Considering the areas of cable usage, the durability they provide against possible risks is highly important. For this reason, tests conducted on cables give the most accurate durability results. In this content, we will examine the mechanical tests performed on cables. Since cables are used in buildings, hospitals, cinemas, theaters, schools, shopping centers, airports, factories, tunnels, etc.—places that are central to life—they must have properties such as non-flame propagation, non-spreading, non-breaking, low smoke density, and absence of toxic and corrosive gases. These properties can only be confirmed through tests performed on them.

In this content, we will look at the mechanical tests carried out in 2M Cable laboratories:

• UV Aging – ISO 4892-3
• Hot Set – IEC 60811-507
• Tensile Strength & Elongation at Break – IEC 60811-501

UV Aging – ISO 4892-3 This test evaluates the resistance of cables against sunlight, snow-rain water, or humidity. In the laboratory environment, sunlight is simulated with fluorescent lamps emitting ultraviolet radiation, rain-snow water with spraying devices, and humidity with condensation. As a result of the test, visible comparisons such as color change and cracking are made. The sample piece is then subjected to a tensile-break test.

Hot Set Test – IEC 60811-507 The Hot Set test is applied to cross-linked plastics. The plastic is marked at 20 mm intervals. The cable is kept in a furnace at 200–250 °C for 15 minutes. While a weight is attached, the elongation value is measured and the percentage change is calculated. After removing the weight, the plastic is allowed to recover. The marked sections are measured again, and the percentage change is calculated. The results must remain within the tolerances specified in the standards.

Tensile Strength & Elongation at Break Test – IEC 60811-501

This test shows the elongation percentages at maximum force that the materials forming the cable can withstand. The sample is placed in a tensile-break machine and the test is started. A stress-strain graph appears on the screen. The point at which the molecular bonds of the test sample begin to break is the tensile point. The point where the graph ends is the breaking point of the sample. At the end of the test, the tensile strength and deformation values are displayed on the screen.