Armoured Cable
SWA, STA, AWA & ATA Underground Cable Manufacturer | High-performance armoured cables for underground installation, industrial environments, and MV power distribution.
Available in SWA, STA, AWA, and ATA types — copper or aluminium conductors, from 4mm² to 300mm², compliant with IEC 60502, BS5467, and major international standards.
Unlike other cable manufacturers, ZMS offers cable customization services in addition to armored cables of conventional sizes and specifications. We can also produce a wide variety of armored cable types, such as aluminum armored cables, flexible or interlocking armored cables, and so on, and provide additional protection insulations. Please be sure to contact us for customization of the cross-sectional area of the cable including the insulation sheath material.
Armoured Electrical Cable Types:
- SWA steel wire armored cable
- STA steel tape armored cable
- AWA aluminum wire armored
- ATA aluminum tape armored.
The cross-sectional area varies from 2mm to 16mm. Can be customized. It is suitable for underground or outdoor cables with single or multiple core conductors. Like Copper single/multicore armored cable or Aluminum single/multicore armored cable.
Types of Armoured Cable
Steel Wire Armoured Cable - SWA Cable
SWA cable is the most widely used type of armoured power cable for underground direct burial. The armour consists of galvanised steel wires wound around the cable, providing excellent mechanical protection against impact, compression, and rodent damage. Available in 2-core, 3-core, and 4-core configurations for low and medium voltage applications up to 33kV.
Typical applications: underground power distribution, industrial wiring, utility infrastructure.
- Size: 5mm² to 300mm²
- Standard: BS5467, IEC 60502-1/-2
- Sheath: PVC, LSZH, PE
Steel Tape Armoured Cable — STA Cable
STA cable uses longitudinally applied steel tape as the armour layer, offering superior resistance to lateral compression forces. Preferred for multi-core low and medium voltage cables where mechanical protection in both radial and lateral directions is required.
Typical applications: power stations, substations, heavy industrial installations.
- Size: 5mm² to 300mm²
- Standard: IEC 60502, GB/T 12706
Aluminum Wire Armoured Cable — AWA Cable
AWA cable replaces steel wires with aluminium wires for the armour layer. This makes it significantly lighter and non-magnetic, which is especially important for single-core cables — steel armour on a single-core AC cable creates magnetic heating losses. AWA is the standard choice for single-core medium voltage underground cables.
Typical applications: single-core MV feeder cables, offshore installations, projects requiring weight reduction.
- Key advantage: No eddy current losses — essential for single-core AC cables
- Outer sheath: PVC, MDPE, LSZH
Aluminum Tape Armoured Cable — ATA
ATA cable uses aluminium tape armour and combines excellent electrical shielding performance with mechanical protection. It is widely used in medium voltage distribution networks up to 35kV. The aluminium tape also acts as an electrostatic screen, improving the cable’s performance in demanding environments.
Voltage levels: 0.6/1kV, 3.6/6kV, 6/10kV, 8.7/15kV, 18/30kV, 26/35kV
- Insulation: XLPE, PVC, PE, Rubber
Technical Specifications
The table below shows standard ZMS armoured cable configurations. Custom sizes, conductor materials, and insulation types are available on request.
Type | Cores | Size (mm²) | Voltage (kV) | Conductor | Standard |
SWA | 2, 3, 4 | 4–300 | 0.6/1 | Cu / Al | BS5467 / IEC60502 |
SWA | 3, 4 | 16–300 | 3.8/6.6–19/33 | Cu / Al | BS6622 / IEC60502-2 |
STA | 1–4+E | 4–300 | 0.6/1 | Cu / Al | IEC60502-1 / GB12706 |
AWA | 1 | 16–630 | 3.8/6.6–19/33 | Cu | BS7835 / IEC60502-2 |
ATA | 3, 4 | 16–400 | 0.6/1–26/35 | Cu / Al | IEC60502 / GB12706 |
Application Scenarios
Underground & Direct Burial | Industrial Facilities | Marine & Offshore |
Buried in trenches or conduits for utility infrastructure, road crossings, and urban power distribution networks. Armour provides protection against excavation damage and soil movement. | Power supply cables in manufacturing plants, mining operations, petrochemical facilities, and construction sites where cables are exposed to mechanical impact, vibration, and chemical exposure. | Electrical connections for offshore oil & gas platforms, marine vessels, and wind turbine array cables. AWA type preferred for non-magnetic, corrosion-resistant requirements. |
Cooperation With ZMS
ZMS has always been the best partner when it comes to XLPE low voltage armored cable. Our customers recognize the quality and qualification of the products offered and we have customers in many countries around the world. It is a pleasure to have ZMS armored cables used in various projects.
ZMS supplied low voltage armored cables of size 0.6/1kV Cu/XLPE/AWA/PVC150mm2 for a project in Thailand.
ZMS supplied armored cables with specifications of YJV32 4*95, BV 1*70, 1*16 for a project in UAE.
ZMS has supplied three-core copper armored cables of size 95 Sqmm for an engineering infrastructure project in India.
In every project cooperation, ZMS, as a professional armoured cable supplier, is 100% committed to maintaining the project cost of the partner, delivering the goods on time, actively modifying the proposal, and so on. Our delivery time is faster than many suppliers and our products are fully qualified, which is why many customers choose ZMS cables.
Why Choose ZMS Cable?
ZMS cables are available for a quick and free quote, we are keen to introduce our cable services to our customers and quote them a reasonably excellent electricial armoured cable price.
- Heavy-Duty Mechanical Protection Steel armouring maximizes resistance to impact, compression and tensile stress.
- Reliable in Extreme Environments Designed for direct burial, mining, industrial plants, tunnels and other demanding installations.
- Reduced Lifetime Project Costs Corrosion-resistant and rodent-resistant construction minimizes downtime and maintenance.
- Project-Ready Manufacturing Partner IEC/BS compliant, OEM customization, fast production and global export support for EPC contractors, distributors and utility projects.
