REELPUR HF Mining Cable: Halogen-Free Power and Control Cable for High Mechanical Stress

What Is the REELPUR HF Mining Cable?

REELPUR HF is a halogen-free, flame-retardant power and control cable rated at 0.6/1 kV, purpose-built for mobile and portable equipment that operates under repeated mechanical stress. It is designed to withstand the continuous movement of cable reeling and unreeling without compromising electrical performance or structural integrity. With a PUR outer sheath, XLPE insulation, and aramide-reinforced strain-relief construction, REELPUR HF delivers the durability and flexibility that mining, tunneling, and heavy industrial operations demand.

Whether powering a conveyor belt motor deep in a copper mine or supplying control signals to a hoisting winch on an open-pit site, REELPUR HF is engineered to perform reliably where ordinary cables fail.

Key Technical Features

REELPUR HF is built around a core set of engineering choices that distinguish it from standard flexible cables.

The cable carries a rated voltage of 0.6/1 kV, with a maximum permissible AC operating voltage of 0.7/1.2 kV and DC operating voltage of 0.9/1.8 kV. Its conductors are bare, annealed copper in multi-stranded Class 5 configuration per EN 60228, which means they offer the high flexibility and fine strand count needed for dynamic cable applications.

Insulation is XLPE (cross-linked polyethylene) per IEC 60502-1, chosen for its thermal stability and resistance to deformation under load. The inner sheath uses a special PUR compound, while the outer sheath is PUR in a distinctive yellow (dull) finish — a colour widely associated with mining and safety-critical cable installations. Cores are identified as black, brown, grey, and three green-yellow protective earth conductors, with pilot cores in white and blue located in the outer interstices.

The three main conductors are laid up with protective-earth conductors around a central strain-relief element containing aramide fibres. This construction is the backbone of the cable's mechanical durability — the aramide element absorbs tensile loads during reeling, protecting the copper conductors from stress fatigue.

Mechanical Performance

Mining and tunneling operations subject cables to punishment that most industrial environments never approach. REELPUR HF is rated for a maximum tensile load of 20 N/mm² per conductor, giving it the structural robustness to handle the dynamic pulling forces common in drum-reeling systems and mobile equipment tethers.

Bending radius is a critical specification for reeling cables. For fixed installations, the minimum bending radius is 6 times the outer diameter. For reeling applications — where the cable is continuously wound and unwound from a drum — the minimum is 8 times the outer diameter. These values ensure that repeated flexing does not cause conductor fatigue or insulation cracking over the cable's service life.

Available cross-sections range from 3×25 mm² up to 3×150 mm², with outer diameters spanning approximately 23 mm to 52 mm and approximate weights from 1,200 kg/km to 5,980 kg/km. This range covers the full spectrum of power requirements, from auxiliary motor feeders to main supply cables for large mining machinery.

Thermal Performance

REELPUR HF maintains reliable operation across a wide thermal range that accommodates both the cold of underground mine shafts and the heat generated by heavy industrial equipment.

For fixed installation, the cable is rated from –40 °C to 80 °C ambient. For flexible operation — meaning continuous movement, bending, or reeling — the rating is –30 °C to 80 °C. The maximum permissible conductor temperature under normal operation is 90 °C, while the maximum short-circuit conductor temperature is 250 °C.

This thermal profile matters in practice. Middle Eastern open-pit mining sites regularly see surface temperatures exceeding 50 °C during summer. The 80 °C ambient ceiling ensures the cable remains within safe operating parameters even when run across sun-exposed ground or near heat-generating machinery. At the other end of the scale, underground environments and cold-weather mining operations can expose cables to sub-zero conditions, and the –40 °C fixed installation rating provides significant margin.

Safety and Compliance

The halogen-free design of REELPUR HF is not a marketing attribute — it is a functional safety requirement in confined industrial spaces. When conventional cables containing halogens burn, they release toxic hydrogen chloride gas that can incapacitate workers faster than the fire itself. REELPUR HF eliminates this risk.

Flame-retardant performance is verified per DIN EN / IEC 60332-1-2, meaning the cable resists the propagation of flame when installed as a single cable. Halogen-free construction is confirmed per EN 60754. Together, these properties make REELPUR HF the appropriate choice for mining tunnels, underground roadways, and enclosed equipment rooms where evacuation in a fire event is challenging.

The cable also carries RoHS 2015/863/EU compliance, CE marking under LVD 2014/35/EU, and CPR 305/2011 classification, supported by a 24-month manufacturer warranty.

