Blackburn EXB090A1456 EXTRA FLEX BRAIDS, LENGTH 456MM

It is built to IEEE/ANSI C37.34, the standard covering high-voltage air switch connectors and flexible braid connections. That is the spec most utility and substation drawings call out for flexible shunt connections, so it answers the usual submittal question directly. It is also made in the United States, which matters on Buy American and domestic-preference jobs.

It is a flat, extra-flexible tin-plated copper braid connector with two bolt holes, used to carry current between two pieces of equipment that move relative to each other or need isolation from vibration, such as switchgear operating linkages, disconnect blades, transformer and bus connections, and equipment grounding jumpers. The braid construction lets the conductor flex repeatedly without work-hardening the way a solid bar or a rigid cable lug would.

The conductor is tin-plated copper. The tin plating slows oxidation on the braid strands and on the bolted pad faces, which is what keeps contact resistance from creeping up in outdoor switchgear, damp vaults, and coastal or industrial air. It also pairs better with aluminum and plated hardware than bare copper does. If your specification calls for bare copper only, this is not the right part.

It is a 2-hole terminal braid, so each flat pad end lands with two bolts rather than one. Two-hole mounting keeps the pad from rotating under load and gives a more stable contact area, which is why it is the normal arrangement on switchgear and ground bus connections. You supply the bolts, nuts, and washers to match the existing pad drilling.

Blackburn EXB090A1456. The EXB prefix is the extra-flexible braid family and the trailing 456 is the length in millimetres, so a different length in the same family carries a different suffix. Quote the full EXB090A1456 designation when matching an existing installation, since length is the variable that changes most often between openings on the same gear.

Sold each. One braid per order, so if you are shunting both sides of a switch or replacing a set of jumpers, order the quantity of pieces you need.