MICC Terminating

[Pete999]

Firstly it's been a while since I learnt all my MICC Terminating skills, and whilst loads of training establishments show trainees how to terminate MICC in a sterile location, i,e, at a vice on a work bench.

I was taught how to measure when and how to fit the gland and pot assembly by a very experienced ex Coal mine Electrician, when you have lots of ends to make off, with no room for getting, or hiding excess cable, when for example you are terminating lots of MICC cables of differing sizes into, say a distribution board, where the finished installation need to be clipped and dressed for ascetic reasons.

Is this still taught in trade schools? ( I do realise MICC is not used much these days) but the training Schools stiil seem to plug the terminating quite a lot, judging from the videos I have seen, is the dressing and termination a lost art? it's all well and good showing students how to terminate MICC in a sterile classroom but in the real world, many young and new Electricians and DIs will still struggle to make it look good and proffesional, if this is all they are trained on. discuss if you feel inclined.

 

[freddo]

The last bit of MI I messed up was when working in the dark, I some how mixed up the g/y sleeving with one of the black sleeves, no idea how, the conductors don't look or even feel the same. Conductor belled out ok for identifying, R1+R2 ok, insulation not so ok. Started panicking slightly as each cable tested fine after sealing. Proper embarrassing when I found it.

I'm surprised more people don't have the tools! I have the full set of metric and most imperial tools as well. Don't get to use them as much as I'd like.

 

[Vortigern]

We did MICC forty years ago for domestic garages. I remember being shown how to do it. All the while I was at once marvelling at this new thing I was being shown and in disbelief as to it working. I just couldn't fathom how the wires would not short out. Of course we meggered it but still it quite impressed me. To answer your question @Pete999 this is something I only ever did on site in the real world never in college, not even a mention of it except for the fireproof bit about the really high temperatures it could withstand.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Are we the only country to have used micc in the past

It was first manufactured in France; we licensed it from the French company. However, the UK and USA have always been more into earthed metalclad construction while Europe tended to favour all-insulated materials, so it probably found a bigger market share here than there.

 

[pc1966]

The biggest use I have seen was for fire resistant circuits, but it used to be the dog's proverbials for industrial system. Looked magnificent when polished up, but sometimes issues with volt drop as folk looked at the current limit (for a given CSA) and forgot that was down to high insulation temperature and not magic low resistance copper...

 

[ipf]

We used to do loads of boiler houses in the stuff in the 70's and 80's. A lot of changes were being made for energy saving purposes and the 'optimiser' controllers were the in thing. They were generally incorporated in panels of various sizes. A lot of local authority work in schools, libraries and a massive fire station...pumps, valves and stats all over the place and two underground trench/tunnels linking buildings.

On occasions, one fault with pyro was feeding 3 phase motors due to induction problems. Had to fit capacitors across the phases at the motor connections. On one job the wrong ones were supplied and four 3 cores blew, with the caps blown to bits.
Oh for an iphone for some job photos then.

 

[7029 dave]

We used a lot of it fire alarm systems, before the birth of FP, the biggest multi core I ever made off was 19L1.5.

 

[Pete999]

We used a lot of it fire alarm systems, before the birth of FP, the biggest multi core I ever made off was 19L1.5.

Bet that was a burger to make off!

 

[7029 dave]

Bet that was a burger to make off!

No problem Pete, it was my everday job back then the norm.

 

[ipf]

No problem Pete, it was my everday job back then the norm.

Worse testing and labelling the bleedin' thing?

 

[Pete999]

No problem Pete, it was my everday job back then the norm.

Wonder what the new guys would make of that type of cable now?

 

[Pennywise]

Wonder what the new guys would make of that type of cable now?

Most would think its a gas pipe if it was the bare stuff lol

 

[7029 dave]

Wonder what the new guys would make of that type of cable now?

If it was still widely used today it would be just like any other practice today.

 

[UNG]

We used a lot of it fire alarm systems, before the birth of FP, the biggest multi core I ever made off was 19L1.5.

Made a handfull of them off not easy when the job spec doesn't allow joints so you have to have 4ft tails to get from the pot to the final connections

 

[freddo]

19 core MI not seen frequently for most installs, especially as it's about £100 per metre! 7 i sthe most cores I've worked with, 25mm2 the biggest csa.

 

[Pete999]

19 core MI not seen frequently for most installs, especially as it's about £100 per metre! 7 i sthe most cores I've worked with, 25mm2 the biggest csa.

OK but have you ever had to make a through joint in a 25mm twin, buried?