WCA July 2010

Insulated wire – machinery and materials

Someone who may know very little about electricity knows this much at least: that improperly insulated wiring can wreak havoc. Rogue electricity causes dangerous surges of voltage. Frayed insulation on power lines blocks the transmission of current, rendering computers and appliances useless. The investigation into an air disaster will often centre on abraded and burned insulation in onboard wiring systems. Protection from hazard is of pressing concern. This is as true of solar power as of any other energy system. Whether the electricity is generated from photovoltaic (PV) cells or from burning trash, thicker wire can carry more current; but thicker wire calls for more insulation, of exactly the right type and no other. For just so long as electricity — dangerous and beneficial — is harnessed to our purposes, the technology, materials and machinery of insulated wire will be critical. The providers of the products and services reviewed here know that, if the electric current is to move through wire, the requirement for failsafe insulation is forever.

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Wire & Cable ASIA – July/August 2010