1.

FLEXIBLE ARMORED CABLE (FMC, AC, MC) Among the most common types of exposed wiring is NEC type AC armored cable, commonly known in the smaller sizes by the trade name BX. It is an assembly of insulated wires, bound together and enclosed in a protective armor made of a spiral wound interlocking strip of steel tape shown below. The cable is installed with simple U-clamps or staples holding it against beams, walls, and so on. This type of installation is frequently used in residences and in the rewiring of existing buildings. Use of type AC cable is generally restricted to dry locations. For application and installation details and restrictions, see NEC Article 333, Armored Cable. A similar construction with much broader application (covered in NEC Article 334) is metalclad (MC) cable. This cable may be used exposed or concealed and in cable trays, and, when covered with a moisture-impervious jacket, in wet and outdoor locations as well.

Flexible armored cable (NEC type AC, trade name BX). Note the insulating bushing that is always installed on the end of the armor to protect the wires from damage from the sharp edges of the cut steel armor.

Metal-clad cable ( NEC type MC, Article 334) with aluminum armor in lieu of the more common galvanized steel armor. Use is similar to that of the steel-armored cable, with the weight advantage of aluminum. Conductors are factory-installed, color-coded, and covered with type THHN insulation and nylon jacket. Cables of similar construction, using steel armor, are available for almost all power and control applications. (Courtesy of AFC Cable Systems.)

2. NMC/NM - NONMETALLIC SHEATHED CABLE (ROMEX) NEC types NM and NMC, also known by the trade name Romex, are restricted to small building applications that is, residential and other structures not exceeding three floors above grade shown on the first image. The plastic outer jacket, unlike the armor on type AC, makes type NM easier to handle but more vulnerable to physical damage. For application details and restrictions, see NEC Article 336, Nonmetallic Sheathed Cable. The typical installation technique is shown on the second figure.

Construction of typical NEC type NM cable. The illustrated cable is a twoconductor, No. 12 AWG with ground, insulated for 600 V. Normally shown are the manufacturer, cable trade name, and the letters (UL), which indicate listing of this product by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. The ground wire is bare or covered, and the entire cable may be obtained flat (illustrated), oval, or round.

Typical wiring technique using types NM (Romex) or AC (BX) in wood stud construction. With metal stud construction, BX cables are passed through precut openings in lieu of field-drilled holes. Where cables are exposed to damage from nails, screws, and other hazards, protective metal cover plates are required.

3. General Wiring; Thermoplastic (PEC)

also known as a thermosoftening plastic Thermoplastics are elastic and flexible due to the strain from manis turban above a glass transition temperature Thermoplastics can go through melting/freezing cycles repeatedly and the fact that they can be reshaped upon reheating gives them their name. This quality makes thermoplastics recyclable. The processes required for recycling vary with the thermoplastic. The plastics used for soda bottles are a common example of thermoplastics that can be and are widely recycled. Animal horn, made of the protein -keratin, softens on heating, is somewhat reshapable, and may be regarded as a natural, quasi-thermoplastic material.

4. MI (Mineral- Insulated, Metal Sheathed Cable)

Type MI Cable: Mineral- Insulated, Metal Sheathed Cable (Article 332). This cable has a liquid and gas tight continuous copper sheath over its copper conductors and magnesium oxide insulation. Type MI cable has a UL two hour fire resistive rat ing when properly installed. An installation requirement for this rating is that the cable be securely supported every 3 feet. Steel or stainless steel cable trays should be used to support Type MI cable being used for critical circuit service. During severe fire conditions, steel or stainless steel cable tray will remain intact and provide support longer than aluminum or fiberglass reinforced plastic cable trays Applications: - For services, feeders, and branch circuits - For power, lighting, control, and signal circuits

FUNCTION By using mineral insulated cable, you not only eliminate the uncertainty of conduit and wire, but also the cost of additional materials, including pull boxes, unions, grounding wires, conduit seals and other fittings. Pressure tested to 2000 psi, mineral insulated cable delivers superior performance by blocking the passage of vapors, gases, liquids and flames; eliminates pressure piling and confines any exploding gases to their immediate area

5. SNM (Shielded Non Metallic Sheathed Cable)

A factory assembly of two or more insulated electric conductors in an extruded code of moisture resistant, flame resistant metallic material covered with an overlapping spiral metal tape and wire shield and jacketed with an extruded moisture, flame-, oil-, corrosion-, fundus-, and sunlight resistant non metallic material.

6. Service-Entrance Cable: TYPE SE/ TYPE USE

A single conductor or multi-conductor assembly provided with or without an overall covering, primarily used for services, and of the following types:

Type SE. Service-entrance cable having a flame-retardant, moisture- resistant covering.

Type USE. Service-entrance cable, identified for underground use, having a moisture-resistant covering, but not required to have a flame-retardant covering.

Applications & Functions Service-entrance cable containing a bare grounded (neutral) conductor is not permitted for new installations where it is as a branch circuit to supply appliances such as ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, or clothes dryers. This exception permits a bare neutral service for existing installations only and is coordinated with the sections listed.

