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We manufacture a variety of Quik-Pull bundled cable configurations designed to meet the needs of electrical contractors in a range of markets including data centers, automated conveyor systems, solar farm construction, water treatment facilities, and more. Customers will often ask us what are the different applications of a straight versus a spiral configuration.

We are the only manufacturers of the spiral configuration so it is common for us to receive customer inquiries about this unique bundled cable assembly.

Here’s a quick overview on some of the differences and their specific industry uses.

Spiral Configuration

A spiral configuration is a multi-conductor, spiraled together creating a highly flexible cable bundle.

The spiral configuration’s harness and assembly enables it to maintain its roundness in almost all pulls. It is perfect for long pulls where wires must travel along the same path.

The spiral configuration bundle is ideal for “Home Runs” that need to be pulled through conduits, raceways, and gutters. The nylon harness maintains the bundled wirings flexibility while still ensuring that the conductors have enough room to breath.

The spiral configuration assemblies are the most flexible custom bundled cables on the market. Because the spiral configurations retain their roundness and do not change their proportion when bent, they have the lowest chance of hang ups.

Because the spiral assembly preserves its flexibility and roundness under most conditions, it is easier to pull long distances.

INDUSTRY USES:

• For long pulls in conduit where all the conductors will be carried end-to-end.
• Where minimum outside diameter and maximum flexibility are needed.
• Where the overall assembly is to be jacketed.

Additional info:

• The minimum footage per order is 100 feet.
• The wrap is a standard spiral wrap.
• The maximum overall diameter possible is 1.48” (if your OD is larger than this, you would want to choose a straight configuration below).

Straight Configuration

In the straight configuration, conductors can be broken out at unspecified and intermediate points along their run with up to 200 conductors on pull-length reels. 

The straight configuration consists of individual conductors that can be easily broken out at intermediate points along the run.

In a straight configuration bundle the conductors are laid parallel with no twists. They are ideal for bundles laid in tray, troughs, or other wire management systems where there is no conduit. There is custom printing of any alpha numeric combination along the entire length of the conductor every 1” to 6.”

Since there is custom marking and bundling, all set up on a single reel, this bundled configuration speeds up tray installations while also ensuring there is no left over wire to clean up or left over as surplus inventory.

INDUSTRY USES

• For composites of electronic cables with or without building/fixture wires.
• Where conductors will be broken out at intermediate points along the run.
• Where the assembly will be laid in place, not pulled (wireways or raceways).

Additional info:

• There is no minimum footage requirement.
• The wrap is standard double cross, with optional taped pull tabs for OD’s up to 1”.
• When the overall diameter is 1”or higher, taped pull tabs is recommended.
• The maximum overall diameter possible is 2.1”.

Visit our bundled cable configurations page to learn more about our different cable assembly options.

Solar Energy Industry

Solar energy industry trends have been showing steady growth for years, but now the solar industry is adapting to the challenges of the Covid-19 crisis. This is the first economic recession the solar industry has had to face since becoming a mainstream product. Many major solar energy companies are offering substantial incentives, and you could leverage these incentives as a selling point to your clients. 

In addition to the incentives being offered by solar companies, there’s also the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The tax credit is 26% through 2020 for solar energy projects, and is currently scheduled to decrease to 22% in 2021. The tax credit and company incentives together make an enticing opportunity for electrical contractors and their clients, but they’re also both time limited to take advantage of. This may add the pressure of time, but there are tools and systems electrical contractors can use to save time and labor on even the most sprawling solar energy projects. 

Government Investment in Public Works

Government spending will increase as a way to revitalize the economy, and historically a lot of that spending lands in construction. These construction projects usually involve projects like road repair and construction, main electrical grid updates, street lighting, and public works updates such as parks.

There is also an attractive opportunity for electrical contracts for institutional buildings, such as schools, government agency buildings, and, of course, hospitals. These types of projects currently account for 19.3% of revenue in the electrical contracting industry, and that number is only going to grow with increased government spending.

Smart Cities

While smart cities may sound like the types of projects that would be put on hold during a crisis, there are a lot of practical benefits to them that will become even more important in the wake of Covid-19. Many smart city initiatives are attempts to answer serious problems, such as rapidly increasing city populations with minimal public resources and staffing to compensate for them. Crises like Covid-19 only make these problems more immediate.

