What accumulates in a plant
- Tray cable and TC-ER from power distribution changes
- Shielded VFD cable from drive installations and motor replacements
- Control and instrumentation cable from I/O and panel work
- Thermocouple and signal wire from instrument upgrades
- Building wire and XHHW from feeder and panel changes
- Medium-voltage cable from substation and switchgear projects
- Flexible cord and welding cable from maintenance and fabrication
Metal fabrication, machinery and equipment builders
Machine builders and fabricators buy cable in job quantities and keep the remainder for the next build. Panel shops hold spools of control wire, hook-up wire and tray cable in many colors and sizes. When a product line ends, that inventory stops moving.
The material is usually identifiable from the jacket print, which makes it one of the easier industrial categories to quote when the photos are clear.
Details that make an industrial quote accurate
Industrial cable details
- Products
- Tray cable, VFD cable, control, building wire, medium voltage
- Voltage
- 600V, 1kV, 2kV, 5kV to 35kV
- Sizes
- #18 through 1000 MCM
- Shielding
- Overall shield, drain, symmetrical ground
- Quantity
- Footage per reel, reel count
- Condition
- New surplus, partial, cut ends, stored outdoors
- Access
- Electrical room, mezzanine, warehouse rack, yard
Plant loads are reviewed line by line. Partial reels and mixed constructions are normal.
Storage conditions decide a lot
Plant cable is stored in three places: the electrical room, the maintenance crib and the yard. Indoor storage is straightforward. Yard storage means sun, water and crushed reels, and it should be photographed as it sits rather than after a cleanup.
If the cable has been in a washdown area or exposed to oil and coolant, say so. Jacket condition matters and it is visible in photos.
Working inside a plant
Most facilities require a check-in, a safety orientation and an escort. Tell us what the site requires and how much notice is needed. A pickup that is planned around those requirements takes an hour; one that is not can take a day.
FAQ
Questions we get from sellers
Do you buy cable that has been disconnected but not removed?
Usually not as a purchase, because the material has to be removed and inspected first. In practice the cable is removed as part of a project and quoted once it is on a reel or in a pile.
Can you handle a plant-wide decommissioning?
Yes, as a staged pickup. We quote the wire in phases as it is removed rather than pricing a building full of unknown cable in advance.
Do you buy damaged or oil-soaked cable?
It can be quoted at a lower value. Photograph the jacket and be specific about the exposure.