7. UF ( Underground Feeder and Branch-Circuit Cable)

A factory assembly of one or more insulated with an integral or an overall covering of nonmetallic material suitable for direct burial in the earth. Function Type UF cable suitable for exposure to the direct rays of the sun is indicated by tag marking and marking on the cable surface with the designation Sunlight Resistant. This physical protection requirement ensures that Type UF cable, as it emerges from underground, is protected from physical damage.
Each wire has its own protective color coded PVC ( polyvinyl chloride ) coating to keep the wire secure and make identification easy. The three power conducting wires are laid out with a bare ground wire and enclosed in a flat protective gray sunlight resistant PVC coating. This direct burial UF cable is UL listed as Type UF-B for direct burial #E25682. The conductors are grease, chemical and crush resistant. The PVC flat shell that encloses the conductors is sunlight, moisture, and chemical resistant to protect the wire which is buried without the need or use of conduit. This wire is used to run power from your house power panel to the top of your water well.

8. TC (Power and control tray cable)

A factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors, with or without associated bare or covered grounding conductors, under a nonmetallic jacket. Type TC cable is a multiconductor cable with a flame retardant nonmetallic sheath that is used for power, lighting, control, and signal circuits. It is the most common cable type installed in cable tray for 480 volt feeders, 480 volt branch circuits, and control circuits. Where Type TC cables comply with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC cable and is identified for such use, they are permitted as open wiring between a cable tray and the utilization equipment or device. In these instances where the cable exits the tray, the cable must be supported and secured at intervals not exceeding 6 feet. The service record of UL listed Type TC cable where properly applied and installed has been excellent.

9. FC (FLAT CABLE ASSEMBLY)

An assembly of parallel conductors formed integrally with an insulating material web specifically designed for field installation in surface metal raceway Application: As branch circuits to supply suitable tap devices for lighting, small appliances, or small power loads. The rating of the branch circuit shall not exceed 30 amperes.
A 3-phase, 4-wire flat cable assembly installed in a steel channel is shown. Taps into the conductors are made by tightening the tap device. Taps can be made phase-toground to give 120 V and phase-tophase to give 208 V. (If the cable is connected to a 277/480-V, 3-phase system, then the phaseto- ground and phase-to-phase voltages will be 277 and 480 V, respectively.) After a tap device is removed, the puncture made by the tap heals itself.

10. FCC (FLAT CONDUCTOR CABLE)

Type FCC Cable. Three or more flat copper conductors placed edge-to-edge and separated and enclosed Insulating assembly. Bottom Shield. A protective layer that is installed between the floor and Type FCC flat conductor cable to protect the cable from physical damage and may or may not be incorporated as an integral part of the cable Cable Connector. A connector designed to join Type FCC cables without using a junction box. FCC System. A complete wiring system for branch circuits surfaces in surface metal raceways. that is designed for installation under carpet squares. The FCC system includes Type FCC cable and associated shielding, connectors, terminators, adapters, boxes, and receptacles. Insulating End. An insulator designed to electrically insulate the end of a Type FCC cable. these temperatures. Metal Shield Connections. Means of connection designed to electrically and mechanically connect a metal shield to another metal shield, to a receptacle housing or self-contained device, or to a transition assembly. Top Shield. A grounded metal shield covering under-carpet components of the FCC system for the purposes of providing protection against physical damage. Transition Assembly. An assembly to facilitate connection of the FCC system to other wiring systems, incorporating (1) a means of electrical interconnection and (2) a suitable box or covering for providing electrical safety and protection against physical damage.

11. BUSBAR A busway (busduct) is an assembly of copper or aluminum bars in a rigid metallic housing figure below. Its use is almost always preferable, from an economic viewpoint, in two instances: when it is necessary to carry large amounts of current (power) and when it is necessary to tap onto an electrical power conductor at frequent intervals along its length. A typical application of heavy-duty busduct might be a vertical feeder in a high-rise building connecting the basement switchboard to the penthouse machine room. The same building might also use heavy-duty plug-in busduct as vertical riser(s) with taps feeding individual floors (Fig. 27.2). Typical

Cutaway view showing construction of a typical feeder busduct. This design is highly compact and rigid, which gives desirable electrical characteristics as well as the advantage of small size. Sectional view of a busduct (on top) shows the tight assembly of insulated conductors within a metal housing. This design, unlike the ventilated type, can be mounted in any position because heat dissipation is by conduction from the busbars to the housing. The eight sets of cable shown beneath it have the same currentcarrying capacity as the busduct.

Typical installation of compact-design busduct. Note that the individual busducts are supported by channels hung from the ceiling and that the same hangers support more than one level of bus. Right-angle turns are easily made in the same plane (horizontal or vertical) and between vertical and horizontal planes.

 Construction of one type of plug-in busduct. Plug-ins are evenly spaced on alternate sides to facilitate connection of plug-in breakers, switches, transformers, or cable taps. Housing is of sheet steel with openings for ventilation. The cover plate is not shown.

Typical bus duct system (Courtesy: General Electric)

12. CABLE BUS

Cablebus is similar to ventilated busduct, except that it uses insulated cables instead of busbars. The cables are rigidly mounted in an open space-frame. The advantage of this construction is that it carries the ampacity rating of its cables in free air, which is much higher than for the same cables in conduit, thus giving a high amperes-per-dollar first-cost figure. Its principal disadvantages are bulkiness and difficulty in making taps.