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What To Look For In 4/0 Welding Cable

27th Jan 2020

Welding is a highly specialized process that requires extensive training and education, keen attention to detail, and very specific equipment in order to weld with efficiently and safely. Just as you would never weld or higher a welder that couldn’t rely on experience and training to deliver results, you wouldn’t rely on subpar or substandard equipment. In the best of scenarios, using the wrong welding cable would not only be ineffective because it wouldn’t have the highest degree of flexibility to get into the space being worked on or because it wore out too easily due to insufficient construction. In the worst of scenarios, the wrong welding cable can be a danger. It could overheat, pose a fire risk or worse. That’s why there are a few things to consider before selection welding cable for a project. Of course, you’ll need to select a welding cable that has the correct ampacity for its use, but regardless of the rating you need in a welding cable, you’ll want to make sure that whatever welding cable you select has enough flexibility and durability of components to get the job done. And whether you need anything from 6 gauge to  4/0 welding cable, you’ll find it right here at EWCS Wire.

Flexibility
Regardless of the ampacity, you require in a welding cable for a given job, you’ll want to make sure that any welding cable you use has as high a degree of flexibility. Using a welding cable with enough flexibility is critically important for a number of reasons. The first is that welding cables tend to be very tough and fairly thick. As a general rule, this makes wires and cables tend to be inflexible, but the nature of welding cables necessitates a high degree of flexibility.

This is because welding cables, unlike so many other power cables, need to be mobile on the job to move with the welder and the surface being worked on. Oftentimes welding can occur in cramped or restrictive spaces which are difficult to navigate. You’ll want to ensure that whatever welding cable you choose, even 4/0 welding cable, is flexible enough to navigate your job site. One of the things that welding cable manufacturers do to ensure a higher degree of flexibility in their welding cables is to use a very high copper wire strand count. The higher the strand count, the more flexible the welding cable tends to be. For example, if you are looking for 4/0 welding cable, the 4/0 gauge cable we offer here at EWCS Wire uses approximately 2014 strands of copper in its construction for extra flexibility.

Durability
Having a flexible cable with the correct ampacity is only one thing you should be looking for when you need to buy welding cable, however. You’ll also want to make sure that your welding cable features as durable a construction as possible. Welding cables have to put up with a wide range of temperature along with many environmental obstructions that can make work tough on the cable.

Consider the location where you will be welding. Will the cable be subject to any extremes of temperature that could take a toll on its insulation? Might there be corrosive agents present in the environment or other chemical hazards like oil or gas? It is possible the location might be wet? Even if your location doesn’t present any of these challenges, frequently the locations where welding occurs do offer these conditions and as a result welding cable needs to be very resilient. Also, even if your environment doesn’t offer any of these conditions, a welding cable needs to be very durable just to be safe. A large current of energy runs through welding cables, and they need to be very tough to keep the welder and the welding environment protected. If you can find a welding cable with the rating you need that is highly flexible and durable, you’ll be ready for the job, and here at EWCS Wire that’s exactly what you’ll find.

Get Your Welding Cable Here
Here is EWCS Wire, we offer the highest quality red and black welding cable so you can easily differentiate your cables for different uses. They’re also proudly constructed in the USA of 100% pure copper wire stranding for high flexibility and are rated at 600 volts and to withstand temperatures from -50C to 105C. Extremely rugged and oil and gas resistant, our welding cables are built to outperform and outlast.

But don’t just shop us for our excellence in welding cables. EWCS Wire is your premier supplier of all different types of wire and cable, for so many different uses from copper cable to marine and aluminum cable. Contact us at 800-262-1598 or chat with us here on our site to see what we can offer. We’re proud not only to offer a large inventory but to answer any questions you might have.

Sources:

N/A “Selecting The Proper Size Welding Cables.” Lincoln Electric. 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019 from https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/wel...