— CATALOG FurseWELD® Exothermic welding system — Thomas & Betts is now ABB Installation Products, but our long legacy of quality products and innovation remains the same. From connectors that help wire buildings on Earth to cable ties that help put machines in space, we continue to work every day to make, market, design and sell products that provide a smarter, safer and more reliable flow of electricity, from source to socket. — Table of contents 004 –008 Overview 009 Earth points 010 –019 Cable to cable 020 –023 Cable to ground rod 024 –026 Cable to rebar 027 –043 Cable to steel surface and pipe 044 –047 Cable to bar 048 –053 Bar to bar 054 –057 Bar to steel surface 058 –059 Tools and accessories 060 –062 Sure Shot® molds 063 –076 Cross reference 077 –083 Technical reference 084 –090 Index 4 BLACKBURN EXOTHERMIC WELDING SYSTEM — Exothermic welding system The Blackburn® exothermic welding process The Blackburn exothermic welding process is a simple, self-contained method of forming high-quality electrical connections. — The compact process requires no external power 1 Mold or heat source, making it completely portable. — 2 Crucible Connections are made inside a semi-permanent — graphite mold using the high-temperature reaction 3 Tap hole — of powdered copper oxide and aluminum. 4 Weld cavity — 5 and 6 The conductors Exothermic welding equipment is used by some to be joined of the world’s most demanding customers. ABB — 7 Steel retaining disc is one of the only manufacturers that can offer — 9 1 exothermic welding, as well as compression and 8 Weld powder — bolted connectors for grounding applications. 9 Starting powder 2 8 NATIONAL 7 ACCREDITATION OF CERTIFICATION BODIES 3 4 — 5 This is how it works The mold (1) features a crucible (2), a tap hole (3) and a weld cavity (4). The conductors (5 and 6) to 6 be joined are located in the weld cavity as shown, and the mold is closed. A steel retaining disc (7) is located in the bottom of the crucible to retain the weld powder (8) and starting powder (9), which are poured in on top. Ignited with a spark gun, the starting powder sets off an exothermic reaction in the weld powder, reducing it to molten copper alloy. This instantaneously melts the retaining disc, and flows down the tap hole to the weld cavity, where it partially melts the conductors before cooling to leave a fusion weld of great mechanical and electrical integrity. OVERVIEW 5 — How to use this catalog Refer to the pictorial index at the beginning of each catalog section to determine the type of connection that you wish to make. Turn to the relevant page, and study the table. There is an illustration for each connection type, and each table provides the following information: • The weld powder size required: unless otherwise stated, one weld powder is required for each connection made. • The mold required: the mold part number to the left shows precisely what the mold can do, and indicates its cost. • The handle clamp required: handle clamps relate directly to mold price keys. For example, handle clamp hcpk4 is for use with price key 4 molds. • Mold price key: this relates to the size of graphite block used to manufacture the mold, and determines its price. The simplest and smallest molds have the lowest price key numbers. • Sleeves required: stranded conductors of #6 awg or less require sleeves, which prevent burning of the strands, and improve the mechanical strength of the connection. • Packing: molds for connecting stranded conductors to reinforcing bar (cre type) require sealing with packing. • Mold sealing compound: required when making connections to steel surfaces and pipes. Requirement is indicated by a statement at the foot of the table. — Mold part number Example: CC2 - 4 - 250K4/0 A ‘tee’ connection Price key 4 For a 250 kcmil for stranded/solid strand run with a circular conductor 4/0 AWG strand tap 6 BLACKBURN EXOTHERMIC WELDING SYSTEM — Exothermic welding system The Blackburn® exothermic welding connection The majority of Blackburn connections have at least twice the cross sectional area of the conductors being joined, and an equivalent or greater current carrying capacity. Because the connection is a fusion of high conductivity, high copper content alloy, it will withstand repeated fault currents, and will not loosen in the way that mechanical connectors can. Corrosion resistance is exceptional, too, due to the alloy’s very high copper content (in excess of 90%). — Standards compliance A representative range