The last video I posted showing the on-site installation of a shear bolt connector garnered over 100,000 impressions.
However, I was more interested in the comments section than the numbers.
Many discussions kept circling back to the same question:
How exactly should it be installed on-site?
I completely understand why people focus on this.
If you look only at a finished cable joint, a shear bolt connector seems deceptively simple.
A metal connector body.
A few shear bolts.
Tighten.
Shear off.
Move to the next step.
But the actual on-site installation is far more complex.
As shown in the video, the connection process actually begins before the first bolt is even tightened.
First comes cable preparation.
The conductor must be stripped to the appropriate length according to the connection requirements.
Then, the conductors from both ends are correctly inserted into the connector body.
Only after confirming the conductor position do you begin tightening the shear bolts step-by-step.
The bolts are tightened continuously until the design shear point is reached and the bolt heads snap off.
But at this stage, I believe the real question isn’t:
“Did the bolt snap off?”
Instead, it should be:
“Were the conductors correctly positioned and the intended connection established *before* the bolt sheared off?”
These are not exactly the same thing.
Furthermore, the process is far from over once the bolts have sheared off.
As seen in the latter part of the video:
The connection area requires further treatment;
The insulation structure must be restored;
Heat-shrink components need to be positioned correctly;
And finally, the heat-shrink process is completed through uniform heating.
So, what this video truly demonstrates isn’t just:
“How to install a shear bolt connector.”
It shows:
How a mechanical connection serves as just one link in the entire cable joint system.
I am not saying this connection method can replace all crimping connections.
Crimping remains a mature and widely used method.
However, one reason shear bolt connectors are gaining attention from on-site installers is that they change the installation logic of the connection phase.
During this step, there is no need to manage multiple sets of crimping dies for different specifications. The bolt itself is designed to shear off at a specific point, providing a clear indication that installation is complete.
For contractors, cable accessory installers, and project teams, this certainly simplifies some aspects of the work on-site.
However, there is a point that is easily overlooked:
A simpler installation method does not mean that installation standards can be lowered.
Proper cable preparation remains crucial.
Correct conductor insertion is still essential.
The bolt-tightening process remains critical.
Restoring insulation after the bolt shears off is equally important.
This is precisely why I find this field video so worthy of discussion:
While shear-bolt connectors simplify the connection process, they do not replace the need for proper installation techniques.
For those with actual experience installing cable joints in the field, I’d like to know:
Which step gives you the most trouble on-site—cable preparation, conductor insertion, bolt tightening, or the subsequent insulation restoration?
#ShearBoltConnector #CableJoint #CableInstallation #ElectricalInstallation #FieldInstallation #CableAccessories #ElectricalEngineering #PowerEngineering #MediumVoltage #PowerCable #CableTermination #ElectricalContractor #CableInstaller #InstallationQuality #PowerDistribution#SUNJ
