A cable tray in a pharma plant is judged by two people: the electrical consultant, who wants load and continuity, and the QA team, who want a surface they can clean and an audit trail for the material. Pioneer supplies stainless trays that satisfy both, made and certified in our own plant.
What a pharma cleanroom asks of a cable tray
GMP guidance — Schedule M in India, EU GMP Annex 1 — expects exposed surfaces in clean areas to be smooth, impervious and easy to clean, with as few ledges and recesses as possible where particles can collect. For cable management that translates into a few practical design points:
- Stainless, not coated steel in classified and wash-down areas. Powder coat can chip and flake; stainless has no coating to lose and stands up to repeated disinfectant cleaning.
- Either fully open or fully closed. Open wire mesh or ladder can be wiped and inspected on every surface. Where cables must be enclosed, use covered trunking, so the dust has nowhere to settle.
- Smooth edges. Specify T-welded safety ends on wire mesh, and covers that sit flush.
- Run it out of the room. Wherever the layout allows, route trays in the ceiling void, service corridors or technical areas and bring only drops into the cleanroom.
- Paperwork. Material certificates per lot, so the grade on the drawing is the grade on site.
Which tray where in a pharma plant
| Area | Tray | Material |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanrooms and classified areas (exposed runs) | Covered trunking or perforated tray with cover | SS 304 / 304L; SS 316L where aggressive disinfectants are used |
| Wash-down process areas | Wire mesh, or perforated with cover | SS 304 electro-polished on request; SS 316L |
| API, solvent and chemical areas | Perforated or ladder | SS 316L; FRP for strong acid or alkali zones |
| Instrumentation and control cabling | Wire mesh | SS 304L / SS 316L |
| Utility blocks and plant rooms | Perforated, ladder or wire mesh | Hot-dip galvanised or pre-galvanised GI in dry areas |
| AHU rooms | SS 304 drip trays under coils and chilled-water pipes | SS 304 |
For the reasoning behind each grade, see SS 304 vs SS 316L cable trays. For AHU drain pans, see drip trays.
Stainless range for pharma — data sheet
| Perforated trays | SS304L CTP 1004, SS316L CTP 1005; widths 25, 40, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600 … up to 1200 mm; with or without cover |
|---|---|
| Ladder trays | SS304L CTL 2004, SS316L CTL 2005; widths 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600 … up to 1250 mm |
| Wire mesh trays | SS304L WMCT 1006, SS316L WMCT 1007; 50–600 mm wide, 50–150 mm high, 3–6 mm wire, 50 × 100 mm mesh; SS 304 electro-polished on request |
| Covered trunking | Box type, unperforated, removable cover over the full length; SS 304 / SS 316L on request |
| Heights | 15, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 and 400 mm |
| Sheet thickness | 1.2 mm (18 SWG), 1.6 mm (16 SWG), 2.0 mm (14 SWG), 2.5 mm (12 SWG) and 3.0 mm, as per IS 1852 |
| Lengths | 2500 mm standard; 3000 mm on request; wire mesh 2500 and 3000 mm |
| Hardware | SS 304 for stainless sheet-metal trays; stainless of the tray grade for wire mesh |
| Documents | EN 10204 3.1 material test certificates per lot; data sheets and GA drawings for approval |
Specification clause for your BOQ
For stainless wire mesh in pharma, food and wash-down areas. Copy it and adjust; words in [brackets] are alternatives.
Wash-down and corrosive — stainless steel
Food, dairy, pharma and coastal sites
1. Cable trays shall be welded wire mesh type in SS 304 [SS 316 for coastal and chemical areas], electro-polished where specified, 50 × 100 mm mesh with T-welded safety ends. 2. Wire diameter shall be 4.5 mm up to 200 mm wide, 5 mm at 300 mm and 6 mm at 400 and 600 mm [or as scheduled]. 3. Couplers and hardware shall be stainless steel of the same grade. 4. Width and height shall be as per the schedule, in lengths of 3000 mm [2500 mm]. 5. Make: Pioneer Cable Trays or approved equivalent.
Why Pioneer
Pharma projects need the same tray, the same grade and the same certificate from the first lot to the last. That is easier when the trays come from one plant.
- UL certified cable trays, declared to IEC 61537:2023 and load tested for NEMA VE 1.
- Tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory — load–deflection, zinc coating, salt spray, tensile and chemical reports are published as a PDF.
- Manufacturing since 1994 at our own plant in Pirangut, Pune, which turns out up to 8,000 metres of tray a day.
- Supply across India by road from Pune, and export FOB Nhava Sheva (JNPT, Mumbai).
- EN 10204 3.1 material certificates for stainless steel with every lot.
- Quotation within 24 hours of your BOQ, with the data sheet your consultant needs.