WELDING CABLE

WHAT IS WELDING CABLE? Duty cycle is a capacity rating of a welding power source. The duty cycle
The 2014 National Electric Code (NEC) Article 630 Electric Welders
© is the percentage a power source can operate at a given output current
defines welding cable as cable designed for use in secondary circuits level for a 10-minute span without exceeding its thermal limit.2
of electric welders.1 Welding cable typically consists of a single, finely If output levels decrease, duty cycle increases until it reaches 100
stranded conductor that ranges in size from 8 AWG to 500 kcmil and a percent continuous output. The duty cycle rating can be found on the
single layer of EPDM or neoprene thermoset insulation with an operating power source’s nameplate or in the manufacturer’s manual.
temperature rating of 90° or 105°C. Welding cable is thermoset (as The welding circuit is the complete path electricity will travel in
opposed to thermoplastic) to better resist weld splatter. The cable is a welding application. The circuit typically consists of the welding
typically rated 600 volts but can also be rated 100 volts. Welding cable power supply, the electrode, welding cable and the work cable.
is known for its flexibility and durability, and many automatic and manual The total length of the welding cable and work cable is calculated
welding applications require the cable to hold up to repeated movement to determine the circuit length. Ampacity ratings decrease as the
over rough surfaces. length increases due to the additional resistance of longer cable.
The type of welding machinery can impact the duty cycle. The welder’s
WELDING APPLICATIONS
intended use (light, medium or heavy), if it’s single phase or three phase,
The two main types of electric welding, as defined in NEC 2014 Article 630,
and voltage rating will change the duty cycle rating. NEC 2014 Article 630
are resistance welding and arc welding. In both welding types, welding cable
Electric Welders Part II Arc Welders and Part III Resistance Welders have
is used to power the electrode.
different requirements for specifying duty cycles and ampacity.
Resistance welding is the process where heat used for fusing two
Cable manufacturers or welding textbooks can provide recommended
overlapping metals together is generated from the resistance of the
gauge sizes for welding applications. End-users select the welding power
materials. The metals are placed between two electrodes (also known as
supply’s rated output, duty cycle and the circuit length to determine the
welding points) and low-voltage, high-current electricity is passed from
correct cable size. Table 1 is an example of a welding cable sizing chart.
one point to the other. The metals resist the flow of the current and the
resulting heat fuses the metals together. Lengths Lengths Lengths Lengths
Welding Machine Duty
up to 50 ft. 50–100 ft. 100–150 ft. 150–200 ft.
Arc welding is the process of using a welding power supply to create an Rating (Amperes) Cycle (%)
(AWG) (AWG) (AWG) (AWG)
electric arc between the base material (also called the work piece) and 100 20 8 4 3 2
the electrode. The electric arc melts the electrode and the remaining 180 20 5 4 3 2
metal is used in the weld. The arc is sustained by blowing an inert gas 180 30 4 4 3 2
such as argon between the electrode and the weld surface. 200 50 3 3 2 1
200 60 2 2 2 1
WELDING CABLE AMPACITY AND SIZING 225 20 4 3 2 1
Ampacity, also known as current-carrying capacity or current rating, is 250 30 3 3 2 1
the maximum amount of current that a cable can safely carry without 300 60 1/0 1/0 1/0 2/0
exceeding its operating temperature rating due to the heat generated 400 60 2/0 2/0 2/0 3/0
from losses and ambient heat around the cable. Welding cable ampacity 500 60 2/0 2/0 2/0 3/0
is a common source of confusion because it is calculated differently than 600 60 3/0 3/0 3/0 4/0
other types of wire and therefore appears to have a higher ampacity than 650 60 3/0 3/0 4/0 -
products such as building wire or tray cable , but these ampacities are for Please note that copper cable sizes are for combined lengths of electrode
welding applications only. When done correctly, cable size selection for plus ground (work) cable.

welding cable takes into account factors like welder output power, duty Table 1: Welding Cable Sizing Chart2
cycle and the circuit length.
The rated output of the welding power supply determines the maximum
current the power supply will draw during operation. The cable must be
sized to handle the maximum current.

