How far can you run tray cable after it leaves the tray before it requires physical protection?

He:
From 2008 NEC handbook:

"(7) In industrial establishments where the conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified persons service the installation, and where the cable is continuously supported and protected against physical damage using mechanical protection, such as struts, angles, or channels, Type TC tray cable that complies with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC cable and is identified for such use with the marking Type TC–ER shall be permitted between a cable tray and the utilization equipment or device. The cable shall be secured at intervals not exceeding 1.8 m (6 ft). Equipment grounding for the utilization equipment shall be provided by an equipment grounding conductor within the cable. In cables containing conductors sized 6 AWG or smaller, the equipment grounding conductor shall be provided within the cable or, at the time of installation, one or more insulated conductors shall be permanently identified as an equipment grounding conductor in accordance with 250.119(B).
Exception: Where not subject to physical damage, Type TC-ER shall be permitted to transition between cable trays and between cable trays and utilization equipment or devices for a distance not to exceed 1.8 m (6 ft) without continuous support. The cable shall be mechanically supported where exiting the cable tray to ensure that the minimum bending radius is not exceeded. "

Does that help??

He:
Here's more info:

"392.6 Installation.
(A) Complete System. Cable trays shall be installed as a complete system. Field bends or modifications shall be so made that the electrical continuity of the cable tray system and support for the cables is maintained. Cable tray systems shall be permitted to have mechanically discontinuous segments between cable tray runs or between cable tray runs and equipment. The system shall provide for the support of the cables in accordance with their corresponding articles.
Where cable trays support individual conductors and where the conductors pass from one cable tray to another, or from a cable tray to raceway(s) or from a cable tray to equipment where the conductors are terminated, the distance between cable trays or between the cable tray and the raceway(s) or the equipment shall not exceed 1.8 m (6 ft). The conductors shall be secured to the cable tray(s) at the transition, and they shall be protected, by guarding or by location, from physical damage.
A bonding jumper sized in accordance with 250.102 shall connect the two sections of cable tray, or the cable tray and the raceway or equipment. Bonding shall be in accordance with 250.96."

He:
I just deleted your secondary thread on this same subject. IF that was another inquiry, please let me or another moderator know.