All of Whitney Blake’s cords and cables come with an Underwriters Laboratory (UL) letter code that helps to identify their potential uses and capabilities—important information if you are wondering if a cable or cord is appropriate for your application.
The letters reflect the way the cord or cable is constructed, including the working voltage, type of insulation, and type of outer jacket.
For example, the letters “SVO” indicate:
- Light duty cord, with voltage rating of 600 volts
- Vacuum cord, with voltage rating of 300 volts, suitable for portable cleaning equipment
- Oil resistant outer jacket
The letters “SOW” indicate:
- Light duty cord, with voltage rating of 600 volts
- Oil resistant outer jacket
- Weather and water resistant (for indoor and outdoor use)
The letters “SJOW” indicate:
- Junior severe (SJ) service, with voltage rating of 300 volts
- Oil resistant outer jacket
- Weather and water resistant (for indoor and outdoor use)
There are letter designations for tinsel cord (T, when the first letter), thermoplastic (T, but not the first letter), heat (H) and high heat (HH) resistance, and elastomer (E), among others. Letters may be duplicated; for example, SJOOW cord has both oil resistant insulation and an oil resistant outer jacket.
These letter designations tell only part of the story, however. You may need to know the flex life, tensile strength, conformance to military specifications, gauge, number of conductors, and other characteristics. You may need special twisting, packaging and labeling, or the ability to meet detailed performance criteria, such as repeated coiling or resistance to elongation or heat.
If you are uncertain whether a cable or cord has—or could be designed to have—the characteristics and performance most important to you, please contact Whitney Blake directly. Our Research & Development team and our highly trained sales staff are on hand to help determine the exact cables, harnesses, cords, and assemblies that will fit your needs.