How do you distinguish between wires and cables? When asked this question, many people say they're the same thing, but there are actually some differences. Below, we'll explain in detail what wires and cables are. I believe you'll be able to distinguish between wires and cables after reading this. Let's take a closer look.
What is a wire?
1. Wire: A conductive metal wire consisting of one or more flexible conductors covered in a light, soft sheath, used to carry current. It can be solid, stranded, or braided. Based on insulation, it can be categorized as bare wire and insulated wire.
2. Bare wire: Wire without any insulation or protective covering. Besides being used as a conductor for transmitting electrical energy and information, it can also be used in the manufacture of components and connectors for motors and electrical appliances. It's generally made of composite metal materials such as copper, aluminum, copper alloys, aluminum alloys, and copper-clad steel and aluminum-clad steel. In addition to excellent electrical conductivity, bare wire also possesses certain mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, elongation, bending and torsion characteristics, creep resistance, and wear resistance.
3. Insulated wire is categorized by purpose as magnet wire and general-purpose insulated wire. General-purpose insulated wire includes various types of connecting wire and installation wire. Magnet wire specifically refers to insulated wire used to make coils or windings.
What is a cable?
1. Cable: An insulated conductor consisting of one or more mutually insulated conductive cores enclosed in a sealed sheath. This sheath may be covered with a protective covering and is used to transmit or distribute electrical energy or transmit electrical signals. Cables differ from ordinary wires primarily in their larger size and more complex structure.
2. Cables primarily consist of the following four components:
Conductive core: Made of a high-conductivity material (copper or aluminum). Depending on the flexibility requirements of the cable under installation, each core may consist of a single conductor or multiple strands.
Insulation: The insulating material used in cables should have high insulation resistance, high breakdown electric field strength, low dielectric loss, and a low dielectric constant. Common insulating materials used in cables include oil-impregnated paper, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, and rubber. Cables are often categorized by their insulation material, such as oil-impregnated paper insulated cable, polyvinyl chloride cable, and cross-linked polyethylene cable. Sealing sheath: Protects the insulating core from mechanical damage, moisture, humidity, chemicals, and light. For moisture-sensitive insulation, lead or aluminum extruded sheaths are commonly used.
Protective covering: Protects the sealing sheath from mechanical damage. Galvanized steel tape, steel wire, or copper tape or wire are typically wrapped around the sheath (called armored cable). The armor also shields the electric field and prevents external electromagnetic interference. To protect the steel tape and wire from corrosion by the surrounding medium, they are typically coated with asphalt or wrapped with impregnated jute or extruded polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride sheaths.
3. Cables can be categorized by their intended use as power cables, communication cables, and control cables. Compared to overhead lines, cables have the advantages of smaller insulation distances between wires, smaller footprint, underground installation without occupying above-ground space, immunity to environmental pollution, high power transmission reliability, and minimal disruption to personal safety and the surrounding environment. However, they are expensive, require more complex construction and maintenance, and are also more complex to manufacture.
Through the above introduction, we have gained a detailed understanding of wires and cables. As their use expands, many types contain cables within wires and wires within cables, making strict distinctions unnecessary. In daily life, household wiring is often referred to as "wires," and power cables are simply referred to as "cables." Wires and cables primarily include bare wires, winding wires, power cables, communications cables, optical cables, and cables for electrical equipment.
