Pioneer Industrial Instruments manufactures perforated, ladder and wire mesh cable trays at Pirangut, Pune, declared to IEC 61537:2023 on the basis of load–deflection, galvanising and corrosion testing at an NABL-accredited laboratory — reports published below — in pre-galvanised steel, hot-dip galvanised steel, powder coated steel, SS 304L and SS 316L. The same range is load tested for NEMA VE 1 for US-engineered projects and is offered against BS EN 61537 on UK-led consultant specifications.
This page explains what IEC 61537 tests, what Pioneer has had tested and where the reports are, and where the standard is specified — in India and in the export markets we ship to from Nhava Sheva.
IEC 61537 is the international standard for cable tray systems and cable ladder systems used to support and route cables. It does not apply to conduit, trunking or ducting. A laboratory type-tests samples and the manufacturer declares the classifications the results support. The ones consultants read first:
| Classification | What is tested | Why it matters on your project |
|---|---|---|
| Safe working load (SWL) and span | Multi-span loading with couplers at the worst position. Mid-span deflection at SWL limited to 1/100 of span; transverse deflection to 1/20 of width; no collapse at 1.7 × SWL. | Fixes the support spacing for a given cable fill. Different from NEMA VE 1, which tests to failure for a 1.5 safety factor at fixed spans. |
| Resistance to corrosion | Classification by material and coating (revised in the 2023 edition): pre-galvanised, hot-dip galvanised after fabrication, stainless steel, aluminium, organic coatings. | Lets the specifier match finish to environment — indoor dry, industrial, coastal, chemical. |
| Electrical continuity and conductivity | Joint resistance across couplers; declaration as electrically continuous and conductive or non-conductive. | Determines whether the tray can form part of the earthing arrangement and how bonding jumpers are specified. |
| Impact resistance | Impact energy class (0.5 J to 50 J) at the declared minimum temperature. | Relevant for plant rooms, loading areas and outdoor installations. |
| Temperature range | Declared minimum and maximum installation and service temperatures. | Cold stores, rooftop and process-area runs. |
| Flame propagation | Declared non-flame-propagating or flame-propagating. | Metal trays are non-flame-propagating; the declaration is still required on the data sheet. |
| Perforated base area | Percentage of open base area, classified in bands. | Ventilation for cable derating calculations. |
The 2023 edition also added tests for trays mounted vertically, tests for support devices (cantilever arms, pendants, ceiling supports, trapeze systems), and an annex on using the tray as a protective earthing conductor. Specifications written after 2023 should call the current edition; a 2006-edition report does not cover these items.
The hot-dip galvanised perforated family (HR CTHDP 1002) is the family load tested to failure at the NABL laboratory in five widths; the other perforated finishes share its profile. Ladder and wire mesh families carry load tables and are span tested on project requirement.
| Model type | Tray | Material / finish | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGI CTP 1001 | Perforated | Pre-galvanised steel, IS 277 / EN 10346 | Indoor commercial, IT parks, hospitals |
| HR CTHDP 1002 | Perforated | Hot-rolled steel IS 2062, hot-dip galvanised after fabrication — NABL laboratory tested, 50–300 mm, 2 mm | Industrial, outdoor, utility areas |
| PC CTP 1003 | Perforated | Powder coated steel | Indoor dry areas, colour-coded services |
| SS304L CTP 1004 | Perforated | Stainless steel 304L | Pharma, food, clean rooms |
| SS316L CTP 1005 | Perforated | Stainless steel 316L | Coastal, chemical, marine |
| SS304L WMCT 1006 | Wire mesh | Stainless steel 304L | Data halls, pharma instrumentation |
| SS316L WMCT 1007 | Wire mesh | Stainless steel 316L | Corrosive and washdown areas |
| GI WMCT 1008 | Wire mesh | Galvanised steel | Data centres, telecom, under-floor |
| GI CTL 2001 | Ladder | Galvanised steel | Indoor power distribution, risers |
| HR CTHDL 2002 | Ladder | Hot-rolled steel, hot-dip galvanised after fabrication | Pipe racks, substations, refineries, power plants |
| SS304L CTL 2004 | Ladder | Stainless steel 304L | Pharma and food process areas |
| SS316L CTL 2005 | Ladder | Stainless steel 316L | Offshore, desalination, chemical plants |
Aluminium and FRP trays are supplied for corrosive and non-conductive requirements and are quoted with their own test data. Widths 50 to 1000 mm, depths 25 to 150 mm, standard lengths 2500 and 3000 mm, with matching bends, tees, crosses, reducers, covers, splice plates and supports.
