The term multi conductor cable is a very broad term because there are so many different types of cables and insulations that fit into that category. There’s power cable, tray cable, electrical cable and electronic multi conductor cables.
Power Cable
Power cable is similar to an extension cord because they’re made the same way. They have the conductors in the inside and the rubber jacket to cover them. Portable cord is another name for the multi conductor power cables because it’s a cord that’s portable. Electrical contractors bring portable cord to the job site to run power to machines and tools.
Electronic Cable
This is the most basic type of multi conductor cable because it’s the cheapest. It’s made very cheap with PVC wires and a PVC jacket. It’s an indoor cable that’s mostly used for alarms and sound systems in your home. It’s very similar to a telephone cable.
These multi conductor cables come with single conductors, twisted pairs and twisted triads. The copper strands come in stranded and solid for different flexibility options and the cables have anywhere from 2 to 300 wires in them. You can get just about whatever you need for a multi conductor cable because the term is so general.
The electrical cable comes mostly in bare copper because that’s how most electrical wire is constructed. Outdoor wire doesn’t need a tin coating because it’s just supplying power to a source. electrical cable gland The reason for tin is to help adhere to the solder so there’s obviously no need for that in the electrical field. Tin is actually less of a conductor than copper so its purpose has nothing to do with conductivity.
UFB Cable is one of the most popular electrical cables because it can do anything. It can be used indoors or outdoors or even underground. That’s why some people refer to it as “underground cable” because it doesn’t need conduit or raceway. It has a very tough jacket with THHN wires inside and a bare copper ground wire. Each conductor is individually covered by the PVC insulation making it more protective to the copper strands. For that reason underground feeder cables come in a flat version instead of the more common round cables on the market.
Make sure to ask questions when you try to buy your multiconductor cables because of the amount of variations you can come across. You might find that you needed something much more complex than you thought.