Fiber Innerduct: A Guide for Electrical Wholesalers

If you supply your customers with low-voltage cabling — especially fiber optic cables — you should also offer fiber innerduct. While this flexible, non-metallic raceway is designed to protect fiber optic cables, it also helps to organize other low-voltage wiring solutions.

Given its widespread use, fiber innerduct is increasingly in-demand among electricians and data cable specialists. In fact, the global innerduct market is expected to rise in value at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4% through 2030, reaching an estimated value of $1.7 billion.

Innerduct is a little different from other types of flexible conduit, however — especially when you’re filling orders from bulk storage. Here’s an introduction to this high-value material for wholesalers looking to break into the fiber innerduct market. 

An Introduction to Fiber Innerduct

We’ll start by reviewing the basics. Here’s what beginners need to know about fiber innerduct.  

What is fiber innerduct? 

Fiber innerduct is flexible, non-metallic tubing designed to protect fiber-optic cables from mechanical damage and the elements. Innerduct is usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or nylon, each of which has a different set of characteristics that recommend it for a different use case. 

For example, HDPE is ideal for outdoor installations. It retains its strength in a wide range of temperatures, and offers great resistance to dirt, salt, and sunlight. Data cable specialists often choose PVC innerduct for indoor installations, however. It offers better fire resistance than HDPE. 

What’s the difference between innerduct and conduit?

At first glance, innerduct sounds a lot like any flexible, non-metallic conduit. The difference, however, is one of specialization: Fiber innerduct is designed specifically to protect fiber optic cables. It’s often used inside of larger conduit systems (hence the name “innerduct.”) 

Conduit is designed for more general uses. You can find conduit that’s suitable for any type of cable, including multiple cable types — including low-voltage cables enclosed by innerduct.  

Why do cable installers use innerduct? 

Why might your customers ask for another type of raceway for fiber optic cables? Innerduct is popular for (at least) three reasons: 

1. Innerduct provides another layer of protection from water, dirt, and pests. Outdoor cable installations are vulnerable to soil, moisture, and curious rodents. These damaging elements tend to penetrate outer conduit and even concrete-in-cast duct banks. Innerduct reduces the damage for fewer future repairs.  
2. Innerduct protects vulnerable cables from the work of other trades and future maintenance. A future pull through the same conduit can damage cable that’s already there. Innerduct subdivides conduit into multiple smaller chambers, which keeps existing cable safe for future changes. 
3. Corrugated innerduct simplifies cable pulls. Fiber innerduct is available in smooth-wall and corrugated designs. The corrugated version has less area to rub against, so it reduces friction during cable pulls. 
4. Innerduct helps to organize cable within a broader raceway. Separating cables with innerduct prevents confusing, spaghetti-like conditions inside electrical conduit. 
5. Innerduct allows wholesalers to offer cable-in-conduit (CIC) solutions for low-voltage products. Installers aren’t the only ones who benefit from innerduct. It also allows wholesalers to sell cables pre-loaded into the innerduct, saving time, effort, and money at the installation site.    

Electrical wholesalers shouldn’t have to make too many changes to create a more efficient order-filling process for innerduct sales. Here are a few tips for working with this product.  

Fiber Innerduct: Material Handling and Order Fulfillment Tips 

Innerduct is flexible, which allows you to pack and ship it on cable reels — provided the reels are big enough. This product is available in a variety of sizes, many of them much wider than a wire or cable. 

Here are a few simple ways to manage bulk innerduct and fill customer orders efficiently. 

• Fill orders on reusable steel reels. Given the size of even the thinnest innerduct, reeled orders require large reels; we recommend at least 32 inches in diameter. Steel reels allow you to reuse the same equipment, order after order. You could also choose to sell reels or include them in cable orders as a value add. 
• Use spooling take-up machines that don’t require reel-handling. Another side-effect of large innerduct reels is that they’re difficult to load and unload. Rather than using a shafted take-up device to fill orders, then, opt for a Spool Winding Trolley with an overhead rim drive. This design allows you to fill reels on the jack stands you ship, removing reel handling from the order fulfillment process. 
• Streamline innerduct orders with the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The IIoT-enabled Spool Winding Trolley automates many order fulfillment processes for greater efficiency and fewer errors. A cloud-based dashboard allows you to program orders and assign jobs to specific workstations. Operators log into a touchscreen interface, so you always know who’s working on what. And an IIoT-integrated counter allows you to cut innerduct orders at exact lengths. 

If you follow these tips, you can easily offer your customers innerduct as a delivered solution: Parallel Reel Payouts loaded with innerduct and/or cable, ready for installation right off the truck. That’s the sort of value add that keeps customers coming back. 

To learn more about managing fiber innerduct and other electrical materials with BHS Electrical Handling Equipment, contact our sales team at 1.800.247.9500.