Swage Technology for your Transmission Lines

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Thinking Outside the Fence

Higher operating line temperatures in conjunction with inefficient designs have led to the accelerated aging, degradation and failure of splices. To improve the integrity of full tension connector assemblies and remove them from “weakest link” status DMC Power introduces the first novel full tension connector design in 25 years!

The dedicated engineering and project management teams at DMC Power have expanded our line of industry leading Substation connectors and Swage Tooling for use in Full Tension Transmission applications. Now all utility crews can experience the ease, speed and higher levels of safety that our 360° connection can provide AAC, ACSR and ACSS conductors.

What Makes Our Full Tension Connectors Better?

Repeatable & Reliable Installation

Installer dependent components are a frequent cause of connector failures… but not with our Swage System. In just 30 minutes we can train your entire crew how to setup and maintain your tools and make the perfect connection each and every time. Just like our existing substation connectors, our push-button Swage Tool and flexible dies safely provide up to 85 tons of 360° symmetrical force around the outside of the connector, thereby producing a 20% area of reduction for superior shear strength and gripping force on the inner cable strands.  Fixed, U and Hex dies from other competitors only provide 8% area of reduction. The pictures speak for themselves!

Best of all, SIX dies are all you need to install your entire range of Full Tension connectors versus 40+ other systems use. And with our easy-to-understand color coding system you can be sure that these range taking dies are exactly what you need.

Tested and Certified

An entire year was spent working with Kinetrics in Toronto to conduct independent mechanical and current cycle testing. We know that keeping your transmission lines connected and in the air is the single most critical component on any transmission project, that's why each and every connector we manufacture has to meet and exceed all utility and industry standards.

That’s why we’re proud to announce that we have the only connection system that is tested to meet all requirements of ANSI C119.4 Class “AA” ratings, which require 175° rise over ambient temperatures.  In fact, we performed so well with near perfect stability in both temperature and resistance testing that we further subjected samples to an additional 500 cycles and still met the requirement of <5% change in resistance and temperature range. This is an unprecedented level of stress ageing, 1000 cycles with control at 212°C on ACSR!

Similar to our line of Substation connectors, all our dead ends, splices and jumper terminals have passed their respective Sustained Load, Maximum Load, Resistance Stability, Thermal Stability, Corona & RIV tests, per ANSI C199.4 and NEMA CC1 industry standards.

We don’t cut corners.

We source only the finest raw material to use for your connectors. The 6101-T63 Aluminum Alloy is formulated just for DMC Power to provide higher conductivity, heat dissipation and the best corrosion resistance of any connector in the market.

DMC PowerCompetitor
Aluminum Alloy6101-T633003-H18
Conductivity (IACS %)5640
Ultimate Strength27,000 psi16,700 psi
Thermal Conductivity (BTU-in/hr-ft²-°F)14501070

Our extrusions and forgings are custom machined to exact tolerances in all three critical areas on each and every connector right here at our ISO Certified facility in Los Angeles. This allows us to keep a close eye on the process every step of the way and establish strict quality control standards from start to finish.

Did you know that extrusion tolerances can only be held to .040 at best and only 2 of the 3 critical areas can be controlled?  Which of these has your current supplier choose to run free?

The second benefit of machining is that by using additives in the cutting oil we’re able to mitigate the growth of harmful aluminum oxides.  Never again will you receive a connector that requires the inner tube to be wire brushed, which takes precious time on the job site and potentially compromises the integrity of the connector dimensions.

Go Over the Rollers and Save

Our Splices have been designed to go over the Rollers so now all you have to do is Swage your conductor reels together are start stringing them.  Click here to view a video and learn more about this time saving feature.

Check out the Full Tension Connector product pages below to find your specific conductor type and learn more about their features and benefits:

All Full Tension Connectors Feature

  • 6101-T63 Aluminum Alloy – Higher conductivity, heat dissipation and the best corrosion resistance
  • Gun drill machining and oil additives to ensure the tightest tolerances and to mitigate the growth of harmful aluminum oxides
  • The only transmission connector system with a visual inspection hole for improved reliability
  • Custom compound for corrosion protection through the inspection hold and pad-to-pad applications
  • 360° of symmetrical Swaging that produces a 20% area of reduction for superior shear strength, especially in elevated temperature operations of ACSR conductors
  • Repeatable and reliable – no installer dependent component, which is a frequent cause of failure
  • Instantly Inspectable – Feel confident that the connection we make is set for life with our simple to use Go/No-Go Gauge