Some of the government spending outlined above is going to go to smart city projects. This is a good time to highlight the government contracts you’ve worked on, all of your IoT implementation experience, and any public infrastructure work. 

You can also try reaching out to universities in the cities where you want to work. A lot of smart city projects are run through universities, and they either hire contractors themselves with grant money, or can put you in direct contact with decision makers.

Facilities Services

Most electrical contracts come from new construction projects, but there has been a decline in nonresidential and residential construction in 2020 due to Covid-19.

This creates an opportunity to focus on specialized maintenance, repair, and updating services, or “facilities services”. More companies have been investing in upgrading their existing electrical systems, and these investments are not expected to be hit as hard as new construction initiatives.

Lighting systems are an example of a facilities service that’s still in demand. You should consider emphasizing your experience in upgrading lighting systems to LED and energy-efficient systems, as well as updating lighting systems to smart lighting systems. Familiarize yourself with smart lightbulbs and IoT lighting system devices that are current market leaders so you’re ready to start making educated recommendations to your clients. If you’re including solar energy in the job you can take advantage of the government support mentioned above.

Check out our custom bundled cable configurations.

Smart city initiatives serve a more immediate purpose than just staying modern. A lot of cities that launch smart city strategies are major metro areas that are anticipating significant population increases over the coming years, with no increase in government staffing or workers. Implementing smart city technology is therefore becoming a “must have” for some cities. And they’re going to need electrical contractors to get them implemented.

1. Seattle, WA

Publicly Available Data

Seattle’s government has made over 1,000 data sets publically accessible. The data is all about how Seattle functions as a city: crime tracking and public safety, transportation, education, finance, and more. This encourages and equips companies that want to launch smart city initiatives in the city. Smart city technology focuses on flexible solutions that adapt to the changing environment they’re implemented in. And the amount of available data will only increase: Seattle is currently pursuing the Array of Things project, which will install tracking devices around the city to produce real-time data on environment and infrastructure. Making data public like this not only encourages new smart city projects, but helps to ensure their effectiveness and longevity.

MetroLab Network Member

Seattle is a member of the MetroLab Network. This is a national network of city-university partnerships with an emphasis on engineering and computer science, and in 2015 the University of Washington and the City of Seattle became members. Every project they launch through this program has government funding, and requires electrical engineering work. For example, one of the projects currently being run by Seattle is the Seattle City Light project, which aims to track and measure electricity demand throughout the city as it relates to climate to better allocate energy in real-time. This requires installation of new devices, updating the connections of existing devices, and building up the city’s main power grid infrastructure.

2. New York City, NY

OneNYC 2050

OneNYC 2050 was released in 2015 as the official strategic plan for New York City. It focuses on modernizing New York, with initiatives such as increasing access to broadband while becoming a leader in cybersecurity, and expanding electrical infrastructure to be able to connect the entire city. Needless to say, all of these projects are going to require tons of electrical contracting work.

Record-Level Construction Growth

OneNYC 2050 may be an ambitious strategy, but New York is putting its money where its mouth is. Construction permit approvals have been increasing steadily since 2000, and have increased 44% since 2014 alone. There was a slight dip during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, so we can expect to see a similar effect in 2020 and 2021 from the COVID crisis. But New York proved in 2009 that these electrical infrastructure-based plans are a priority for them, so we can also expect a bounce back to growth at some point.

3. Boston, MA

Funding, Government Support, and Knowledge

Boston was the first US city to have an official Innovation District, one of 80 across the world to get the title. Boston’s Seaport was identified as their central Innovation District in 2012, shortly after the release of their Smart City Masterplan in 2010. The city is so supportive of smart city initiatives that it has its own department in city hall dedicated to them: The Office of New Urban Mechanics. This dedicated department also gives electrical contractors looking for contacts a centralized point-of-contact. This makes navigating the government bureaucracy that comes with many smart city electrical contracting projects easier. Boston also has an advantage in terms of funding and talent: internationally respected universities. These universities provide a talent pool for these projects that makes them feasible, and these universities also bring more funding to the table. Smart city projects that require electrical contracting work in Boston have the potential to receive financial backing from a number of sources: federal government, state and local governments, university funds, research grants, and private businesses. In short, there is ample money, support, and talent in Boston for pursuing smart city initiatives. What they need are electricians electrical engineering professionals to make it all happen.

