Cable Size Identification

if it is single solid core, measure the size AWG and use charts to determine the ampacity and AWG or if it is strand, measure size of one strand and cound the number of all strands in a cable, compare the size with any cable chart in AWG, company by company cable size ampacity differs but not too much. Finally you can find approximately but not exactly the cable ampacity.

yes that is one of the method. but just came across one solution which i would like to sahre......

1)Measure the weight & length of a small piece (any one of the core of cable without insulation) in grams.

2) From that find out what is the weight of 1 meter piece in grams for above.

3) Devide it by 2.7 if cable conductor is aluminium & 8.9 if it is copper conductor.

4) Multiply the result by 1000, it will give you the size of the cable.

Will back to you after practical experiments.......

With practice and experience you can tell the size by looking at the outside diameter and the the internal cross section (for example to see if it is copper, aluminium, multi core, steel wire armour, strand count, compacted/un-compacted, etc). Fine selection can then be done with calipers.

This method has many advantages (andI believe is the most common method used in the industry), especially in that samples do not need to be removed for weighing, and yard stock (be it sheathed or unsheathed cable) generally will only consist of a selection of known conductor sizes.

Oh! Pal! You are my type! I too prefer to tell the cable size just by looking at it. And, more often than not, I was correctly judging. That is what you would call experience, huh!

A set of measuring callipers would go a long way towards doing this job, Boss.

Measure the outer diameter of the cable, see the insulation, type of conductor and take cable catalogue match the outer diameter find the cable size.

Proceed the Below Points

1) Measure the outer diameter of the cable

2) Find the Number of cores

3) Find the cable whether Armoured or unarmoured.

4) Type of Insulation

5) Type of conductor used

Finally take the Any one of the Cable catalogue and match all the above points you will find out the cable size.

Normally the manufacturer stamps the size on the outer insulation.

When I've really been stuck, I've used weight per meter. Normally I can tell by eye.

For any one interested to tell the CSA by weight.

SG of copper = 8930KG per M³

So the weight per meter = CSA/1,000*8930

CSA MM Gm per M

Don't forget this is the stripped weight of copper. (Good guide for weigh ins)!

For aluminium

SG of aluminium = 2560KG per M³

So the weight per meter = CSA/1,000*2560

CSA MM Gm per M

I've been lucky, everywhere I've worked had analytical labs. Access to accurate scales wasn't a problem.

First thing you should do is see if there is still a label on the drum, secondly the ID on the cable sheath. Do this before cutting up cables, stripping insulation and getting precision scales out.