How to distinguish between wires and cables

How to distinguish cables

The difference between a wire and a cable is that the size of the wire is generally small. The larger conductor cross-sectional area (larger than 6 mm2) is called a large wire and a cable, and the smaller (6 mm2 or less) is called a small wire. An insulated wire is Also known as cloth wire. However, cables are sometimes classified as cables in a broad sense.

1, wire

Is composed of one or more soft wires, clad in a light soft jacket, used to carry current conductive metal wire. Solid, stranded or foil woven and other forms. According to the insulation is divided into bare wires and insulated wire two broad categories.

Bare wire does not contain any insulation or protective layer of wire. In addition to the transmission of electrical energy and information of the wire, but also can be used to manufacture motor ﹑ electrical components and cables. General copper, aluminum, copper alloy, aluminum and copper-clad steel, aluminum clad steel and other composite materials. Bare wire in addition to good electrical conductivity, but also have certain mechanical properties, such as tensile strength ﹑ elongation ﹑ bending torsion ﹑ creep ﹑ wear-resistant and so on.

Insulated wires, according to the purpose is divided into magnet wire and universal insulated wire. The Universal insulated wire includes a variety of cable ﹑ installation line. Solenoid wire especially refers to the production of the coil or winding insulated wire.

2, cable

By one or more mutually insulated conductive wire core placed in a sealed jacket formed the insulated wire. Additional protective coatings can be used to transmit, distribute or transmit electrical signals. It is different from ordinary wire cable size is larger, the structure is more complex. The cable consists of the following 4 parts.

Conductors: Made of high conductivity material (copper or aluminum). According to laying conditions of use of the requirements of the degree of softness of the cable, each core may be a single wire or multiple strands twisted together.

Insulation: Insulating materials used as cables should have high insulation resistance, high breakdown electric field strength, low dielectric loss and low dielectric constant. Insulation materials commonly used in cable oil impregnated paper polyethylene, polyethylene ﹑ rubber, and so on. Cables often classified as insulating materials, such as oil-impregnated paper insulated cables, PVC cables, XLPE cables.

Sealed jacket: protects the insulated core from mechanical, moisture, moisture, chemicals, light and other damage. For moisture-sensitive insulation, lead or aluminum extrusion seal jackets are commonly used.

Protective cover: to protect the sealing jacket from mechanical damage. General use of galvanized steel, steel wire or copper, copper, etc. as armor wrapped in the sheath (called armored cable), armor layer at the same time from the electric field shielding and prevent electromagnetic interference. In order to avoid the steel strip, the steel wire by the surrounding medium of corrosion, usually coated with asphalt or wrapped around their jute layer or extruded polyethylene, PVC sleeve.

Cables can be divided into power cables, communication cables,and control cables according to their usage. Compared with overhead lines, the advantages of the cable insulation distance between lines is small, small footprint, ground laying and not occupy the space above the ground, free from environmental pollution, high reliability of power transmission, personal safety and the surrounding environment interference small. However, high cost, construction,and maintenance are more troublesome, manufacturing is also more complicated. As a result, cables are often used in densely populated areas and densely populated areas and at heavy traffic congestions; over-river, over-river,and sub-sea laying can avoid the use of large-span overhead lines. Cables may also be used wherever overhead line interference with communications and were aesthetic or avoidance of exposure is a concern.

How to distinguish between wires and cables

1, cables and wires are generally composed of the core wire, the insulation sheath and the protection of the skin composed of three components. The wire is made up of one or more flexible wires and covered with a light and soft jacket. The cable is made up of one or more insulated conductor wires, and the outside is covered with a tough outer layer of metal or rubber.

2, the two do not have strict boundaries. Usually the number of cores is small, the product diameter is small, simple structure of the product called the wire, there is no insulation called the bare wire, the other known as the cable; conductor cross-sectional area larger (greater than 6 square mm) is called a large wire, Small (less than or equal to 6 square mm) is called a small wire, also known as insulated wire cloth wire.