Go Boston 2030 

A major prong of Boston’s smart city strategy focuses on transportation. Construction and implementation is already underway for 21 projects, with 17 projects in the planning phase and 20 yet to be started. The majority of these initiatives involve installing devices around the city, connecting already-installed devices and updating electrical infrastructure in general. You can find a list of the specific initiatives and their requirements here. If you’re an electrical contractor looking for projects in Boston, this document also lists the construction companies selected to work on these projects. You can reach out to the Boston city government directly, universities involved in the research aspect of the projects, or the construction companies involved in them. There are multiple avenues you can take to try and break into the Boston smart city market.

Fill out the form below and one of our representatives will be happy to chat about how our bundled cable configurations are saving electrical contractors time on commercial construction projects.

Cyber security is quickly becoming a main concern in nearly every industry, and electrical contractors are no exception. Trends come and go in business, especially around tech. But cyber security is different:

• 64% of companies have experienced a web-based attack
• 60% of small businesses that suffer a cyberattack go out of business within 6 months
• By 2020 there will be 200 billion connected devices

200 billion connected devices is a staggering number, and it affects electrical contractors directly. Every smart device in a chain presents a new opportunity for an attack. As electrical contractors are increasingly tasked with projects that include connecting smart devices, they are responsible for selecting the correct devices and implementing them securely.

1. Choose the Right Device Based on Standards

Different types of smart devices often have their own testable security standards. For example, in 2018 the DesignLights Consortium released their Networked Lighting Control Systems Technical Requirements Version 3.0. These requirements laid out security and compliance standards, and they also created a list of compliant products as a resource.

You can find standards like this for most smart device categories and industries. If electrical contractors work in a specific industry or frequently installs a particular type of device, they will need to familiarize themselves with the appropriate regulations and governing bodies. And if they work with the same type of device a lot of the time, they will need to think about choosing a specific product or manufacturer as their go-to solution.

2. Vendor Security Practice Assessments

A growing trend with companies looking to hire electrical contractors is to send the potential contractor a questionnaire asking them about their cybersecurity expertise and protocols. Because a lot of cyber vulnerabilities come from their web of interconnected devices, they will often ask you about your familiarity with that particular device or that device category in general.

Becoming familiar with every IoT device on the market isn’t just unnecessary, it’s impossible. Stick to familiarizing yourself with the most popular categories of devices, such as smart lighting, thermostats, security and fire systems, and any devices that are especially relevant in the industries you work in.

If a potential client doesn’t send you an assessment or raise the topic of cybersecurity at all, that gives you an opportunity to proactively raise the issue and increase your authority in the eyes of the client. Consider writing out an electrical contracting cybersecurity plan overview to send to these clients. You can educate them on an important issue and provide an expert solution simultaneously.

3. Your Own Security and Data Protection will be Scrutinized

It’s becoming increasingly common for clients to ask electrical contractors about their own cyber security measures. This isn’t just to see if you practice what you preach: they need to know that all of the data you have on them and their project will be protected. You will have floor plans, budgets, contact and payment information, and all types of highly sensitive data. Even if you carefully planned out the wiring and thoroughly vetted every device in the chain, all of that caution could be for nothing if a bad actor gets their hands on the detailed plans and data.

If you don’t have cyber security measures in place worth mentioning, now is the time to beef up your security. Aside from simply being a modern business necessity, project contracts will be won and lost based on how much attention you give to cyber security concerns.

In the bundled cable industry, we come across a lot of different products for pulling wire through conduit. Here are some that have caught our attention.

1) CP1000

The CP1000 by Electrical Product Innovation is a cordless handheld wire puller that attaches to your portable power drill. It can pull wires up to 1/0 gauge in size, measures 24″ in length when fully extended, and collapses into a transportable size that fits in most tool bags. The CP1000 increases the efficiency of wire pulling jobs, but it’s also making a name for itself because of its effects on worker safety. Shoulder, wrist, and other repetitive-motion-injuries that are common amongst electrical contractors are minimized by using this tool. Job efficiency, portability, and improved safety make the CP1000 one of the best wire pulling tools available.

