"Conductor Stringing Blocks," also known as sheaves or rollers, are fundamental "Cable Stringing Accessories." They are designed to guide the conductor smoothly along the overhead line route, minimizing friction and preventing damage during tension stringing. Latest innovations focus on enhanced materials, advanced designs, and features for specialized conductors:

• Advanced Sheave Materials:

  • High-Strength Aluminum Alloys: Continuously refined for lighter weight, increased load capacity, and better resistance to wear and corrosion.

  • Polymer/Nylon Composite Liners: For very sensitive conductors (e.g., OPGW, covered conductors, some HTLS types), composite liners (e.g., MC nylon, polyurethane) are used. These non-metallic materials offer:

    • Reduced Friction: Lower coefficient of friction compared to bare metal.

    • Superior Conductor Protection: Prevent scratching, abrasion, and flattening of the conductor's outer strands or delicate insulation.

    • Noise Reduction: Contribute to quieter stringing operations.

• Optimized Bearing Technology:

  • Sealed, High-Precision Bearings: Enhanced, sealed bearings (ball or roller) minimize internal friction, increase load capacity, and extend service life, even in dusty or harsh environments. They require less maintenance.

• Larger Sheave Diameters: The trend towards larger diameter stringing blocks is crucial for:

  • Reduced Bending Stress: Minimizing the bending radius on large or sensitive conductors (like OPGW and some HTLS conductors) to prevent internal damage to optical fibers or composite cores.

  • Lower Pulling Tension: Larger diameters contribute to even lower friction, reducing the overall pulling tension required.

• Modular & Versatile Designs:

  • Interchangeable Sheaves: Some blocks allow for interchangeable sheaves or liners, providing versatility for different conductor types or sizes with the same block frame.

  • Universal Attachments: Designed with versatile attachment mechanisms (clevis, shackle, suspension plate) for compatibility with various tower types and installation scenarios.

• Integrated Grounding Attachments: Some blocks incorporate convenient attachments for temporary grounding leads, enhancing safety during stringing by ensuring potential induced voltages are safely dissipated.

• Specialized Designs for Bundled Conductors: Multi-sheave blocks are continually refined to ensure each conductor within a bundle is guided independently and smoothly, preventing clashing or tangling during stringing.

These innovations in stringing blocks directly contribute to safer, more efficient, and damage-free conductor installation, which is critical for the long-term reliability of modern overhead transmission lines.