VLV-0.6-1kV
VLV Cable — Aluminium Conductor, PVC Insulated 0.6/1 kV Power Cable
The lowest cost per metre in the range: aluminium conductor and PVC insulation, for fixed-duty circuits where both savings stack.
VLV stacks the two cost reductions available in low-voltage power cable. Aluminium replaces copper in the conductor and PVC replaces XLPE in the insulation, so both material lines drop. On a long rural or campus circuit that combination can be decisive, provided the two limitations are accepted and designed around: the conductor needs the next size up for equal current, and it cannot exceed 70 °C continuous.
In practice VLV is a fixed-duty cable. Do not put it on a feeder whose load will change; do not put it on a circuit with a high prospective fault current without running the adiabatic check at k = 94 for aluminium; and always terminate it with bimetallic lugs and joint compound. Handled accordingly, a properly sized VLV feeder is a long-lived, low-cost asset. Voltcore supplies the size mapping, the torque data and matched lug sets with each shipment.
Specification
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated voltage U0/U (Um) | 0.6/1 (1.2) kV |
| Conductor | Class 2 stranded aluminium or alloy 8030, IEC 60228 |
| Core count | 1, 2, 3, 3+1, 4, 4+1, 5 |
| Cross-section range | 10 - 400 mm² |
| Insulation | PVC type A (PVC/A) to IEC 60502-1 |
| Oversheath | PVC type ST1, black |
| Max conductor temperature, continuous | 70 °C |
| Max conductor temperature, short circuit (5 s) | 160 °C |
| Conductor conductivity | Minimum 61 % IACS for annealed alloy 8030 wire |
| Short-circuit k-factor at 160 °C limit | 94 for aluminium against 115 for copper at PVC temperatures |
| Minimum installation temperature | 0 °C |
| Minimum bending radius, multi-core | 15 × overall diameter |
| Test voltage at 50 Hz | 3.5 kV, 5 min |
| Termination requirement | Bimetallic lug, joint compound, defined torque, re-check at six months |
Layer-by-layer construction
Listed from the conductor outward. Read this alongside the specification table — the two together tell you whether the cable will survive its installation method.
- 1. ConductorAluminium or alloy 8030 wires stranded to IEC 60228 Class 2, compacted, with a higher wire count than the copper equivalent
- 2. InsulationPVC type A compound extruded over the conductor using the same thickness schedule applied to copper versions
- 3. Laying-up and fillerCores cabled with polypropylene fillers and a binder tape, restoring a circular cross-section for the sheath
- 4. OversheathPVC type ST1 extruded black over the laid-up cores, UV-stabilised where exposed sections are expected
Reference dimensions and weights
| Nominal cross-section (mm²) | Conductor structure (no./mm) | Insulation thickness (mm) | Sheath thickness (mm) | Approx. overall diameter (mm) | Approx. net weight (kg/km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3×16 | 7/1.70 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 20.2 | 460 |
| 3×25 | 7/2.14 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 23.2 | 620 |
| 3×35 | 7/2.52 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 25.4 | 760 |
| 3×50 | 19/1.78 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 28.4 | 950 |
| 3×70 | 19/2.14 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 32.6 | 1200 |
| 3×95 | 19/2.52 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 37.0 | 1500 |
| 3×120 | 37/2.03 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 40.8 | 1790 |
| 3×150 | 37/2.25 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 45.0 | 2110 |
| 3×185 | 37/2.52 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 50.0 | 2500 |
| 3×240 | 37/2.85 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 56.4 | 3120 |
Reference figures for preliminary sizing and drum planning. Overall diameter and weight vary with strand construction and sheath thickness tolerance; certified drawings are issued with each quotation.
Engineering characteristics
- Combines the two lowest material costs in the range, aluminium conductor and PVC insulation, giving the lowest price per metre.
- Net weight approximately 50-55 % of the size-equivalent copper VV build even after allowing for the next aluminium size up.
- Alloy 8030 wire holds above 61 % IACS and resists creep, addressing the loosening seen in older pure-aluminium joints.
- 70 °C continuous and 160 °C short-circuit limits identical to copper PVC cable; insulation performance does not change with conductor metal.
- Stranded rather than solid construction above 10 mm² keeps pulling through conduit practical despite the larger conductor size.
- Available armoured as VLV22 using the same double steel tape line, allowing mixed orders with VLV or VLV32.
- Supplied with a size-equivalence table so the equal-ampacity aluminium size can be checked against duct and lug dimensions.
Typical applications
- Rural and small-town utility distribution at 400 V
- Campus perimeter lighting and long external lighting circuits
- Agricultural pumping and irrigation power distribution
- Temporary construction camp mains supply laid across open sites
- Low-rise residential block risers where load is well defined
- Budget-driven projects with fixed equipment loads and no expansion plan
Ordering options
- Armoured VLV22 with steel tape for direct burial routes
- Alloy 8030 or pure aluminium wire according to regional practice
- Bimetallic lug sets and joint compound shipped with the order
- Flame-retardant PVC compound to GB/T 19666 where specified
- 4+1 cores with a reduced protective conductor for distribution boards
Standards manufactured to
- IEC 60502-1
- GB/T 12706.1
- IEC 60228 (conductor, Class 2)
- IEC 60889 (aluminium wire for stranding)
- IEC 61238-1 (connectors)
- IEC 60332-1-2 (flame propagation)
Manufactured to other standards on request. Send the standard number with your RFQ and we will quote against it rather than against a near-equivalent.
Price and availability for VLV Aluminium Conductor PVC Power Cable
Include cross-section, core count, voltage grade, route length and installation method — those five determine price more than anything else on the page.
- Engineer-reviewed before pricing
- Reference drawings issued with the quotation
- Free sample up to free sample up to 5 m
VLV Aluminium Conductor PVC Power Cable — frequently asked questions
Where does VLV make more sense than YJLV or VV?
Where both cost levers matter and neither limit binds: long, fixed-duty circuits running below 70 °C conductor temperature with no plan for future load. Against VV you save on conductor metal; against YJLV you save on insulation compound. Against both you accept less ampacity headroom, which is fine if the load is genuinely fixed.
How much lighter is VLV than VV?
Allowing for the size step up needed for equal current, net weight typically lands at 50-55 % of the copper equivalent. A 3-core 120 mm² VLV reference figure is about 1,790 kg/km against roughly 4,000 kg/km for the comparable copper build, which roughly doubles achievable drum length per lift.
What is the short-circuit limitation for aluminium PVC cable?
Aluminium has an adiabatic k-factor near 94 at these temperatures and PVC caps the conductor at 160 °C, so the same short circuit is less tolerable than with copper XLPE. Give Voltcore the available fault level and protection clearing time and we will return the minimum cross-section rather than relying on nominal sizing.
How should VLV be terminated?
Use friction-welded bimetallic or tin-plated aluminium barrel lugs, apply jointing compound immediately after wire-brushing the conductor, torque to the connector maker's value, and re-check after about six months. Aluminium oxide forms within minutes and is resistive; skipping either step is the usual cause of hot joints.
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