PCA makes supervisory/communication cables for transit systems.
These cables are installed on tunnel walls and run alongside transit vehicles like subway cars.
These cables carry information that helps track cars and control relays and sensors; they are not power cables. Additionally, they can be used for video surveillance networks, cameras, and general communication, including telephones and long-distance telecommunications.
PCA has a long history of manufacturing essential application cables for harsh and challenging environments. After producing cables for rolling stock applications and other demanding environments in automotive, and oil and gas, Proterial took on the challenge of manufacturing cables for the New York City Transit Authority.
Manufacturing cables that meet NYCTA’s rigorous standards isn’t easy. They have stringent specifications that must be met before the product is certified. Given the vast scope of New York’s transit system, it’s understandable that the NYCTA is meticulous about the products it installs.
“If you look at the US, what city has that many subways and trains?” asks Charles LaBove, PCA Director of Business Development.
The NYCTA outlines everything very specifically, including required tests, certifications, and even the types of tape that can be used. When the cable is finished, a sample is cut and sent to New York for final approval accompanied by a certificate of conformance and a certified test report. The NYCTA then sends it to another lab for additional certification.
But now that PCA has the approval, it is easier to present our cable to other cities.
“It’s very challenging, very extensive,” LaBove says. “If you’re a manufacturer, getting that approval makes it easy to go anywhere else. So, that’s what we set out to do.”
Our supervisory/communication cables are capable of handling harsh environments. They are assembled with the understanding that they need to be fire-resistant, as well as watertight and water resistant.
Currently, PCA has approval to manufacture supervisory/communication cables for transit systems that comply with two main standards.
PCA offers TC7 and TSC1 cables. The main difference between the two types of cable is that TC7 uses a solid conductor, and TSC1 uses a stranded conductor.
Both types of PCA cables are currently being installed in various outdoor and tunnel applications. The cables have increased physical protection and shielding because they are placed next to high-powered cables and switches.
Eduardo Garza, Director of Product Engineering for PCA-NH, says it was well worth it to go through the complex NYCTA approval process.
“Getting cables approved to the NYCT specifications is not a simple process; however, it ensures that products are manufactured consistently at high-quality levels,” he says.
According to LaBove, PCA’s engineering team deserves the credit for getting our cable certified.
“We’ve got a great engineering department,” he says. “Our engineers understand the stringent requirements of our customers, and they can work with them to make a cable to meet their specific needs.”
PCA is proud of the work we have done in New York City, and we want to provide the same expertly manufactured transit cable to other major metropolitan cities in the United States and Canada.
Contact Proterial Cable America today to discover how our NYCTA-approved transit cables can upgrade and enhance transit systems in other major cities.
