel bands and buckles that are available in a variety of stainless steel grades, and coated or uncoated options,” explains Band-It Fasteners team leader Matthew Campbell.

He adds that the stainless steel ties have a good resistance to mild to extreme environments, fresh water and UV rays. The ties offer smooth inside diameters, while the low-profile options make the ties ideal for cable bundling.

Campbell highlights that the bands and buckles are available in different sizes and widths, with a clean appearance and good resistance to oxidation, and provide superior corrosion resistance, owing to the nonmagnetic material.

In addition, the adjustable clamping systems are a rack and pinion system used with a band to create a clamp of any size.

“The banding systems are quick to install, with a high clamping force and gap-free inside diameter. The systems can be precut and preassembled with clips,” Campbell adds.

When compared with other joining methods, such as threaded fasteners, spot welds, tack welds, rivets or nails, the Band-It band clamps spread their clamping force out across the full perimeter or contact area of the items they are joining.

The Band-It corrosion-resistant fasteners can be used for a variety of applications,

especially environments with high moisture and UV exposure where corrosion occurs. Industries include oil and gas, mining, solar plants, and automotive and manufacturing plants.

Offering permanent and adjustable solutions, the non-intrusive fasteners are manufactured from stainless steel, have a longer life span compared with other types of fasteners, and require no welding or drilling, he concludes.

Actum Group is proud to be the official representative for Band-It throughout Africa, and is the only approved distributor in the world to manufacture Band-It under licence.