Cable installation professionals know material selection plays a critical role in a job’s success. This is especially true for how the cable is installed in the conduit. NEPTCO developed MULETAPE with the goal of creating the safest and most economical pulling media that doesn't burn plastic ducts. After four decades of use in the field, MULETAPE demonstrates incredible heat distribution and low-stretch properties, eliminating the risk of snap-back, and resulting in safer and easier pulls.

Now, NEPTCO has manufactured an all-new cable-pulling lubricant with all the performance standards expected from the creators of MULETAPE.

Related Article: Selecting the Right Pulling Tape for the Job

Cable Pulling Requires a Strong Lubricant

MULEGLIDE is a unique cable lubricant as it uses a silicone base to generate its slip characteristics. Many cable lubricants contain polymers that are soap or wax-based. These lubricants leave a sticky residue after drying, leading to difficult cable removal. MULEGLIDE’s silicone-based formulas don't have these problems and leave a slick, non-drying film on the cable that easily cleans off with a rag.

MULEGLIDE Medium Viscosity (MV) cable-pulling lubricant was tested against two other lubricants by an independent contracting group in Denmark. Lubricant A was a water-based formulation. Lubricant B was another silicone-based formulation.

We will let the data speak for itself.

CASE STUDY: Comparing MULEGLIDE High-Performance Silicone Lubricant

Pull Length: 500 m

Cable: 12 kW electrical cables, approximately a 90 mm diameter

Conduit: 160 mm underground housing

Scenario: Each lubricant was tested in a controlled route that featured a slight incline and three sharp bends. A 3-ton cable winch was used for the pull. Each lubricant used its own conduit, and conduits were buried in parallel to ensure consistency. Each drum had a net weight of roughly 2800 kg.

Lubricant A (water-based) was pulled at 12 meters a minute. It required a pulling force of 12-15 kN with higher loads at the bends. 15 liters of lubricant was required for the full 500 meters.

MULEGLIDE was tested next. It was the fastest pull, nearly twice the speed of Lubricant A at 20 meters a minute. Additionally, it required half the pulling force: only 6-8 kN. The contractor reported that the bends only caused a slight increase in pull force.

This was described as “a very noticeable and clear improvement.”

Two gallons of MULEGLIDE (or roughly 7.5 liters of lubricant) were used. This was less than the recommended dose rate of material, yet the contractors still found it more than sufficient. MULEGLIDE required half the material to pull twice as fast with half the force, vastly outperforming Lubricant A at every metric.

Lubricant B, another silicone-based product, performed “reasonably well.” However, the contractors identified its gel-like consistency as a negative. It was harder to apply than the alternatives.

Lubricants like this often require extensive hand spreading. MULEGLIDE is specifically designed to pour into the conduit with a clean, silky texture that spreads evenly across the entire cable jacket. Comparing prices, the contractor noted Lubricant B would be more expensive to use.

Results: “The contractor was impressed with MULEGLIDE and is positively inclined to use it in the future.”

Conclusion: MULEGLIDE demonstrated incredible results:

• Half the material
• Half the pull force
• Twice the pulling speed

We encourage you to test these findings yourself. NEPTCO is offering free samples of MULEGLIDE. Additionally, we are scheduling on-site and virtual demos. Contact a member of our support team to get started.