Nested Vertical Cable Tray Redirector With Bolted Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable tray redirectors require welding, which is time-consuming and unsuitable in facilities with seismic restrictions or where stress and corrosion are concerns, and they lack ease of assembly, electrical conductivity, and efficient storage and shipping solutions.
Innovation Solution
The development of non-welded cable tray redirectors using interchangeable fasteners and components that nest for reduced storage and shipping volume, ensuring electrical conductivity and easy assembly without welding, allowing redirection up to 90 degrees in a horizontal plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If welding is used to fabricate cable tray redirectors, then structural strength and reliability are improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase, and seismic resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The redirector is divided into multiple separate components (base component, tray support components, fastening components) that are assembled together using bolts and nuts instead of being fabricated as a single welded structure. This segmentation eliminates welding operations while maintaining structural integrity through mechanical fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
Fastening components (bolts, nuts, fasteners) serve as intermediary elements that join the base component and tray support components together. These intermediaries replace the welding process, providing a non-permanent but structurally sound connection that avoids the time-consuming and seismically vulnerable welded joints.
2Strength
If welding is used to fabricate cable tray redirectors, then structural strength is improved, but ease of assembly and seismic resistance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The redirector system is segmented into pre-fabricated components with built-in fastening features, allowing for tool-free or simple tool-based assembly. The base component and tray support components are designed with integrated mounting points that simplify the assembly process while maintaining structural strength through distributed fastening.
Solution Approach 2:
The components are designed with self-aligning features and integrated fastening mechanisms that reduce the skill level and time required for assembly. The fastening components are configured to automatically position themselves during assembly, eliminating the need for complex welding procedures and specialized fabrication skills.
3Reliability
If traditional redirector components are used, then structural functionality is achieved, but storage and shipping volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tray support components are designed to nest within or against the base component when not in use. The fastening components can be stored within cavities or attached to the surfaces of the main components, creating a compact packaged configuration that reduces storage and shipping volume while maintaining full structural functionality when assembled.
Data Source
AI summary
Vertical redirector components speed assembly and connection of cable trays. More efficiently manufactured, universal components needed throughout vertical redirectors of a specific size and type cable tray run reduce the overall total items and cost of inventory. The improvement is in part the elimination of welding cable redirector components in favor of connecting the components together with bolts and nuts in the field. The inventory and shipment of individual parts is substantially more efficient because the new components “nest” efficiently prior to assembly. Moreover, components are designed to minimize the number of bolts and nuts used without jeopardizing strength. The use of bolts and nuts to fasten the components also enables good electrical conductivity for effective electrical grounding of the assembled cable tray system.