awg iec canena

8/10/2019 AWG IEC CANENA

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AWG in IEC Standards

IEC 60228


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22007 CANENA Annual General Meeting

History in Brief

Ron Lai J Richard BarkerSr Director VP Industrial StandardsFCI Burndy General Cable

CANENA Annual General Meeting


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1968, IEC 228 issued, British wire sizes inannex.

1970, UK adopts square millimeter wires,British annex removed.1971, pound sterling goes decimal.

1995, UK goes metric.1995, imperial units now US traditional units.


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Reimer Stubbe, retired chair of TC 20 electriccables, said:

The work of harmonizing cables started inthe 1960s. North Americans were not interested.

We lost thirty years!


5/19 52007 CANENA Annual General Meeting


Probable reasons for lack of participation:In the 1970s,

Deep economic recession.Double digit inflation.Record unemployment.

Markets were protected by tariffs.


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USNC SC23F connecting devices.Early 1990s, NEMA connector sectionparticipates on TAG.

AWG in body of several standards:998-2-1998-2-2998-2-3999-1Maybe others.




USNC SC23F connecting devices.Late 1990s, IEC maintenance teams

remove AWG.Not a recognized cable in IEC 60228.

AWG relegated from (normative) part ofstandards to informative annex.




Early 2000s,USNC SC23F connecting devices makesproposal to NEMA wire & cable section.

USNC TC 20 TAG formed.Voted against renewal of 60228.

Too late to change standard.Worked with Canada & Mexico.


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TC-20 biennial meeting, Berlin, Nov 2004.

North Americas case made by: Richard BarkerRon LAI


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Day 1:

Frustrating meeting!AWG is a backward step. North America is not Globally Relevant. Conductor size is not an Essential Difference - just

change to Metric. After much heated discussion - Study GroupProposed.


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Day 2Study Group approved.SG chair - Reimer Stubbe, Germany.

the most vocal objector from day 1!Chair from WG 19 Mark Coates UK.Cenelec representative (Steve Mason UK).N America (Ron Lai US, Richard Barker US).European (Gerhard Novac IT).Non European (Antony Falconer ZA).


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Inaugural Study Group meeting Paris, May 2005.2nd edition of 60228: (1978).

Restricted to 4 classes.Reduced number of sizes.

Deleted AWG.3 rd edition of 60228: (2004).

Size based on DC resistance.Decision to be a consensus driven group ( EDR on hold ).

Only conductors for power and control cables.Comments and minutes issued to North Americancountries.


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Delay... Attempt to call a meeting at Nov 05 Milan WGmeetings Failed.Comments on meeting minutes from USNC forwardedto IEC.Meeting arranged for May 2006 Paris.Reimer Stubbe retires.Ron and Richard decide to host dinner/drinks.


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Second Study Group meeting Paris, May 2006.


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TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct. 2006.Friendly welcome and US officially thanked forparticipation at WG level (since Berlin).SG Report presented by Cenelec Representative(Steve Mason UK).Proposal (Belgium) to have unique TR number notIEC 60228 Part 2 to prevent roll-on effect to otherstandards.

All unanimously accepted.Survey dropped as redundant.


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TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct. 2006.Unconfirmed minutes issued Nov 2006.Step 1 Technical report 1Q 2007 (WG19) with metrificationof size via DC resistance.

Step 2 Technical report number to be retained for apublication with an informative reference in IEC 60228(2010)(start 2007).Step 3 Harmonization of publication and IEC 60228 (2015or 2020).

This has caused some confusion that will be addressed inLondon March 2007 (WG19).There is a need to read SG report alongside the minutes.


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Reference Documents :

ECBL/C/277/03 - Europacable article to keep North Americaout of IEC markets.IEC 20/729/INF - Discussion document dismissing AWG.IEC 20/745/RM - Berlin minutes.IEC 20/760/INF - Study group membership.IEC 20/836/INF - Study group report.IEC 20/863/RM - London minutes.


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J Richard BarkerGeneral Cable

Rocklin, CA 95765

T: 916-632-9295

E: [email protected]

Ron LAIFCI Burndy47 East Industrial Park DriveManchester, NH 03109

T: (603) 647-5076E: [email protected]