IEC 61537 applies the same declarations to cable ladder and wire mesh tray as to perforated tray: safe working load per span, deflection at working load, corrosion class, electrical continuity, impact resistance and temperature range. Pioneer's ladder family (GI CTL 2001, HR CTHDL 2002, SS304L CTL 2004, SS316L CTL 2005) and wire mesh family (GI WMCT 1008, SS304L WMCT 1006, SS316L WMCT 1007) are declared from manufacturer's load tables, are made from the same IS 2062 steel and hot-dip galvanising recorded in the published laboratory reports, and are span tested at the NABL laboratory where a specification asks for family-specific evidence.
| Family | Sizes | Materials and finishes | Typical IEC 61537 application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladder cable tray | Side rails 100 and 150 mm, 2.0–3.0 mm; rungs at 250 or 300 mm centres; widths 150–1000 mm; 2500 and 3000 mm lengths; full fittings and splice plates. | Pre-galvanised; hot-dip galvanised after fabrication (ASTM A123 / ISO 1461 / IS 4759); aluminium; SS 304L / 316L. | Main power distribution, substations, risers, pipe racks, outdoor racks in process plants and power stations; long spans with declared SWL. |
| Wire mesh (basket) cable tray | 4–6 mm wire, 50 × 100 mm mesh; widths 50–600 mm; depths 30–100 mm; 3000 mm lengths; couplers, drop-outs and supports. | Electro-zinc; hot-dip galvanised; SS 304L / 316L. | Data halls, telecom, instrumentation and control cabling, pharma and food process areas where open mesh aids cleaning and ventilation. |
Chakan Testing and Research Lab, Pune (ISO/IEC 17025:2017, NABL certificate TC-8638), reports CTRL/2024/J/13757 and 13757-A to 13757-D, October 2024. Hot-dip galvanised perforated trays, 2.0 mm, 2500 mm long, single simply supported span of 2.35 m, uniformly distributed load applied in steps to failure with central deflection recorded at each step. Working load is taken as failure load ÷ 1.5 on the test span; the IEC 61537 deflection limit at working load is L/100 = 23.5 mm.
| Tray W × H × t (mm) | Failure load (total, 2.35 m span) | Working load, failure ÷ 1.5 | Deflection at working load | L/100 limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 × 75 × 2.0 | 2,252 kg (958 kg/m) | 639 kg/m | 18 mm | Pass |
| 200 × 50 × 2.0 | 1,294 kg (551 kg/m) | 367 kg/m | 13 mm | Pass |
| 150 × 50 × 2.0 | 1,961 kg (834 kg/m) | 556 kg/m | 15 mm | Pass |
| 100 × 50 × 2.0 | 1,701 kg (724 kg/m) | 483 kg/m | 14 mm | Pass |
| 50 × 50 × 2.0 | 584 kg (249 kg/m) | 166 kg/m | 9 mm | Pass |
Same samples: zinc coating 92.4–97.6 µm, average 95 µm (IS 3203); Preece uniformity 3 dips, no copper deposit (IS 10810-40); hammer adhesion free from defects (IS 4759); 24 h neutral salt spray, no rust (ASTM B117); tensile yield 281 MPa, UTS 451 MPa, elongation 26% (ISO 6892-1); chemical analysis C 0.17, Mn 0.42, P 0.021, S 0.016 % (IS 8811); 1T close bend free from cracks (ISO 7438).
Download the full laboratory reports (PDF, 19 pages, 5.6 MB)
Declared safe working loads for multi-span installations, for other finishes of the same profile, and for ladder and wire mesh families are issued on the data sheet per project; a multi-span type test with couplers at the worst position is arranged where a specification calls for it explicitly.