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WELDING CABLE

APPLICATION RECOMMENDATIONS DLO, which is 2 kV UL Listed RHH/RHW single conductor with flexible
Welding cable’s flexibility and durability makes it attractive to use in stranding and a CPE jacket extruded over the insulation, is commonly used
non-welding applications. However, most welding cable is not Listed by where the installation or application requires flexibility. DLO is suitable for
a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) like UL, meaning it use in wet or dry areas, conduits, ducts, troughs or cable tray.
does not meet NEC requirements for fixed wiring. Even UL Listed welding Type W mining cable is used in industrial and light-to-medium mining
cable that meets UL 1276 Welding Cables is not approved for use as fixed applications, heavy-duty service and as temporary power supply cables
wiring or general use portable cord unless it carries an additional Listing.3 in accordance with NEC Article 400 Flexible Cords and Cables. The most
Authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ) can approve the use of welding cable common mining cable standard is ICEA S-75-3818. Type W can also be
in applications where the installation is judged to be safe, but using welding UL Listed to UL Subject 1650.4 Type W is rated 2,000 V and can be made
cable as fixed wiring without discussion with the AHJ can lead to problems. in single or multiconductor jacketed constructions.
An alternate solution is to use diesel locomotive cable (DLO), Type W mining UL AWM Styles 1283 and 1284 are single-conductor thermoplastic wires
cable or another finely stranded Listed cable. Table 2 below lists typical that are dual listed MTW, TEW and THHW and are acceptable for flexible
insulation thicknesses and strand counts of these cable types. applications that are 600 V or less. These wires are commonly used in
control cabinets, internal wiring of applications and machine tools where
tight spaces require high flexibility and good durability.
UL Style 1283 (8–2 AWG)5
Welding Cable (600 V) DLO (2,000 V) Type W (2,000 V)
Gauge Size UL Style 1284 (1 AWG–500 kcmil)6
(AWG/kcmil) Insulation Strand Insulation Strand Count Insulation Strand
Insulation Thickness (in.)7 Strand Count*
Thickness (in.)* Count* Thickness (in.) (multiple options)* Thickness (in.)8 Count*
8 - - 0.060 - 0.055 (0.085 w/ jacket) 37 0.060 133
6 0.070 259 0.060 19/133/266 0.055 (0.085 w/ jacket) 61 0.060 133
4 0.070 413 0.060 19/133/420 0.055 (0.085 w/ jacket) 105 0.060 259
2 0.070 651 0.060 19/133/665 0.055 (0.100 w/ jacket) 147 0.060 259
1 0.070 840 0.080 133/259/833 0.065 (0.110 w/ jacket) 224 0.080 259
1/0 0.090 1050 0.080 259/1064 0.065 (0.110 w/ jacket) 266 0.080 259
2/0 0.090 1323 0.080 259/1330 0.065 (0.110 w/ jacket) 323 0.080 259
3/0 0.011 1666 0.080 259/1330/1672 0.065 (0.110 w/ jacket) 418 0.080 259
4/0 0.011 2107 0.080 259/551/2109 0.065 (0.130 w/ jacket) 532 0.080 259
250 (DLO: 262.6) 0.125 2450 0.095 2451 0.075 (0.140 w/ jacket) 646 0.095 427
300 (DLO: 313.3) 0.125 - 0.095 3458 0.075 (0.140 w/ jacket) 777 0.095 427
350 (DLO: 373.3) 0.125 2350 0.095 - 0.075 (0.140 w/ jacket) 925 0.095 427
400 0.125 - 0.095 - - - 0.095 427
450 (DLO: 444.4) 0.125 - 0.095 - 0.075 (0.140 w/ jacket) 1110 0.095 427
500 (DLO: 535.2) 0.125 5054 0.095 - 0.075 (0.140 w/ jacket) 1332 0.095 427
* Common construction, subject to change per manufacturer
Table 2: Insulation Thickness and Strand Count of Common Flexible Cable
REFERENCES
1.NFPA 70 2014, National Electrical Code 2013, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 5. “Appliance Wiring Material Style 1283.” UL iQ. Underwriter Laboratories, 04 Nov 2004. Web. 2 Apr 2014.
2.The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding. 12th ed. Cleveland: The Lincoln Electric Company, 1973. Print. 6. “Appliance Wiring Material Style 1284.” UL iQ. Underwriter Laboratories, 04 Nov 2004. Web. 2 Apr 2014.
3. “Subject 1276 Outline of Investigation for Welding Cable.” Underwriters Laboratories. 2005. 7. “UL 44 Thermoset-Insulated Wires and Cables.” Underwriters Laboratories. 2010.
4.“Subject 1650 Outline of Investigation for Portable Power Cable.” Underwriters Laboratories. 2008. 8. “ANSI/NEMA WC 58 ICEA S-75-381.” Portable and Power Feeder Cables For Use in Mines and Similar
Applications. Rosslyn, Virginia: 2008.

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