MCPT-1.9/3.3kV
MCP / MCPT Shielded Shearer and Drilling Machine Cable
Power, earth, pilot and control cores in one screened assembly sized for the shearer's duty cycle.
A modern shearer draws several hundred kilowatts, and its cable is the most abused item on the face. MCP and MCPT put three screened power cores, an earth core and a set of pilot or control cores into one assembly so a single trailing cable carries everything the machine needs. MCPT raises the voltage grade to 1.9/3.3 kV, which is what allows a high-power shearer to run without an unmanageable conductor size, and it requires a full metallic screen on each power core instead of the lighter screening used at lower voltages.
The engineering attention goes into mechanical detail. Pilot cores are laid at the geometric centre of the assembly where crush loads are lowest, power cores are laid with a short pitch so bending strain is shared between them, and the sheath is a heavy elastomeric compound with high tear strength. Voltcore states tensile load, minimum sheave diameter and bend radius per size, because on a face the practical question is how many metres of advance the cable survives.
Specification
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Rated voltage U0/U | MCP 0.66/1.14 kV; MCPT 1.9/3.3 kV (3.6/6 kV on request) |
| Conductor | Class 5 fine-strand tinned copper, IEC 60228 |
| Insulation | EPR, 90 °C conductor rating |
| Power core screen | Semiconductive layer plus tinned copper wire braid, 85% minimum coverage |
| Core arrangement | 3 power cores + 1 earth core + 2 or 3 pilot / control cores |
| Pilot cores | 2.5 – 6 mm², laid at the centre of the assembly for crush protection |
| Sheath | Heavy-duty CPE elastomer, tear and abrasion resistant |
| Flame and antistatic | MT 386 flame propagation and surface resistance |
| Min bending radius | 8 × OD free; 12 × OD over sheaves and reels |
| Cross-section range | 16 – 150 mm² power cores |
| Screen fault duty | Braid cross-section stated in mm² for earth-fault loop calculation |
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. ConductorClass 5 fine-strand tinned copper power conductor, IEC 60228
- 2. Conductor screenSemiconductive compound extruded over the conductor to smooth the electric field
- 3. InsulationEPR, 90 °C conductor rating, thickness 3.0 – 4.0 mm by size
- 4. Insulation screenSemiconductive tape plus tinned copper wire braid at 85% minimum coverage per power core
- 5. Lay-upThree screened power cores, one earth core and pilot cores laid with central rubber filler
- 6. Outer sheathHeavy-duty CPE elastomer, tear and abrasion resistant, MT 386 flame tested
Reference dimensions and weights
| Nominal cross-section (mm²) | Conductor structure (n × mm) | Insulation thickness (mm) | Sheath thickness (mm) | Approx. overall diameter (mm) | Approx. weight (kg/km) | Max. DC resistance at 20 °C (Ω/km) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 × 16 + 1 × 10 + 3 × 2.5 | 126 / 0.40 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 44.2 | 3100 | 1.21 |
| 3 × 25 + 1 × 16 + 3 × 2.5 | 196 / 0.40 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 48.6 | 3900 | 0.780 |
| 3 × 35 + 1 × 16 + 3 × 2.5 | 276 / 0.40 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 52.8 | 4800 | 0.554 |
| 3 × 50 + 1 × 25 + 3 × 4 | 396 / 0.40 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 57.6 | 6100 | 0.386 |
| 3 × 70 + 1 × 35 + 3 × 4 | 360 / 0.50 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 63.8 | 7800 | 0.272 |
| 3 × 95 + 1 × 50 + 3 × 6 | 475 / 0.50 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 70.4 | 9800 | 0.206 |
| 3 × 120 + 1 × 50 + 3 × 6 | 608 / 0.50 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 76.2 | 11900 | 0.161 |
| 3 × 150 + 1 × 70 + 3 × 6 | 760 / 0.50 | 4.0 | 5.4 | 82.6 | 14400 | 0.129 |
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
- Three individually screened power cores at 1.9/3.3 kV keep the electric field radial, so partial discharge does not erode the EPR.
- Pilot and control cores sit at the geometric centre of the assembly, where bending and crushing loads are lowest.
- Tinned copper braid at 85% coverage gives a metallic fault path with a stated cross-section for protection grading.
- EPR insulation at 90 °C handles the temperature rise of a cable wound on a reel while carrying full load.
- Heavy CPE sheath with high tear strength survives dragging over broken rock and being pulled under machinery.
- Short lay pitch on the power cores shares bending strain between conductors instead of concentrating it in the outer one.
- Sheath and fillers resist mine water, hydraulic fluid and cutting emulsion, the usual cause of swelling and cracking.
Typical applications
- Longwall shearer power supply and control
- Roadheader, continuous miner and roadway development machines
- Heavy face conveyors and stage loaders at 3.3 kV
- Mobile transformers and face distribution units
- Deep-cut drilling and roof bolting rigs
- High-power pump and fan sets advanced with the face
Ordering options
- MCP at 0.66/1.14 kV, or MCPT fully screened at 1.9/3.3 kV
- Two or three pilot cores in 2.5, 4 or 6 mm²
- 3.6/6 kV construction with conductor and insulation screens for larger machines
- Extra-heavy sheath grade and strain member for hard-rock dragging
- Pre-terminated lengths with couplers or glands fitted to the machine specification
Standards manufactured to
- MT 818
- MT 386
- GB/T 12972
- IEC 60228
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 MCP / MCPT Shearer & Drilling Machine 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
MCP / MCPT Shearer & Drilling Machine Cable — frequently asked questions
Why does MCPT need a screen on every power core?
At 1.9/3.3 kV an unscreened core has an undefined electric field, which leads to partial discharge and eventual insulation failure. The conductor and insulation screens make the field radial and give earth-fault current a known metallic path, so protection trips before an arc forms. That is a safety requirement in a gassy atmosphere, not an optional feature.
What are the pilot cores for, and how are they sized?
Pilot cores carry the earth-monitoring and control signals between the machine and the gate-end box. They are normally 2.5, 4 or 6 mm² and are laid at the centre of the assembly so a crush does not open the monitoring loop. Check the pilot loop resistance against the monitoring relay trip threshold, because a long face can add enough resistance to prevent a trip.
Can MCPT be run on a reel or over sheaves?
Yes, provided the reel or sheave diameter is at least 12 × the cable overall diameter. Winding tighter than that crushes the cores against each other and work-hardens the fine strands. Give Voltcore the reel diameter and the number of layers, and the recommended size and maximum pull tension are confirmed against it before manufacture.
How do I size cable for a 500 kW shearer?
Start from the voltage and current: at 3.3 kV, 500 kW is around 100 A, so 35 mm² or 50 mm² satisfies current rating comfortably. Voltage drop then governs — a 300 m face usually pushes the choice to 70 mm² or 95 mm². Confirm against the duty cycle and the starting current, and check that the pilot loop resistance stays inside the relay threshold.