Roll forming cable tray production line is a sophisticated production system that brings the invisible heroes of modern electrical and telecommunication infrastructure – cable trays – to life in a serial, precise and economical way. These lines fold and shape flat metal strips like origami artists, turning them into conduits that safely carry, organize, and protect cables. Today, cable trays, which we encounter everywhere from buildings to industrial facilities, from infrastructure projects to data centers, are an indispensable part of the regular, safe and aesthetic installation of electrical installations and data communication networks. Roll forming technology is the basis of the cable tray industry, with its unique advantages in the production of these critical components.

The Importance of Cable Trays and the Role of Roll Form:

Cable trays protect electrical cables, telecommunication lines and other weak current systems from mechanical damage, environmental effects and fire risk, ensuring the safe and long-lasting operation of the systems. At the same time, by bringing the cables together in an orderly manner, it reduces the complexity of the installation, facilitates maintenance and repair operations, and offers an aesthetic appearance.

Roll forming technology offers a number of important advantages compared to traditional methods of producing cable trays:

• High Speed and Efficiency: Thanks to the principle of continuous production, roll forming lines can operate at high speeds and produce large quantities of cable trays. This makes it ideal for meeting mass production requirements.
• Cost-Effective Production: Material savings, low labor costs and high production speed make roll forming and cable tray production economical.
• Profile Consistency and Precision: Roll forming provides a high consistency and precision in the dimensions, shapes and surface qualities of the cable trays produced. This is important for ease of installation and system performance.
• Various Materials and Designs: Roll forming machines can process materials such as steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, and stainless steel of different thicknesses and widths, and produce a variety of cable tray designs.

Key Components of Roll Forming Cable Tray Production Line:

A typical roll form cable tray production line consists of the following main components:

1. Uncoiler: The metal strip coil is placed in the uncoiler at the beginning of the line. The uncoiler unwinds the coil in a controlled manner, allowing the metal strip to move continuously and smoothly to the production line. The decoiler is selected with the capacity suitable for the coil weight and strip width.
2. Rectifier (Straightener): The metal strip that opens from the coil may sometimes contain slight curvatures or bends. The rectifier unit straightens the metal strip, making it suitable for subsequent forming. The straightening process improves the profile quality and makes the production process more stable.
3. Roll Forming Section: This section, which is the heart of the line, has a series of successive roll forming stations. Each station contains specially designed forming rollers. As the metal strip passes through these stations, it is gradually bent and shaped by rollers into a cable tray profile. The number of stations is determined by the complexity of the profile and the desired shape. Roller designs are made specifically for the geometry of the cable tray to be produced and are produced with high precision.
4. Cutting Unit: After the forming process is completed, the continuous cable channel profile is cut by the cutting unit to the desired lengths. Cutting is usually done with flying saws, hydraulic shears or press-type cutting systems. Flying saw systems are ideal for high-speed cuts and perform the cutting process without stopping the profile flow. The cutting length can be precisely adjusted via the control system.
5. Run-out Table & Stacker: The cut cable trays run on the run-out table and are stacked in regular bundles by the automatic stacking unit. Stacking allows for easy transportation, storage and packaging of cable trays. Automated stacking systems improve the efficiency of the production line and reduce labor costs.
6. Control System: There is a control system that controls all stages of the production line. PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)-based control systems precisely manage the speed, cutting length, stacking parameters and other functions of the line. Production parameters can be set and the production process can be monitored via the operator panel.

Cable Tray Types That Can Be Produced With Roll Forming Line:

Roll forming technology makes it possible to produce various types and sizes of cable trays. The main types of cable trays are:

• Perforated Cable Trays (Perforated): These are channels with perforated holes so that cables can be easily connected and ventilation is provided. It is often used for light and medium load applications.
• Closed Cable Trays (Non-Hole): These are non-perforated ducts that provide better protection against dust, moisture and external factors. It is preferred for heavy load applications and outdoor installations.
• Ladder Type Cable Trays: These  are ducts with side crossbars similar to stair treads, designed to carry heavy cable loads. It is used in industrial facilities and large infrastructure projects.
• Wire Mesh Cable Trays (Mesh): These are wire mesh ducts that are light and flexible, where the cables are easily seen and ventilated. It is suitable for office environments and low load applications.
• Special Profile Cable Trays: Cable trays in  different shapes and sizes, specially designed for customer needs, can also be produced with roll form technology.

Advantages of Roll Forming Cable Tray Production Line:

• High Production Capacity and Speed: Roll forming lines are capable of continuous production at high speeds, which offers the opportunity to produce large quantities of cable trays.
• Low Labor Costs : A high level of automation means that less labor is needed in the production process.
• Material Saving and Waste Reduction: The roll forming process minimizes the waste rate by using the material effectively.
• Energy Efficiency: Roll forming machines consume less energy than some other metal forming methods.
• Flexible Production and Variety: Different types and sizes of cable trays can be easily produced on the same line. By changing the roller sets, different profile designs can be switched.
• High Quality and Standards of Production: Roll forming provides a high consistency and precision in the dimensions, shapes and surface qualities of cable trays.

As a result, roll forming cable tray production lines provide efficient, economical, and high-quality production of cable trays, which form the basis of modern electrical and telecommunications infrastructure. Thanks to the advantages it offers, roll forming technology has become an indispensable production method in the cable tray industry and will continue to be important in the future.