2) Fish Tape

Fish tape, also known as draw wire, draw tape, or an “electricians snake,” is a thin, long band of steel or fiberglass that’s coiled around a reel. It’s particularly popular for pulling 12 gauge wires or low voltage cable. Fiberglass offers more protection against accidental conductivity but sacrifices rigidity. Steel can be guided easier because it produces more tension and rigidity before bending. In addition to choosing the right fish tape material, the construction and quality of the reel the fish tape is on is critical. Quality fish tape is useless if your reel binds or breaks mid-pull and you’re stuck with half a run of wiring hidden behind a wall. 

3) Wire Pulling Rods

Also called “fish sticks,” wire pulling rods are shorter in length than fish tape, and they aren’t used along with a reel. While fish tape is great for running conduits long distances, rods are ideal for navigating shorter, tighter spaces. This makes rods ideal for electrical contractors running wire through a cramped area with little wiggle room, like inside a wall or ceiling. There are also glow rods that shine in the dark to enable you to see what you’re doing in these darker, smaller workspaces. Wire pulling rods also come with a variety of different heads to suit your needs, such as hooks, loops, and magnetic heads.

4) Nylon Pull Rope

Nylon pull rope, also called “pull string,” “pull lines,” or “pull cords,” has an excellent tensile-strength-to-weight ratio, and is classified by its pound pull weight capacity. Nylon pull rope is used for pulling wires and cables, usually in conjunction with other tools described here. When a rod or tape has a hook or looped end, the pull rope is fastened to it.

5) Conduit Piston with Vacuum

Also called a “conduit mouse,” conduit pistons are small cylinders, usually made of foam material. Wire is inserted into the conduit piston, which is then placed into the conduit. The piston gives the wire a larger end that’s easier to see, grab, and manipulate.

When the piston is inserted into the conduit, an industrial vacuum or shop vac is placed on the opposite end of the conduit. The tight fit of the piston in the conduit creates suction, and pulls the piston, rope, and wire all through the conduit. Electrical contractors often use pistons to run custom bundled cable configurations to save time on installation.

6) Bundled Cable

While all of these tools will help you run wires more efficiently, you’re still running each wire individually. Bundled cable manufacturers will create custom lengths, colors, and configurations of wires to match your exact project specifications. Custom marked and bundled cable saves electrical contractors an average of 30% in installation costs by enabling them to get the job done quickly with just a single pull. When you pull bundled cable using the tools described here, your wire pulling job will reach maximum efficiency.

THHN (Thermoplastic High Heat-Resistance Nylon coated) is a cost-effective building wire that is typically used for carrying electrical currents between buildings and external power sources, signaling, control wiring, machine tools, and automation systems. Most THHN building wire comes with the dual rating THHN/THWN, meaning it is usable in both wet and dry conditions, as well as both indoor and outdoor use. It can be used with voltages up to 600v.

There is a downside to THHN wire: flexibility. THHN building wire uses a nylon jacket and relatively thin PVC insulation that improves conductivity. However, the PVC insulation combined with the nylon coating makes THHN inflexible and time-consuming to install. THHN cable bundles wire has all the benefits of THHN wire while minimizing the disadvantages of inflexibility and installation time.

Control Wiring Indoor Applications

When applied indoors, THHN is used in either a single- or multi-conductor form. Because of the inflexibility of THHN wire, many electrical contractors bundle it together to make planning and installation quicker and easier. With its 600v rating and conductive insulation, THHN building wire is usable for nearly all appliances such as hot water heaters and garbage disposals. THHN wire is water-resistant, so it can be used safely with appliances and in industrial environments.

As a control wire, we see it often used in automated conveyor belt systems, such as airport baggage claims and assembly lines.

Consider wiring a machine tool workshop. THHN wire is a cost-effective choice that resists grease, oil, heat, and other potentially damaging byproducts of machinery. But in workshop environments the placement of wires is critical to avoid interference with running machinery and human movement. Precisely installing the wiring piece-by-piece would ensure accuracy, but it would take a lot of hours. If you plan out your installation and then get your THHN building wire bundled to the workshop’s exact specifications, your installation will be just as accurate but take a fraction of the installation time.

