Global Electrical Cable Uses, Approvals, and Definitions

The North American, European, Asian, and South American cable markets will determine the type of cable used and what approvals are needed. If the product is to be sold in the United States, then North American-approved cable needs to be used. If it is sold in Germany, then it will need to be international-approved cable. If the country is China, the cable will need
a Chinese approval. Always check
the safety agency standards of
each country.

Webcast:

Selecting the Correct Cable for Worldwide Markets

Interpower's Mike Boyle, Vice President of Manufacturing and Logistics discusses what you need to know when selecting cable for worldwide markets.

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There are two main factors in considering the “correct” type of cable: how the cable will be used and the environment it will be used in. The application will determine the outer jacket material recommended for the cable: a household appliance for indoor use may have a different type of jacket than that of a power tool meant for outdoor use. Possible Materials for cable Include:

• Thermoplastic:
  Thermoplastic can be softened through heating and hardened through cooling. It can be molded when heated and can retain its shape after it cools. Thermoplastic is the opposite of thermoset.
  
  
• Thermoset:
  Thermoset uses a heating process called curing. Once the plastic is cured, it cannot be changed but keeps its shape.
  
  
• PVC:
  PVC is a common thermoplastic material for cable and conductor jackets and some molded plugs.
  
  
• Rubber:
  Rubber is also a common material for cable. It is a thermoset-type material. While it may be more costly than thermoplastic cable, it tends to be more durable with high levels of water and abrasion resistance. Rubber is a great choice for outdoor applications.

Thermoplastic Elastomer or TPE is a material that has characteristics of rubber, as well as thermoplastic. For indoor use, jacket material typically is PVC. For outdoor and/or industrial use, the jacket material may be rubber, TPE, or PVC. For outdoor use, it’s also important to determine what specific conditions the cable needs to be protected from, such as abrasion, water, oil, and sunlight.

What are the Mains Power Requirements?

UL Classification of Cable Types

SVT—Thermoplastic insulated vacuum cleaner cord, with or without third conductor for grounding purposes; 300V (PVC).

SJT—Junior hard service, thermoplastic insulated conductors and jacket; 300V. (Typically PVC)

SJTW—Same as SJT but weather-resistant for outdoor use.

SJTO—Same as SJT, but oil-resistant thermoplastic outer jacket.

SJTOW—Same as SJTO except weather-resistant rated.

ST—Hard service cord with all thermoplastic construction, 600V. (PVC)

STW—Same as ST except weather-resistant rated. (PVC)

STO—Same as ST, but with oil-resistant thermoplastic outer jacket, 600V.

STOW—Same as STO, but with weather-resistance.

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SPT-1—Parallel jacketed thermoplastic cable, 300V. With or without third conductor for grounding. (PVC)

SPT-2—Same as SPT-1 but heavier construction. (PVC)

SPT-3—Same as SPT-2 but heavier construction. (PVC)

  ————————————————————————————

SJE—Hard service cord, thermoplastic elastomer insulated and jacketed, 300V. (TPE)

SJEW—Same as SJE except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

SJEO—Same as SJE but with oil-resistant jacket. (TPE)

SJEOW—Same as SJE except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

SJEOO—Same as SJE but conductor insulation and jacket both oil-resistant. (TPE)

SJEOOW—Same as SJEOO except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

 ————————————————————————————

SE—Extra-hard service cord, thermoplastic elastomer conductor insulation and jacket, 600V. (TPE)

SEW—Same as SE except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

SEO—Same as SE but with oil-resistant jacket. (TPE)

SEOW—Same as SEO except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

SEOO—Same as SE but with oil-resistant conductor insulation and jacket. (TPE)

SEOOW—Same as SEOO except weather-resistant rated. (TPE)

 ————————————————————————————

S—Extra-hard service cord, thermoset insulated conductors and thermoset jacket, 600V. (Thermoset)

SO—Same as S but with oil-resistant jacket. (Thermoset)

SOW—Same as SO except weather-resistant rated. (Thermoset)

SOO—Same as SO but both conductor insulation and jacket are oil-resistant. (Thermoset)

SOOW—Same as SOO except weather-resistant rated. (Thermoset)

 ————————————————————————————

SJ—Hard service cord, thermoset insulated conductors and thermoset jacket, 300V. (Thermoset)

SJO—Same as SJ but with oil-resistant jacket. (Thermoset)

SJOW—Same as SJO except weather-resistant rated. (Thermoset)

SJOO—Same as SJO but both conductor insulation and jacket are oil-resistant. (Thermoset)

SJOOW—Same as SJOO except weather-resistant rated. (Thermoset)

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When only one “O” appears in a classification (e.g., SJEOW), only the outer jacket materials is oil resistant. If there is a second “O” is in the classification (e.g., SEOOW), the insulation covering the conductors and the outer jacket insulation are all oil resistant.

Definitions of cable designations are derived from UL’s designation scheme as defined in the National Electric Code (NEC) – NFPA-70.