Published 09 Jan 2026
We’d like to welcome our newest addition to the Thorne and Derrick team! Eva will be joining us as a content creator apprentice at our office in Chester-Le-Street. Eva will bring fresh new ideas to all of our social...

LV-HV Cable Cutting Tools For Copper, Aluminium & Telecommunication Cables
uploaded by Chris Dodds - Thorne & Derrick Sales & Marketing Manager
This Post addresses a customer query received earlier today by Thorne & Derrick, the stockist and supplier of Cembre, and highlights suitable cutting tools for use with SWA Armoured Cables.
Is the Cembre B-TC950E capable of cutting a Steel Wire Armoured cable?
The cable has a outside diameter of approximately 70mm. The cable has 3 triangular (sector) aluminium cores, the cores cross sectional area is unknown but it is suggested that they would be approximately 240sqmm. If the Cembre B-TC950E cable cutter is suitable could you advise of the approximate number of cuts that the blades could do on this cable before needing replacing. Or would you recommend an alternative cable cutting tool?
The SWA (steel wire armour) wraps completely around the outside of the cable under the outer layer of PVC – each steel wire in the armouring is approximately 3mm in diameter.
We require 5 cable tools.

Cembre reply:
Cembre B-TC950E is capable of cutting up to 240sqmm 3 core SWA cable (with 2 cuts at 90 degree angles) – this includes LV MV HV cables up to 11kV/33kV.
Hydraulic type cable cutting tools are also available.
With regards to an approximate number of cable cuts before the tool blades need replacing, we would not be able to provide this information as there are too many variable and external factors involved to give a definite answer.
We can quote for spare cable cutting blades as applicable for use with all Cembre manufactured tools.
Should you also need to terminate the same specification cable using cable lugs we would recommend the Cembre HT131-C tool which is a hydraulic crimping tool for use up to 400sqmm using hexagonal die sets.
When it comes to cutting and crimping cables the trusted world-market leading manufacturer of cable tools is Cembre.


LV Lugs & Connectors – complete range of copper crimp connectors suitable for use with joints and terminations for low voltage cables | Cable Lugs | Cable Splice Connectors | Aluminium Lugs | Aluminium Splices | Bi-Metallic Cable Lugs

HV Lugs & Connectors – complete range of copper crimp connectors suitable for use with joints and terminations for medium/high voltage cables | Cable Lugs | Transformer Lugs | 2 Hole Lugs | Pin Stalk Connectors | Through Connectors | 11kV 33kV
Published 09 Jan 2026
We’d like to welcome our newest addition to the Thorne and Derrick team! Eva will be joining us as a content creator apprentice at our office in Chester-Le-Street. Eva will bring fresh new ideas to all of our social...
Published 09 Jan 2026
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