| Market | How the standard appears in specs | Project cities we supply |
|---|---|---|
| India | IEC 61537 on pharma, data centre, IT park, hospital, airport and MNC industrial projects; IS 2062 / IS 513 / IS 277 / IS 4759 plus load and deflection clauses on PSU and infrastructure tenders. Pioneer quotes against both. | Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Delhi NCR (Noida, Gurugram, Greater Noida), Kolkata, Nagpur, Indore, Bhopal, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Kochi, Goa, Aurangabad, Nashik |
| Saudi Arabia | SASO IEC 61537 — the national adoption — on building services and industrial projects; NEMA VE 1 on Aramco-format specs. | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Al Khobar, Jubail, Yanbu, NEOM / Tabuk |
| UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait | BS EN 61537 through UK-led consultants; IEC 61537 on international EPC specs; NEMA VE 1 on US-format oil and gas. | Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ruwais; Doha, Ras Laffan, Mesaieed; Muscat, Sohar, Duqm; Manama; Kuwait City, Ahmadi |
| Africa | SANS 61537:2023 in South Africa; BS EN or national adoptions in Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia. Pre-shipment Certificate of Conformity (PVoC, SONCAP) planned with the importer. | Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Richards Bay; Nairobi, Mombasa; Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja; Accra, Tema; Dar es Salaam; Kampala; Addis Ababa |
| South Asia | IEC 61537 or BS EN 61537 on consultant specs for power, industrial and commercial projects. | Dhaka, Chattogram; Colombo; Kathmandu |
Email info@pioneerinstrumentation.com with the project name and the file is sent within one working day.
IEC 61537 and its national adoptions are the common language of specification across these markets. Pioneer supplies cable trays from Pune to the cities below, and to projects across India from the plant at Pirangut.
| Region | Countries and project cities |
|---|---|
| GCC | Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Al Khobar, Dhahran, Jubail, Yanbu, Ras Tanura, Rabigh, NEOM, Tabuk, Mecca, Medina | United Arab Emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, Al Ain, Ruwais, Jebel Ali, KEZAD | Qatar: Doha, Lusail, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Ras Laffan, Mesaieed, Dukhan | Kuwait: Kuwait City, Ahmadi, Shuaiba, Mina Abdullah, Al Zour, Jahra, Sabah Al Ahmad | Oman: Muscat, Sohar, Duqm, Salalah, Sur, Nizwa, Barka | Bahrain: Manama, Sitra, Hidd, Riffa, Askar |
| Wider Middle East | Egypt: Cairo, New Administrative Capital, Alexandria, Ain Sokhna, Suez, Port Said, Damietta, 10th of Ramadan City, 6th of October City | Iraq: Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, Kirkuk, Rumaila, Zubair, Umm Qasr | Jordan: Amman, Aqaba, Zarqa, Irbid |
| East Africa | Kenya: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Naivasha, Eldoret, Thika, Lamu | Tanzania: Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Arusha, Mwanza, Tanga, Mtwara | Uganda: Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja, Hoima, Mbarara | Rwanda: Kigali | Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Hawassa, Adama |
| West and Central Africa | Nigeria: Lagos, Lekki, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Bonny Island, Onne, Warri, Calabar, Kano, Ibadan | Ghana: Accra, Tema, Takoradi, Kumasi | Côte d'Ivoire: Abidjan | Senegal: Dakar | Cameroon: Douala, Yaoundé | DR Congo: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi | Angola: Luanda, Lobito, Soyo |
| Southern Africa | South Africa: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Gqeberha, Richards Bay, Secunda, Sasolburg, Rustenburg, Saldanha Bay, Bloemfontein | Mozambique: Maputo, Beira, Nacala, Pemba, Palma, Tete | Zambia: Lusaka, Kitwe, Ndola, Solwezi, Kalumbila | Zimbabwe: Harare, Bulawayo | Botswana: Gaborone, Francistown | Namibia: Windhoek, Walvis Bay |
| North Africa | Morocco: Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, Kenitra, Jorf Lasfar | Algeria: Algiers, Oran, Arzew, Skikda, Hassi Messaoud | Tunisia: Tunis, Sfax | Libya: Tripoli, Benghazi |
| South Asia | Bangladesh: Dhaka, Chattogram, Mongla | Sri Lanka: Colombo, Hambantota | Nepal: Kathmandu | Maldives: Malé |
| Southeast Asia | Singapore: Singapore, Jurong, Tuas | Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuantan | Indonesia: Jakarta, Surabaya, Batam | Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong | Thailand: Bangkok, Rayong | Philippines: Manila, Cebu |
| United Kingdom and Ireland | United Kingdom: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast, Reading, Slough | Ireland: Dublin, Cork, Limerick |
All export orders ship FOB Nhava Sheva (JNPT, Mumbai) on Incoterms 2020; CFR / CIF to the nearest port on request. Tell us the destination and HS code at enquiry stage so that the conformity paperwork (SABER, PVoC, SONCAP or the owner's inspection) is aligned before production starts.
