Power Cable vs Control Cable

It is 2022 – residential, commercial, and industrial properties are powered by electricity and are controlled via automation. This is possible because of a complex network of cables that run through the premises – primarily power and control cables. But what are they? More on power cables and control cables below.

HSLHCH 300/500V Cu Conductor with LSZH Insulated and Sheathed ,and Tinned Copper Wires Braid Screening Control Cable

What Is A Power Cable?

A power cable is an electric cable that transmits and shifts energy from a power source to a piece of electronic equipment. Installation can be overhead or underground, depending on their use, and they usually consist of 2+ electric conductors covered by a sheath. Copper and aluminium are primarily used due to their high electric conductivity, while polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most common dielectric due to its great insulation capacity. The sheath is usually made of lead alloy due to high durability. The types of power cables are:

  • Medium Voltage Power Cables
  • Aluminium Service Drop Cables
  • Paper Power Cable
  • NM-B Romex
  • Service Entrance Cables

Now that you know everything about power cables, let’s learn about control cables.

What Is A Control Cable?

A control cable is an electric cable that is designed to help equipment function as it is supposed to via automation. It sends signals to the various lines in electrical equipment to make this possible. It is the most essential part of an automation system and hence, must be of superior quality. This means they should have a UL rating and be covered with a braid shield, foil shield, or both. In addition, it must be able to tolerate flex for hassle-less installation in the most difficult of locations. They are essential to robotics, assembly lines, and power distribution systems, among others.

Now that you have learnt about power and control cables, let’s dive deep into how they are different from each other.

Differences Between Power And Control Cables

There are a few major differences between power cables and control cables, and we have listed the main ones down below:

  • Insulation

    Power cables require thicker insulation than control cables when working in the same environment.

  • Voltage

    Control cables have a voltage of 300V to 600V, and power cables usually have a higher voltage of 0.6/1 kV.

  • Gauge

    Control cables start at a size of 28 AWG and go up to 2 AWG while power cables start at 40 AWG and can go to 1 AWG.

  • Temperature

    Control cables can withstand temperatures up to 900 degrees C, while power cables

  • Executive Standard

    Power cables are GB12706 while control cables are 9330.

  • Colour

    Control cables are usually black with white alphabets or numbers while power cables have different colours.

  • Cores

    Power cables have 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 cores – based on their utility. However, control cables have cores ranging from 2 to 61 in numbers!

We are sure that you are in a commanding position to choose the apt power and control cables for your facility, now that you know all about them! But which company should you trust?