Environmental Resistance

REELPUR HF is built for environments that are actively hostile to cables. Oil resistance is certified per DIN EN / IEC 60811-404, covering exposure to hydraulic fluids, lubricants, and fuel — substances present wherever heavy mining equipment operates. UV resistance protects the outer PUR sheath from degradation during outdoor and surface-level installations, where prolonged sun exposure would cause conventional sheaths to crack and become brittle.

Weather resistance is rated for unrestricted use indoors and outdoors, with confirmed resistance to ozone, UV radiation, and moisture. The cable is suitable for dry, humid, and wet rooms, as well as fully outdoor applications. In mining practice, this translates to suitability for wash-down areas, dewatering tunnels, outdoor cable trays, and surface haulage systems where rain and humidity are unavoidable.

Real-World Application: Middle Eastern Mining Operations

Phosphate Mining in Saudi Arabia — Conveyor System Cable Reels

At a large phosphate extraction facility in the Al-Jalamid region of northern Saudi Arabia, the conveyor system stretches several kilometres across exposed desert terrain. The main conveyor drives are powered by mobile motor feeders that must be repositioned as the extraction face advances. In this application, cable reels carrying power supply cables are mounted on motorised trolleys that travel alongside the conveyor structure.

The challenge in this environment is threefold: extreme surface temperatures in summer exceeding 50 °C, constant mechanical cycling of the cable drum, and exposure to phosphate dust and hydraulic oil from the drive units. A halogen-free cable with PUR sheath, oil resistance certification, and UV stability — exactly the properties REELPUR HF provides — was specified to replace the standard flexible cables that had been failing at the drum flanges due to UV-induced sheath cracking and subsequent conductor fatigue.

After switching to a cable of this construction type, drum-related failures were eliminated over a 12-month monitoring period, and the maintenance interval for cable inspection was extended from quarterly to annual.

Copper Mine in Oman — Mobile Motor and Hoist Applications

At a copper mine in the Sultanate of Oman, the underground development headings are driven using electrically powered road headers and drill jumbos. These machines are supplied via cable reels that unwind as the machine advances and rewind when it repositions. The cable must handle the torsional and tensile loads of a working machine while remaining flexible enough to coil onto a 600 mm diameter drum.

The strain-relief element and aramide reinforcement in cables of the REELPUR HF construction type proved critical in this setting. The aramide core absorbs the longitudinal pull forces generated when the machine reaches the end of its cable travel, preventing those forces from being transmitted to the copper conductors. Underground, where halogen-free construction is mandated by mine safety regulations, the absence of toxic combustion gases is a non-negotiable requirement.

Mine Starter Applications — Motor Soft-Start and Direct-On-Line Starters

Mine starters — whether soft-start units or direct-on-line (DOL) contactors — are commonly housed in mobile switchhouses that move with the production face. The power cable connecting the switchhouse to the motor must tolerate both the electrical demands of motor starting (high inrush current, transient voltage) and the mechanical demands of relocation by vehicle.

In several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) mining and quarrying projects, cables of the REELPUR HF type have been specified for the connection between mobile starters and crusher motors, ball mill drives, and pump station motors. The 3×95 mm² and 3×120 mm² variants are commonly selected for these drives, where rated current and short-circuit temperature tolerance are the defining electrical parameters, and PUR sheath durability determines service life in dusty, oil-contaminated mobile installations.

Typical Applications

REELPUR HF is recommended across a broad range of applications where power supply cables must tolerate movement, mechanical stress, and harsh environmental conditions.

Cable reels and drum systems represent the primary design target — the cable's construction is optimised for continuous winding and unwinding without fatigue. Hoisting devices and winches, including shaft hoists and decline conveyors, benefit from the cable's tensile load rating and flexible conductor construction. Conveyor facilities, both fixed and relocatable, use REELPUR HF as the trailing cable connecting mobile drive units to the fixed power network.

Mobile motors across all mining disciplines — from water pumps to ventilation fans to drill jumbos — are supplied via REELPUR HF in applications where the cable must travel with the equipment. Outdoor installations on surface mining sites, including open-pit haulage systems and crushing circuits, use the cable's UV and weather resistance to extend service life in exposed conditions.

Why Choose REELPUR HF

The value of REELPUR HF lies not in any single property, but in the combination of properties it delivers simultaneously. Mechanical durability from the aramide strain-relief core and high tensile load rating. Flexibility for reeling from the Class 5 stranded conductors and optimised bending radius specification. Environmental resistance from the PUR outer sheath and certified oil and UV resistance. Safety compliance from the halogen-free, flame-retardant construction.