Outdoor Applications

This resistance to substances and heat also makes THHN building wire a good choice for outdoor applications. Outdoor THHN wiring is often used by commercial buildings for lighting and connecting to external power sources. When installed outside, THHN wires must be run individually, which is time-consuming. Many electrical contractors bundle their outdoor THHN wire together with protective UFB (Underground Feeder, Direct Burial) jackets to make installation easier.

THHN wires can not be installed underground on their own. They must first be installed into a conduit, and THHN wires can be installed into a conduit without additional protection.

Think about installing the wiring for an outdoor parking lot. Each lamp post will need its own wiring connecting it to the power source, and you would have to run the THHN wires individually because you’re outdoors. Planning this installation is an easy grid, but the actual installation would take up more hours than it should. If the THHN wires were bundled THHN together to match the project specifications, installation would take far less time.

Is Bundled THHN Building Wire the Right Choice?

THHN building wire is an adaptable product that’s useful for a wide range of commercial applications. Its resistance to heat and moisture make it ideal for both indoor and outdoor applications, and its cost-effectiveness makes it an attractive choice.

Interested in learning more about our different wire types? Have a look at our cable bundles. 

One thing we as manufacturers for products used by electrical contractors and electricians is to look for are products and processes that can be standardized. Standardization means better preplanned production, which means less labor and higher volume which translates into lower prices for electrical contractors and electricians from us.

One of the standards for the electrical industry is the 3-Phase circuit color codes. For low/medium voltage, black, red, and blue wires with an identifiable matching neutral is the rule. For high voltage (HV), it is brown, orange and yellow wires and again with an identifiable matching neutral. At this point, the numbering sequences can vary from electrical contractor to electrical contractor. One contractor may just label the wires as #1-6 with the first two black wires numbered #1 and #2, and the two red wires #3 and #4, and the two blue wires #5 and #6 and the six whites phase striped (2 striped black, 2 striped red, 2 striped blue). A different electrical contractor may have them alternating so the first black wire is #1, red wire #2, Blue wire #3, and second of each are #4, #5, #6 respectively and the whites are numbered as well #1-6 so they can be paired. The third may ask for two reds #28, and #33, two blues #29 and #30, and two black #31 and #32, with the neutral whites to be phased, striped, and numbered accordingly. While another electrical contractor may ask for two 3 circuit pulls, one marked with “odds” and the other marked with “evens” and each containing a black, red, blue conductor and a matching neutral.

Three of these four examples are using a standardized rule for 3 phase circuits. In a standard three phase circuit, the three phases are listed as “A”, “B”, and “C” in a Panel. The left side and right side both have these phases, therefore Phase A on the left is Circuit 1, and Phase A on the right is Circuit 2, Phase B on the left is Circuit 3 and on the right Circuit 4, and Phase C is Circuit 5 on the left and Circuit 6 on the right.

Now if you standardize the colors of the three phases so they are always the same, Phase A will always be black, Phase B will always be red, and Phase C will always be blue. Most electrical contractors generally accept this principle and very rarely do we see the 6 circuits requested in a single color. However, we still see a lot of requests similar to this where the phase lines are broken down by the generally accepted colors of black, red, and blue, which are then numbered sequentially 1 through 6 so there are not two conductors of black both number 1.

So the electrical industry has standardized itself into two camps: one uses the sequential method discussed above, and the second (which comprises the majority) uses what is known as the “Rule of 6.”

In commercial 120/208-volt medium voltage and 277/480-volt high voltage electrical systems, there are three phases – A, B, and C. Each phase is one of three colors – black, red, or blue for low and medium voltage and Brown, Orange, Yellow for high Voltage. Each phase gets a matching neutral circuit (although in rare occurrences a circuit may share a neutral). For low and medium voltage, the circuits use a white conductor for the neutral and high voltage circuits. Phase A is circuit 1 and 2 (black), Phase B is circuit 3 and 4 (red), Phase C is circuit 5 and 6 (blue). It then starts over with the phases. Phase A is circuit 7 and 8 (black) and on down the line. Phase A circuits are always black wire. Phase B circuits are always red wire. Phase C circuits are always blue wire. Seems easy enough to remember. This is where the name the “rule of 6″ was developed.

