The TECNA Heavy cable management system is an overhead kit that handles the charging cable at electric bus and electric truck depots, for cables rated 400 A and 500 A. It carries the full weight of a high-power DC charging cable above the bay, and returns it there on its own after every charge, through 16.4 ft (5 m) of cable travel. Rust-free, and rated for indoor and outdoor use from -40 to 140 F (-40 to +60 C).

This is the kit for the heaviest cables on the market. For chargers up to 380 A, the Medium kit is the right size.

Why a depot needs this.

A 500 A DC charging cable is heavy. Left on the ground it gets driven over by the next bus in, it collects grit and water, and someone has to drag it clear before the next vehicle pulls up. Overhead charging keeps it out of all of that, and keeps the floor clear too - the hardware sits in the roof rather than taking up space in the bay.

That only works if the cable comes down easily and goes back up on its own. The operator pulls the cable down by hand, plugs in, and the system holds it there. Release it and it rewinds under progressive braking, returning at a controlled low speed rather than snapping back. Pull force rises progressively over the travel, so the cable starts light and firms up as it extends, and the pre-set pull force is adjustable to suit the cable you actually have.

The balancers / retractors are sized on the weight and the diameter of the cable itself, which is why TECNA build two kits rather than one.

What is in the kit.

TECNA part number IB01320004. Three parts, mounted overhead:

• Main balancer / retractor, 9702OD - carries the cable through 16.4 ft (5 m) of travel, with an automatic ratchet lock that holds the cable where you stop it so you are not fighting retraction while you connect. Pull force 17.6 to 26.5 lb (8 to 12 kg), adjustable.
• Auxiliary balancer / retractor, 9338OD/3 - 9.8 ft (3 m) of travel, supporting the cable further along the run. Pull force 13.2 to 17.6 lb (6 to 8 kg), adjustable - the heavier auxiliary, which is the only difference from the Medium kit. It does not lock, by design, because it follows the cable rather than being handled.
• Pulling rope - what the operator actually takes hold of.

The main balancer is identical in both kits. A 500 A cable simply needs more support along the span, which is what the heavier auxiliary provides. If your depot runs mixed chargers, size on the heaviest.

The cable clamps are ordered separately.

Two clamps carry the cable, and neither is included:

• The rest-plug holder, which hangs on the main balancer and carries the connector. It is built around the cable and around your connector, so the gun has somewhere to sit between charges instead of swinging on the end of the cable. Tell us which connector you run and we will have it made to suit.
• A plain clamp on the auxiliary balancer.

Send us the cable diameter and the connector type and we will quote the clamps with the kit.

Where it is used.

Electric bus depots, electric truck depots and high-power charging yards: overnight fleet charging, opportunity charging between runs, and any high-power charging installation where a 500 A cable would otherwise be dragged across the ground.

Built to live outside.

Specified for indoor and outdoor use, with an operating temperature of -40 to 140 F (-40 to +60 C) - which matters in a yard that sits at -20 F in February. The rope is Dyneema, a high-strength synthetic fibre, rather than steel cable - it will not mark a vehicle it touches, and it does not absorb water. Fall protection is to CE standards.

Specifications:

• Main balancer cable travel: 16.4 ft (5 m)
• Main balancer pull force: 17.6 to 26.5 lb (8 to 12 kg), adjustable
• Main balancer automatic ratchet lock: yes
• Auxiliary balancer cable travel: 9.8 ft (3 m)
• Auxiliary balancer pull force: 13.2 to 17.6 lb (6 to 8 kg), adjustable
• Auxiliary balancer ratchet lock: no
• Maximum charger output: 500 A
• Supported charging cable length: up to 31.2 ft (9.5 m)
• Rope: Dyneema high-strength synthetic fibre
• Rewind: progressive braking with controlled low-speed retraction
• Force characteristic: progressive over the travel
• Pre-set pull force: adjustable
• Use: indoor and outdoor
• Operating temperature: -40 to 140 F (-40 to +60 C)
• Fall protection: CE standards
• Made in Italy

Charging cars rather than buses?

Then this is more system than you need. A single EV cable retractor handles a Level 2 cable on its own.

How we confirm the fit.

Order on the charger output alone - up to 380 A is the Medium, 400 A and 500 A the Heavy. We confirm it against your cable before anything ships, because cable weight varies between makes at the same amperage. We will ask you for:

• The charger make and model, and its output in amps
• The make and model of the charging cable, if it differs from the charger
• The outside diameter of the cable, which is what sizes the clamps
• Your connector type, which the rest-plug holder is built around
• The cable length

A photo of the charger label and of the cable is usually enough for us to find all of it.

TECNA rate these kits in amps, which is the figure that sizes the cable. US chargers are more often sold on their kW rating, so if you know the kW and not the amps, send the charger model and we will look it up rather than have you convert it.

Supported in the USA by Tool Balancers USA.