subject: Welding Cable 350 Mcm Is A Very Flexible Wire [print this page] There are plenty of flexible and non flexible wires available on the market and both have their advantages depending on the type of application. Some cables are run indoors, outdoors, in conduit or underground while some are used on a constant basis such as welding cable and portable power cables.
Most people looking to have an electrical wire thats not flexible are electricians, contractors and installers. Once an electrical wire is installed it stays there without being touched again until its time to exchange it out for a new cable. Reasons to keep the cable stiff rather than flexible would be to snake it up a wall, run it in conduit or using it as an underground cable. These installations are completed much faster with a stiff wire because a flexible wire would get bunched up in the conduit or hang to the floor when the installer is trying to push it up a wall.
Flexible cables include welding cable, SOOW portable cord and extension cords because they are used while the application is in place. They are also coiled up and stored away when the portable application is finished. Think portable when you hear the word portable cord because all types are just like a portable extension cord. There used to run power to tools and small machines while industrial portable cord is used for larger machines on job sites without power.
Having a flexible cable in these cases is much more understandable compared to standard electrical installations in your home or a commercial building. Welding cable 350 MCM comes flexible automatically because engineers and manufacturers know that the application calls for something flexible rather than stiff.
A common 350 MCM copper cable thats not flexible is THHN electrical wire. THHN is the same wire used in homes and buildings discussed above. Not only are the copper strands less flexible but so isnt the insulation used to cover the copper. Its has PVC insulation with a nylon coating to resist water and moisture outdoors. Welding cable has flexible rubber insulation that more commonly gets dragged across the ground, thrown into storage and coiled into a bundle.
You can probably understand when and where a flexible cable can be used now. You can just call your wire and cable distributor and they will assist you in finding the correct cable for your application with a few simple questions. Remember, most of the time its figured out for you by the manufacturers.