Each multiple of 6 is always blue: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60. The request for #1,and #2 in black, #3 and #4 in red, and #5 and #6 in blue, fall into this rule. As for the one that was continuing to the next panel with the two blues #29 and #30, it is still the Rule of 6. #30 is divisible by 6 and take away one we have #29. A great feature of this rule is that the electrician does not have to remember all these numbers or which ones are odd and which ones are even. All the electrical professional needs to remember is blue is a multiple of 6 along with the color pattern black, red, blue. Once the electrical worker knows this, then it becomes easy to figure out the other circuit colors by finding the closest multiple of 6 and backtracking.

For example, if you had to pull wire for circuit 27, you would find the closest multiple of 6, which is 30. Since 29 and 30 are both blue, it means that 27 and 28 are both red, so the color wire needed to install for circuit 27 would be red. This works regardless of the conductor number. If electrical contractors simplify their numbering to match the slots in the electrical panels in which the branch circuits are installed, one will notice the numbering on the left are odds, and the right evens.

If a panel has 42 slots there are 21 circuits on each side and 7 complete phase lines available. This means a factory can standardize configurations of bundled cable up to 42 circuits, allowing a limited stock available which then just need to be cut to length and shipped after receiving the order. This helps mark clearly the panel box for each reel so #41 for panel 1 is not confused with #41 for panels, 2, 3, 4 and so on.

However, until then we will happily customize every bundled cable order to fulfill whatever needs our customers have.

Have a look at our article on 8 Steps Pulling wire through conduit.

Wire harnesses and cable assemblies are standard terms in the wire and cable industry and are used to power many different electrical devices. They are used so frequently that electrical contractors, electrical distributors, and manufacturers will often refer to them interchangeably.

Call it a wire harness, cable harness, wiring harness, cable assembly, wiring assembly, or wiring loom. The terms are frequently employed to refer to the same thing:

A group of electrical cables or wires assembled together which transmit signals or electrical power.

The cables are bound together by a durable material such as rubber, vinyl, electrical tape, flexible conduit, a weave of extruded string, or some combination. But while all these terms are used, there are differences between a wire harness and a cable assembly.

What Are Cable Assemblies?

Cable assemblies and cable harnesses are customized cables. Cable assemblies are more rigid, structured, durable, and depending on the material involved, may be best suited for outdoor use. A cable assembly is a group of wires or cables arranged into a single unit. The purpose of this product is to provide the power of several different cables, while organizing them in a package that is easier to install, replace, and maintain.

A cable assembly usually goes into one panel or port and connects into that single unit that is directly plugged into the power source. From there, the wires serve their function for either pushing communications or transmitting electricity through them and consists of multiple wires and/or cables.

Wires or cables are often in different colors or otherwise marked or striped so that they can be easily identified. Some cable assemblies have exposed wires, while others are encased in a close-fitted protective sleeve.

Because of their sturdy design, cable assemblies are primarily suited for outdoor applications and for handling larger capacities of electric current. The durable structure of cable assemblies means that they’re able to withstand heat, moisture, abrasion, and other environmental conditions.

Cable assemblies help prevent damage to cables and wires by keeping them together and reducing the physical trauma from strong vibrations and other factors. They can also provide protection from other problems such as dirt, dust, oil, and water. This protection reduces potential problems with the machinery caused by wire being worn from vibrational friction along with electrical shorts occurring from damaged spots on the wire.

What Are Wire Harnesses?

Wire harnesses have a different build from cable assemblies. Wire harnesses are usually designed according to geometric and electrical requirements. A diagram is then provided (either on paper or on a monitor) for the assembly preparation and assembly. The wires are cut and respooled to the desired length, usually using a special wire-cutting machine. The wires may also be printed on or striped by a special machine during the cutting process or on a separate machine afterwards.

This is where the difference between a wire harness and a cable assembly occur. The ends of the wires are stripped to expose the metal (or core) of the wires, which are fitted with any required terminals or connector housings. The cables are assembled and clamped together on a special workbench, or onto a pin board (assembly board), according to the design specification, to form the cable harness. After fitting any protective sleeves, flexible conduit, or nylon binder, the harness is either fitted directly into the equipment on site or shipped. The wire harnesses themselves vary in applications and are more fragile due to the ends attached.

