Cable Tray Trunking Machine 26 Station Forming Process for Manufacturing Cable Trays

Steel coils enter the production line. Finished cable trays come out the other end. This article walks through the complete cable tray manufacturing process, from what cable trays are and where they are used, to each production step and the equipment involved. A cable tray trunking machine integrates uncoiling, leveling, punching, forming, cutting, and discharging into one continuous line.

Understanding Cable Tray Basics

A cable tray is a rigid structural system that supports and protects cables for power distribution, communication, and control cable installation. Different installation environments have different requirements for tray specifications and performance.

Applications of Cable Trays

• Data centers: organizing large volumes of data and power cables while allowing ventilation and heat dissipation

• Power plants and substations: heavy loads of power and control cables requiring high load capacity and good heat dissipation

• Industrial factories: substantial cable weight from large production equipment, requiring reliable power distribution

• Commercial buildings: complex electrical and low current cabling in riser shafts

These application scenarios have different requirements for tray width, height, load capacity, and corrosion resistance.

Common Materials for Cable Trays

• Galvanized steel: good corrosion resistance at a cost effective price, suitable for most indoor and outdoor environments

• Stainless steel: strong corrosion resistance for harsh environments like chemical plants, food processing, and marine applications

• Aluminum: lightweight and corrosion resistant, suitable for weight sensitive applications

5 Core Steps of Cable Tray Manufacturing and the Equipment Used

Cable tray manufacturing follows a clear production flow. Whether you use traditional methods or automated equipment, the five steps below are essential.

Step 1: Coil Loading and Uncoiling – Steel coils are lifted onto the decoiler. The decoiler holds the coil and releases strip material at a steady speed, providing a continuous material supply for downstream operations.

Step 2: Leveling – Strip material coming off the coil has some curvature. The leveling machine uses multiple roller sets to flatten the strip, removing internal stress and ensuring a flat surface. If the strip is not flat, subsequent punching and forming operations will be affected.

Step 3: Punching – The leveled strip enters the punch press. The press punches mounting holes and ventilation slots into the strip. Hole positions and sizes are determined by the tooling. Different tray sizes require different punch tooling sets.

Step 4: Roll Forming – This is the core step. The punched strip enters the forming mainframe and passes through multiple roller stations that gradually cold form the material. Each roller pass applies a small amount of deformation, eventually turning the flat strip into the tray profile.

Step 5: Cut to Length and Discharge – The formed tray is cut to the preset length and exits through the discharge table. Workers inspect dimensions and prepare the finished trays for packaging.

Core Advantages of a Cable Tray Trunking Machine

A cable tray trunking machine integrates uncoiling, leveling, punching, forming, cutting, and discharging into one production line. Steel coils go in one end and finished trays come out the other.

Continuous production: the strip moves through all stations without stopping or transferring. One coil goes in and finished trays come out in a continuous flow.

Inline punching system: punching and forming happen on the same line. Hole positions stay consistent without secondary processing.

Stable forming quality: the 26 station roll forming process applies gradual deformation. Each station uses a small amount of bending, which helps maintain consistent finished dimensions.

Reduced labor dependency: the entire line runs on PLC automatic control. The system runs automatically without manual intervention between stations.

Flexible production: size changes are made by adjusting the forming machine opening and roller positions. Different sizes do not require complete tooling changes.

Key Configurations and Their Process Value

The performance of a cable tray trunking machine depends on several key configurations.

Number of forming stations: more stations mean less deformation per roller station. This helps reduce springback and maintain stable dimensions.

Roller material: Cr12 die steel with heat treatment offers higher hardness and wear resistance than ordinary carbon steel, helping maintain consistent performance over time.

Main shaft diameter: determines rigidity during forming. Larger diameter shafts provide higher torsional strength.

Punch press capacity: determines the maximum material thickness the machine can handle.

Cable Tray Trunking Machine Technical Parameters

The following parameters come from the actual machine configuration. They can be adjusted based on customer requirements.

The Cost of Size Changeovers

Many tray manufacturers face a common challenge: orders come in many sizes with small quantities. Today the customer wants 150 mm wide trays. Tomorrow they want 300 mm. If each size change requires a complete tooling change, labor and time costs become unsustainable.

Fixed size machines require complete tooling changes for each different width. Changing a set of tooling takes significant time with multiple workers. If your average order is only a few hundred meters, changeover time can exceed production time.

A cable tray trunking machine works differently. Width adjustments are made by adjusting the forming machine opening and roller positions, not by changing the entire set of tooling. You can switch from one width to another and run the next order. The cable tray trunking machine handles different tray sizes without requiring separate tooling for each width.