Stranded Copper Wire and its Uses in Electrical Domain

Stranded copper wire is composed of many small gauge wires in order to make a large conductor. Presence of thinner conductors makes the stranded wire more flexible and solid in comparison to the other wire of same diameter. With the strength, reliability and durability of copper wire the stranded wires have become preferred choice for the builders.

Moreover the stranded wire is more economical and is considered to be more flexible than the solid copper wire of similar cross-sectional area. The problem of mechanical ruggedness in the case of solid wire is also over come here because stranded copper wire has relatively lesser surface area that is been exposed to environmental corrosives. The stranded wire can be use with mush ease in the application and places that require bending and even the repeated bending

Tin coating on the copper and aluminium wire provides more durability and strength. In tinned copper wire each strand of copper wire is coated with tin. The manufacturing process can be either hot dipping or electroplating. In the prior each strands copper is dipped to the melted tin while in the process of electroplating the rectifier and electrical charge are used to tin the copper.

Hook-up wire, magnet wire and resistance wire are the most popular kind of stranded wire. However, most of the high-frequency applications that require proximity effect and better performance at high frequencies make use of stranded wire that can be insulated and twisted in the special patterns as well.