B-Line Eaton series imperial cable tray and ladder, 4" Height, 23.598" Length, 18" Width, Series 2-5 vertical outside bend, Aluminum, 30° Angle, 36" R

A vertical outside bend carries the tray run up and over an obstruction, with the cables riding on the outside of the curve. Eaton B-Line part 4A-18-30VO36 is a 30 degree vertical outside bend for 4 inch deep, 18 inch wide ladder tray on a 36 inch radius. Use an outside bend where the run changes elevation and the tray bends away from the cables; a vertical inside bend is the piece for the opposite direction, where the cables sit inside the curve. Getting the two mixed up is the most common ordering mistake on an elevation change, so check which way the run turns at that point before you order.

The radius sets how sharply the cables have to flex through the fitting, and it has to be at or above the minimum bend radius of the largest cable in the tray. This fitting is a 36 inch radius, which is the widest of the common tray radii, so it suits large power feeders and fiber that cannot take a tight turn. It also means the fitting takes up more linear space in the run: the piece measures 23.598 inches through its length.

Aluminum. That keeps the weight down for overhead work and gives it good corrosion resistance for damp, coastal, and many industrial environments without the paint or galvanizing maintenance a steel tray needs. Aluminum tray is also non-magnetic, which matters on runs carrying single-conductor feeders. Bond and ground it to the same standard as the rest of the aluminum run.

It carries CSA certification, which is what an inspector or a spec writer on a Canadian project will be looking for on the tray and its fittings.

The 4A-18-30VO36 is the bend fitting itself, an 18 inch wide, 4 inch deep aluminum vertical outside bend at 30 degrees on a 36 inch radius. Splice plates and the hardware to join it to the adjoining straight sections are ordered separately, as are the hangers or trapeze supports on each side of the fitting. Plan on two splice connections per bend, one at each end.

6.638 lb. Light enough for one person to set on trapeze hangers, but support it the same way you would any fitting: hangers close to each side of the bend rather than letting the fitting span between distant supports.