6/3 SOOW Portable
The 6/3 SOOW Portable cable is a six gauge cable with a many adaptabilities tailored for a busy industrial setting. It’s also commonly referred to as a 6 gauge 3 conductors cable, as the name hints. This is another versatile portable SOOW Cable which can be put to a wide range of commercial and domestic applications. It has a copper conductor, a water resistant insulation, a water resistant and fire retardant jacket to ensure optimal transmission in a wide range of environments.
Conductor
6/3 SOOW Portable cord has a fully annealed copper conductor with great conductivity and high ampacity. Copper is used for the cord because it’s naturally available and has a better conductivity than many conventional conductors. Annealing makes the cable soft, easy to terminate and more flexible compared to un-annealed copper which is more rigid and could easily break if bent during installation. The cable is therefore efficient and easy to handle during installations.
Insulation
M-Class ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, commonly referred to as EPDM is used to insulate the three conductors of the 6 gauge 3 conductor cable. This insulation is water resistant and can effectively keep of industrial solvents, UV rays, and ozone as well. EPDM insulation is made of synthetic rubber which is an elastomer with a wide range of application environment. It is developed in accordance with ASTM D-1418 which describes insulations with saturated chains of polymethylenes. Each of the three conductors has an insulation of 0.06 inches nominal thickness.
Jacket
Like many portable SOOW cords, the 6-3 SOOW Wire has a 0.975 inches thick Chlorinated polyethylene jacket (CPE). CPE jacketing is used because it’s tough yet very flexible. With this, you can fold the cable multiple times without the jacket developing lines of weaknesses. Moreover, it can effectively absorb abrasive impacts, UV rays, repel water and withstand any changes in weather. This means that the 6/3 SOOW is a durable cord which can serve a heavy duty power system with power without fluctuations in a very long duration. This jacket is also flame retardant meaning; in case of a fire breakout, it transforms into a hard incombustible compound that keeps the underlying conductor safe for the damaging effects of the fire.
Size and Capacity
The SOOW wire is a heavy duty cable because it can transmit up to 600 volts under normal working conditions. I say normal working conditions because it can operate with a temperature range of between -400C and 900C. That range of temperatures is pretty wide meaning the cable gives optimum performance in both wet and dry environmental condition which is pretty much any work environment. It has a capacity of 55 amps which is pretty high compared to other portable SOOW Cords. Color code adopted for the three conductors are white, blue and black.
Approvals and Certifications
6/3 Portable SOOW cord is approved for use in indoor and outdoor applications. It is approved because it has been tested and proved to possess the qualities that the manufacturer purports it possesses. Approval gives a cable so much validity because it has a direct impact on the end user’s faith in the product. It meets the following standards:
- NEC 501.140 Class I Div. 2
- MSHA
- NEC Article 400
- RoHS
Applications
6/3 generator cord has a wide range of applications. Basically any machine which uses three phase power will operate well with this cable as long as the capacity does not exceed 55 Amps and 600 volts. The most common applications include:
- High voltage industrial portable tools
- Generator lead wires
- Service wire for large industrial machines
- Motor vehicles and portable tools.
- Handy compressors
- Temperature control systems
- Fire alarm controls
- Motor vehicle leads
The maximum length of the 6 gauge 3 conductor SOOW wire is 1000 feet which weighs approximately 700 pounds and the minimum length sold is one foot. The cable is easy to install in cable trays and ducts thanks to the flexibility of the conductors, insulation and jacket. There are many similar SOOW wires, your choice depend on the unique needs of your project. I hope you found this piece informative, for more information and queries, get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.