IEC 61537 is the international standard for cable tray and cable ladder systems. It does not create a mark or a licence; a laboratory type-tests samples against the standard and the manufacturer declares the classifications the tests support: safe working load per span, deflection behaviour, resistance to corrosion, electrical continuity and conductivity, impact resistance, temperature range and flame propagation. Pioneer's declaration to the 2023 edition rests on testing at an NABL-accredited laboratory (Chakan Testing and Research Lab, Pune, October 2024): load–deflection to failure on 2 mm hot-dip galvanised perforated trays from 50 to 300 mm wide, plus zinc coating thickness and uniformity, adhesion, salt spray, tensile, chemical and bend tests. The reports are published on this page and the declaration is issued per project.
The manufacturer declares an SWL for a given support span and support arrangement. Samples are loaded on a multi-span rig with couplers placed at the worst position. At the declared SWL the mid-span deflection must not exceed 1/100 of the span and the transverse deflection must not exceed 1/20 of the tray width. The load is then raised to 1.7 times the SWL and the system must not collapse. Only spans and loads that pass are declared.
The 2023 edition revised the corrosion classification, revised the safe working load test types and procedures, added tests for lengths mounted vertically running horizontally and vertically, added tests for support devices such as cantilever arms, pendants, ceiling supports and trapeze systems, and added an annex on using the tray as a protective earthing conductor. A test report to the 2006 edition does not cover these items, so specifications written after 2023 should ask for the current edition.
No. There is no mandatory certification for cable trays in India. IEC 61537 is specified by consultants on pharma, data centre, IT park, hospital, airport and MNC industrial projects where the owner's standard is international, and it is increasingly written into approved-makes lists. Indian public-sector and PSU specifications generally reference IS 2062, IS 513, IS 277 and IS 4759 for material and galvanising together with a load/deflection requirement; Pioneer meets both formats.
Yes. Saudi Arabia adopts it as SASO IEC 61537; the UAE, Qatar and Oman specify it as BS EN 61537 through UK-led consultants; South Africa adopts the 2023 edition as SANS 61537:2023; Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana specify the BS EN or national adoption. For US-engineered projects that require NEMA VE 1 instead, Pioneer holds separate NEMA load test reports.
The published NABL laboratory reports cover the hot-dip galvanised perforated family (model HR CTHDP 1002) in 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 mm widths at 2 mm, which is the worst case for the perforated range. The pre-galvanised, powder coated and stainless perforated models (PGI CTP 1001, PC CTP 1003, SS304L CTP 1004, SS316L CTP 1005) share the same profile and are declared from the same load data with their own material certificates. Ladder (GI CTL 2001, HR CTHDL 2002, SS304L CTL 2004, SS316L CTL 2005) and wire mesh (GI WMCT 1008, SS304L WMCT 1006, SS316L WMCT 1007) families are supplied with load tables and are span tested on project requirement.
IEC 61537:2023 includes an annex on using metallic tray as a protective earthing conductor, subject to the electrical continuity classification, joint resistance and the installation rules of the wiring code in force (IS 732 / IEC 60364 in India, BS 7671 on UK-spec projects, NEC 392 on US-spec projects). Pioneer trays are declared electrically continuous and supplied with bonding jumpers for splice locations; the final decision rests with the project electrical designer.
Send your specification or BOQ and we will return an IEC 61537:2023 compliance statement by item, the test report, and a quotation — ex-works Pune for India, FOB Nhava Sheva for export.
Email info@pioneerinstrumentation.com | Call or WhatsApp +91 93700 39974 | Request a quote
Pioneer Industrial Instruments, Plot No. 5, Gat No. 107/B, Sonai Industrial Estate, Paud Road, Pirangut, Pune 412115, India. Manufacturing cable trays since 1994.
Related pages: NEMA VE 1 cable trays for GCC, Middle East and Africa | BS EN 61537 cable trays for UK-spec projects | Cable trays for Ahmedabad and Gujarat | Cable tray manufacturer, Pune