of Blackburn connections has been successfully tested in accordance with the requirements of IEEE 837-1989 – standard for qualifying permanent connections used in substation grounding. Testing in accordance with UL and CSA. Contact ABB technical services at 888-862-3289 for listings and certificates. OVERVIEW 7 — — 1 Handle clamp — 2 File card brush Blackburn equipment and accessories — 3 Cable brush Weld powders Each mold carries a tag which gives the mold part — 4 Mold scraper Blackburn weld powders are contained in plastic number, the weld powder size for use with the mold — cartridges, and are packed in plastic boxes of 10 or and the conductor sizes for which it is intended. 5 Retaining discs — 20, depending on their size. Different joints require 6 Flint gun different powder sizes, and the size relates to the Handle clamps — 7 Mold brush powder’s nominal weight in grams. Handle clamps provide a means of both handling — the mold, and also of clamping the mold halves 8 Mold — The weld powder packaging also contains retaining together (or of clamping the mold to the surface 9 Powder boxes discs and starting powder. The retaining discs are to which a connection is to be made). — 10 Cartridges contained in a separate bag within the box. The starting powder is compacted into the bottom of Standard tools the cartridge, underneath the weld powder, and is A flint gun is required to start the reaction. released by tapping the cartridge base firmly. Cleaning tools for conductors, surfaces and molds include: Blackburn weld powders are suitable for making Cable brush – For cleaning cables and other circular connections from copper to copper and from conductors such as rods. copper to steel. Mold scraper – For removing slag from the mold crucible, after firing. Molds Mold brush – For final mold cleaning. Blackburn graphite molds are dedicated to File card brush – For cleaning conductors producing one type of connection. With care, and surfaces. they should be capable of producing up to 75 connections each. Mold size and complexity varies, and is denoted by a price key, from one upwards. 9 1 8 10 7 2 5 3 6 4 8 BLACKBURN EXOTHERMIC WELDING SYSTEM — Exothermic welding system How to make a Blackburn® exothermic connection — — — 01 Position the clean 01 02 conductors in the mold after making sure the mold is dry, by pre- heating or making a test joint. — 02 Place the metal retaining disc in the bottom of the mold crucible. — 03 Pour the powder into the crucible, spreading some starting powder onto the mold edge. — 04 Close the lid, and ignite with the flint gun from the side, firing the spark onto the starting powder. — — — 05 The reaction takes 03 04 place safely inside the mold. — 06 Once the joint is finished, the mold should be cleaned using a mold scraper and brush ready for the next joint. — — 05 06 OVERVIEW AND EARTH POINTS 9 — Exothermic welding system — Four-hole earth points A B C D E F Cat. no. Hole size (in.) dia. (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) 5 9 27 1 13 Diagrams E GPC110 4 x ⁄16 UNC x ⁄16 ⁄64 2 3 2 ⁄2 1 ⁄32 D F GPC111 As GPC110, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. C B GPC110 A — Two-hole earth points B C D E F Cat. no. Conductor type dia. (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) Diagrams Complete with front plate A E 1 27 1 3 3 GPC115 1" x ⁄8" Tape or 2/0 AWG cable ⁄64 2 3 ⁄8 2 ⁄16 1 ⁄4 GPC116 As GPC115, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. 1 5 27 1 3 3 GPC120 1"x ⁄8" Tape or ⁄16" dia. solid ⁄64 2 3 ⁄8 2 ⁄16 1 ⁄4 GPC121 As GPC120, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. F GPC125 GPC115 - GPC120 D Without front plate 5 1 27 1 3 3 C GPC125 2 x ⁄16 UNC x ⁄2" ⁄64 2 3 ⁄8 2 ⁄16 1 ⁄4 GPC126 As GPC125, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. B GPC116 -GPC121 — One-hole earth points A B C D E Cat. no. Hole size (in.) dia. (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) 5 5 27 3 1 3 Diagrams D GPC100 1 x ⁄16 UNC x ⁄8 ⁄64 2 ⁄16 3 ⁄8 1 ⁄8 E 3 5 27 3 1 3 C GPC101 1 x ⁄8 UNC x ⁄8 ⁄64 2 ⁄16 3 ⁄8 1 ⁄8 GPC105 As GPC100, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. A B GPC106 As GPC101, with a pre-welded 20" long tail of 2/0 AWG PVC-insulated cable. GPC100 -GPC101 — Static earth receptacle B C D E Cat. no. dia. (in.) (in.) (in.) (in.) 27 1 3 11 Diagrams GRX005 ⁄64 1 ⁄2 3 ⁄8 2 ⁄16 E D C GRX005 B 10 BLACKBURN EXOTHERMIC WELDING SYSTEM — Exothermic welding system Cable to cable quick reference — Below represents our standard range.