Blackburn PAE9941-9 AL PARAGRV CLMP EXTRUDED 1000-397

The PAE9941-9 is an extruded aluminum parallel groove clamp built for the 1000 through 397 conductor range (1000 kcmil down to 397.5 kcmil), which is where the 1000-397 in the part designation comes from. It takes two conductors, one in each groove, so it is used to tap or splice large aluminum or ACSR feeder conductors rather than small building wire.

It is a bolted connector, tightened with a 1/2 inch bolt, so no hydraulic press or die set is required. That makes it a field connection a lineman or electrician can make with hand tools, and it can be taken apart later if the conductor has to be re-pulled.

The PAE9941-9 body is extruded aluminum. Aluminum-bodied parallel groove clamps are intended for aluminum and ACSR conductor; joining copper to aluminum needs a connector rated for that combination (a bimetallic or dual-rated part), because direct aluminum-to-copper contact galvanizes and corrodes. If both runs are copper, choose a copper or dual-rated clamp instead of this one.

Plan for a body measuring 2-13/16 by 2-1/4 by 2-59/64 inches (height by length by width), plus wrench clearance for the 1/2 inch bolt. On tight riser work or a crowded pull box, measure that footprint before committing, since a large-conductor parallel groove clamp will not tuck into the space a compression splice sleeve occupies.

Both make the same electrical connection, but the trade-off is tooling and reversibility. A bolted parallel groove clamp like the PAE9941-9 is installed with a wrench and can be loosened and re-made, which suits taps, temporary feeds, and jobs where no press is on site. A compression splice is permanent and takes a hydraulic tool with matched dies. If the joint may be broken later for testing or reconfiguration, the bolted clamp is the right choice.

No insulation is supplied. The PAE9941-9 is a bare aluminum connector, so any insulating or re-jacketing of the completed joint has to be added separately with tape, a cold shrink, or a molded cover sized to the conductor and the clamp footprint.

Yes, it is a ground clamp in the grounding and bonding family, used to bond two large conductors together with a bolted joint. It handles the 1000 to 397 conductor range, which covers grounding electrode conductors and bonding jumpers at substation and service-entrance sizes rather than small equipment grounds.

Pricing and packaging are per piece, each. One catalog number covers the clamp complete with its bolt hardware as an assembly, so ordering quantity equals the number of connections you are making.

Country of origin is Mexico. On a project with Buy America or Build America, Buy America content rules, that matters, so confirm the specification allows it before you commit the part number to the submittal.