For procurement engineers and electrical engineers specifying cables for mining and heavy industrial projects, REELPUR HF resolves the common tension between flexibility and durability. It is a cable designed for frequent movement and long service life in the same package, eliminating the need to compromise between a mechanically robust cable and a flexible trailing cable.

Conclusion

REELPUR HF delivers the combination of halogen-free safety, mechanical resilience, and environmental durability that demanding mining and industrial installations require. Its 0.6/1 kV rating, PUR construction, aramide strain relief, and certified oil and UV resistance make it a dependable choice for cable reels, hoisting equipment, mobile motors, and mining starter systems operating in the harshest conditions on earth — from the phosphate fields of northern Saudi Arabia to the copper mines of Oman.

For any application where cables are subjected to repeated motion, outdoor exposure, and the proximity of oil, heat, and mechanical stress, REELPUR HF is the specification-grade solution.

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What is REELPUR HF cable used for?

REELPUR HF is a halogen-free, 0.6/1 kV power and control cable designed for mobile and portable equipment in mining, tunneling, and heavy industrial environments. It is specifically built for applications where the cable is frequently reeled and unreeled — including cable drums, hoisting devices, conveyor systems, and mobile motors. Its PUR outer sheath provides oil and UV resistance, while the aramide strain-relief element and Class 5 stranded copper conductors ensure durability and flexibility during continuous mechanical movement. Flame-retardant and halogen-free per IEC 60332-1-2 and EN 60754, it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations in dry, humid, and wet conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What does halogen-free mean for a mining cable like REELPUR HF?

Halogen-free means the cable's insulation and sheath materials do not contain chlorine, fluorine, bromine, or other halogen compounds. In a fire, conventional cables with halogenated materials release corrosive and toxic hydrogen chloride gas. REELPUR HF's halogen-free construction — verified per EN 60754 — limits toxic gas emission, making it significantly safer in confined spaces like mine tunnels where rapid evacuation may not always be possible.

What is the minimum bending radius for REELPUR HF in reeling applications?

For reeling applications, the minimum bending radius is 8 times the outer diameter of the cable. For fixed installations, the minimum is 6 times the outer diameter. Adhering to these values is critical to prevent conductor fatigue and insulation cracking during repeated winding and unwinding on cable drums.

What operating temperatures does REELPUR HF support?

For fixed installations, REELPUR HF operates from –40 °C to 80 °C. For flexible or mobile operation — including reeling use — the range is –30 °C to 80 °C. The maximum permissible conductor temperature is 90 °C under normal operation, with a short-circuit temperature tolerance of 250 °C.

Is REELPUR HF suitable for outdoor mining applications in hot climates?

Yes. REELPUR HF has unrestricted outdoor use rating and is certified for UV resistance and ozone resistance. The PUR outer sheath withstands prolonged sun exposure without cracking or embrittlement, making it suitable for open-pit mining, surface conveyor systems, and outdoor crushing circuits in high-temperature environments including the Middle East and North Africa.

What cable sizes are available for REELPUR HF?

REELPUR HF is available in seven standard configurations ranging from 3×25+3G6+2×1×1 mm² (outer diameter 23.0–24.5 mm) to 3×150+3G25+2×1×1.5 mm² (outer diameter 48.5–52.0 mm). Custom cross-sections and core counts can be produced on request.

Can REELPUR HF be used for mine starter and motor connections?

Yes. REELPUR HF is well-suited for connecting mobile mine starters — including soft-start and direct-on-line (DOL) units — to crusher motors, mill drives, and pump station motors. The cable's high tensile load rating, PUR sheath durability, and halogen-free construction make it appropriate for mobile switchhouse applications in dusty and oil-contaminated mining environments.

What standards does REELPUR HF comply with?

REELPUR HF complies with RoHS 2015/863/EU, LVD 2014/35/EU, and CPR 305/2011. Its flame-retardant behaviour is tested per DIN EN / IEC 60332-1-2, halogen-free performance per EN 60754, oil resistance per DIN EN / IEC 60811-404, and conductor construction per EN 60228 / IEC 60228.

How does the aramide strain-relief element benefit reeling cable performance?

The aramide fibres in the central strain-relief element of REELPUR HF absorb tensile loads generated during reeling, machine travel, and sudden cable tension events. By taking these forces through the aramide core rather than through the copper conductors, the construction prevents conductor fatigue and elongation that would otherwise cause resistance increases, hot spots, and eventual failure in dynamic cable applications.