Even with increasing automation, the wire harness shares a similar trait with the cable assembly in that most of them are still hand manufactured due to the many different processes and ends involved in the vast array of varying applications and processes.

A wire harness is essentially a wrapping material that bundles up different cables together. Rather than binding multiple wires into a single strand (such as a Quik-Pull spiral configuration), a wire harness essentially groups distinct cables and wraps them together into a compound structure. Within a wire harness, each cable (or wire) is already individually wrapped in a dedicated sheath (or insulation). You can essentially pull out an individual cable (or wire) from a wire harness.

The primary purpose of a harness is to group together different cables for easier connectivity. They help keep electrical systems organized by preventing individual cables from running all over the place and allow for quick connectivity.

The wire harness material can be as simple as a nylon thread or zip tie (for grouping cables together), or it can be an external sheath that covers some of the wires and cables contained therein. It’s important to note that the sheathing in a wire harness is not designed to protect individual cables but to group them as a unit (similar to how the pull tabs in a Quik-Pull cable bundle function).

Because wire harnesses are not as durable as cable assemblies, they’re only useful for indoor applications. The load capacity of a wire harness is also limited to the number and size of cables that are grouped.

Two Important Distinctions between Cable Assemblies and Harnesses

Two important differences are in the structure and function.

1. In a cable assembly, the cables look and act like one thick wire. While each cable inside the jacket or sleeve may function separately, the product appears as a single thick wire.

A wire harness, on the other hand, is merely a grouping of separately sheathed wires. You can see each cable or wire within the wire harness. Consequently, individual internal components can be easily broken out and run in different direction.

2. A cable assembly is durable. A wire harness is best for indoor use.

The jacketing or sleeve applied to a cable assembly is designed for durability and stress-resistance (best suited for outdoor applications), while the coating on a wire harness is commonly made of electrical tape, industrial yarns, or a plastic not rated for sunlight resistance, wet conditions, or other environmental factors making them suitable for use only indoors.

Cable assemblies can be routed into tight and smaller spaces (due to the single durable construction of the assembly), while a harness tends to be more limited due to the individual cables contained in the structure.

Interested in learning more about harness options for an electrical project? Check out the different harnesses and bindings we offer. 

Download our infographic on calculating the diameter of bundled cable

One of the requests we frequently receive is to include an overall diameter (OD) of the customized cable bundles being quoted. This request comes up often since electrical contractors need to be able to estimate if their plans are in sync with one another, and a ballpark estimate gives them a sense that their initial assumptions and calculations are correct, or if they want to add a little margin of error in the costs of the conduit, or if they really have to crunch the numbers to ensure everything fits within the National electrical code (NEC) standards.

As an OEM that reprocesses premanufactured wire, we do not make the wire itself, and each manufacturer has its own tolerances in terms of OD for each wire jacket type.

Here we use averages of manufacturer specs to give us the ability to estimate the OD of the wire bundle for our own necessary calculations which is reel capacity. The calculation itself is a matter of mathematics, and with known data can be formulated and calculated using simple excel spreadsheets.

This calculation helps determine if the conduit planned is the correct size or not. The easiest way to actually measure the cable bundle is with a small measuring tool called an OD-Tape. OD-Tapes are used in the electrical field and plumbing fields to measure both length and overall outside diameter. To estimate the bundle, cut one 3-inch piece for each conductor in your bundle, tape them all together and use the OD tape to measure the outside.

Calculating the diameter might be as easy as measuring it using a more involved mathematical approach.

Here are 5 steps:

1.  Find the OD measurement of a single conductor of one of the wires. This measurement will probably be in inches or millimeters.

2. Utilize a standard formula to calculate the cross-section area of that one wire using the area formula for a circle, i.e., area equals the square of the diameter multiplied by 3.14 (pi) divided by four. As an example, a 2-inch wire would have an area of 3.14 square inch because 2 x 2 x 3.14 divided by 4 = 3.14.

