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  7. Interpower International Power Cable Explained

Interpower International Power Cable Explained

Video Transcript

Ralph Bright—
Hello, I’m Ralph Bright, Vice President of Marketing and IT at Interpower.

We have real people answering the phones each day at Interpower which means we receive a number of product design questions. Usually if a question has been asked by one person, it means that others also have the same question.

One commonly asked question is: “What is international cable?”

To answer this question, we have Jana Brown-Watts, Quality Assurance Coordinator. Welcome, Jana.

Jana Brown-Watts—
Thank you, Ralph.

Ralph—
What is international cable?

Jana—
International cable needs to be manufactured in accordance with EN 50525 cable standards. These are European standards accepted by member countries of CENELEC.

Ralph—
What is CENELEC?

Jana—
CENELEC stands for the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. It is an organization which has agreed upon formalized methods of construction and testing for common products.

Ralph—
Is it possible for manufacturers outside of the CENELEC group to make international cable?

Jana—
Yes, manufacturers from countries outside of the CENELEC group can be awarded approval to make international cable. They need to have approvals from at least one of the European testing agencies in accordance with the EN 50525 standards. When listing the cable type, such as H05VV-F, the “H” means it meets the cable standard of EN 50525, except that it is manufactured outside the CENELEC group of countries.

Ralph—
What is the <HAR> mark?

Jana—
Some international cable carries a special marking—the <HAR> mark—but not all international does. Depending on where the cable manufacturer is located, determines whether the <HAR> mark can be put on the cable itself. The <HAR> mark is a common marking that can only be used on cable manufactured by signatory members of CENELEC.

Ralph—
Does international cable need to be manufactured in accordance to any other standards?

Jana—
International cable needs to be manufactured in accordance with IEC cable standards, such as IEC 60227, and may also need to follow other country-specific cable standards as well, depending on the country the cable will be used in.

Ralph—
Can international cable be used anywhere in the world?

Jana—
No. International cable, depending on approvals, can be used in Europe and in other countries throughout the world, but not in North America.

Ralph—
Thank you, Jana, and thank you for joining us. For more information, please see our website at www.interpower.com.