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The HV cable industry’s best-kept secret

Acuity Ultrasonics is a leader in Quality Assurance solutions for the cable manufacturing industry. Established in 2008 by ex-MOD experts, the company developed the technology and later sold its first production machines in 2013. These machines are still in daily use, although superseded by more modern and advanced designs.

Spread across two locations: The Optic Centre in St Asaph, North Wales, and Europa Business Park in Stockport, Acuity Ultrasonics performs deeps scans of high voltage cables that are used to transfer energy long distances over land and under the sea. We spoke to Ian Clark, Director – Acuity Ultrasonics, who explained more:

“Specialising in non-destructive testing for the high-voltage cable industry, we deep-scan cables during the manufacturing process and inspect joints once they have been completed in the factory. As joints are handmade, they can potentially be the weakest point in a long cable. Cables are produced in lengths of up to 20km, meaning joints are essential for any commercial project, where distances of several hundred kilometres are common, and plans for 4,000km are already in place.”

“The HV cable industry is booming globally with the current thrusts of electrification becoming a principal source of energy. Cables are used to connect regions with abundant electricity generation – such as Norway and Canada for hydropower, France for nuclear energy, the North Sea for wind power, and Morocco for wind and solar energy – with areas that have high electricity demand, including the UK, eastern USA, southern Germany, and Ireland.”

“For efficient transmission, long cables must use direct current (DC) rather than the alternating current (AC) used in national grids. They also operate at high voltages – typically 500,000 volts or more, even more than the 400,000 volts used in the UK’s main grid backbone. These extreme voltages place significant stress on the cable’s insulation, meaning even minor imperfections – such as air bubbles or dirt – can cause degradation and eventual failure. If a cable fails under the sea, repair costs are enormous, and the disruption to supply can be severe. This is why cable manufacturers take every possible precaution to prevent such flaws.”

This is where the company’s expertise truly shines, offering services that set them apart in the industry. By thoroughly visualising the interior of cables and joints and meticulously logging detailed scans, Acuity Ultrasonics can detect even the smallest sub-millimetre flaws at an early stage. This high-resolution data not only ensures the integrity of the cable but also serves as a verifiable quality record. This documentation can be invaluable to organisations purchasing the cable, providing concrete evidence of its structural reliability and manufacturing precision.

“Detecting flaws early eliminates the need to scrap or rework cables – an especially valuable advantage considering costs can range from £300 to £500 per metre. Our technology provides a detailed cross-sectional view of the cable every quarter of a millimetre along its length, generating terabytes of real-time visualisation of a cable’s interior during manufacturing. Unlike competing methods that rely on external measurements to infer internal conditions or x-ray scans that can miss small flaws, our approach delivers unmatched accuracy. Moreover, factory x-ray inspection requires strict safety precautions and is not attractive as a continuous quality assurance tool, making our solution both safer and more effective,” added Ian.

Acuity Ultrasonics has been researching the internal quality of HV and MV cables since 2009. During this time, many thousands of kilometres of extruded cable have been scanned in factories across Europe, with recovery of cable worth millions by identifying defective lengths to cut out of reels that would otherwise have been wholly scrapped.

In addition to Ultrascreen (the online monitor), an offline system for manual inspection of cable joints, Ultraprofilor, uses the same technology to 3D-visualise joints in even higher resolution.

These are Acuity’s two main products. This technology can be applied to other aspects of cable making too such as control of the thickness of the lead or copper sheathing, as well as to other manufacturing processes where the presence of small flaws is critical such as high-pressure plastic piping.

Both the UltraScreen and UltraProfilor platforms offer complete assessment in HV cable production, enabling companies to deliver the highest assured quality of cable manufacturing to their customers.

“International certification bodies are beginning to show interest in our technology, particularly because of the data record that we uniquely create,” said Ian.

Our technology is in factories of several global cable-makers. All our clients jealously guard the knowledge of the presence of our technology – hence the title of this piece. Looking ahead, the company is poised for continued growth, with strong interest in collaborating with a larger technology organisation. Acuity remains committed to continuous improvement and to adapting to the changing needs of its customers as they develop products and factories to meet the global demand for HV cables. By staying closely connected with industry partners, the company ensures it remains at the forefront of emerging needs and technological advancements.

For more information, please see below:
T 01745 535237
info@acuityultrasonics.com
https://www.acuityultrasonics.com