3. Count the number of wires in the bundle.

4. Multiply the number of wires by the area of one wire. This will give you the total area. To continue the example, suppose you had 30 same-size wires. The total area would be 94.2 square inches (3.14 x 30). This example would be for a bundle of the same sized wires in the bundle. For a composite bundle with multiple AWG sized conductors it is only slightly more complicated. To calculate you simply follow the area calculations for each size of wire, that is, calculate one wire’s area and multiply it by the number of equal-sized wires (so if #14 is 10 wires then multiply the OD by 10; If #12 is 20 then multiply the OD by 20). Finally, you would add all the areas together to compute the total area.

5. Calculate the diameter of the bundle by using the same area formula, modified to solve for diameter: Diameter = square root (4 area / 3.14) In the example: Diameter = square root (4 x (94.2 / 3.14) = 4 x 30=120)

Diameter = square root (120) Diameter = 10.95 inches

(Note these ODs are not the actual OD of a specific AWG size, or type of any given manufacturer and each manufacturer OD may vary within UL tolerance guidelines)

Example: a composite bundle with varying AWG sizes: 3 x #14 (.140-inch dia.) 5 x #12 (.120-inch dia.) 1 x #8 (.250-inch dia.)

D = 1.2 v (3 x 1.19² + 5 x 1.40² + 1 x 1.65²)

(1.19²=.0196 + 1.40²=.0144 + 1.65²=.0625)

D = 1.2 v (3 x .0196 + 5 x .0144 + 1 x .0625)

D = 1.2 v (.0588 + .0720 +.0625)

D = 1.2 v (.1933) D = 1.2 x .4397

D = .5244

From our perspective as a manufacturer, this is what we need to calculate the fill capacity of the reels to spool the cable onto.

In the field, the electrical contractor has to use other formulas and computations to determine fill factors and OD changes for any given bend radius of the cable. Some cables retain their flexibility, others have push outs that widen the OD in one direction and flatten it in another. It is always good to review the numbers before ordering and pulling the cable into a particular conduit.

 Learn more about our various custom bundled cable configurations.

Pulling wire through conduit can be tricky for electrical professionals. The material of the conduit along with its length can be critical for determining the best approach for getting a wire or cable through one end and out the other side of the conduit.

As a bundled cable manufacturer, we frequently speak with electricians to understand how they go about difficult tasks such as pulling wire runs through pipes in difficult to reach places (like the area above a ceiling or below the floor in a commercial high rise) and what we can do to make the process easier. Before you get started you want all of your conductors together ready to enter the conduit. This can be done by setting up multiple reel jacks and pay out trees with enough space for every conductor being pulled, or you can start with having all the cabled printed and bundled into a Quik-Pull for single pulling effort.

Here are 8 steps for pulling the wire through conduit.

Step 1: Check your conduit

Measure the OD of the cable and the OD of the conduit to make sure it will fit. Measure the conduit from end to end to know its length. If the conduit length is longer than your fish tape, get a longer fish tape in order to proceed. 

Step 2: Use a pulling head or a pulling knot

Cut a small piece of wire AWG sized #16 to #12 depending on the size of the cable being pulled. Carefully separate the bundle into sides, place the wire in between and wrap in a figure-eight pattern a few times, then make a loop with the end. Tension draws the two sides together to tighten around the loop creating a small pulling knot.

Step 3: Use fish tape

When using a fish tape that is longer than the conduit, then you can insert your fish tape into  the conduit and push it until it comes out at the conduit end. Connect fish tape to the cable’s pulling head or pulling knot, and pull your fish tape through the conduit as the cable is fed into the conduit off the reel.

Step 4: Use wire Lubricant

Always use a lubricant (we recommend polywater G water soluble). Pulling lube will allow the cable to glide through the conduit by reducing friction, especially good for the longer “Home Run” pulls.

Step 5 – Use pulling tool

The easiest way to pull the cable is to use an electrical or mechanical pulling tool to assist the pull into the conduit.

Step 6 – Pull the wire through the conduit

After feeding the wire off the reel into the conduit and pulled at the other end. The cable should go into the conduit smoothly, with an easy effort. Add more lubrication for curves as needed.

Step 7 – Ring, Tag, Terminate

Bring the cables to the termination points. Then ring, tag, and terminate conductors into the panels.

Step 8 – Clean up

Clean up the mess, debris and job site.

Read more about our product configurations and wire types in our cable bundles.