1. Difference in materials

A conductive metal wire used to carry electrical current. There are various forms such as solid, twisted, or foil woven. Divided into two categories based on insulation condition: bare wires and insulated wires. A cable is an insulated conductor consisting of one or more conductive wires that are mutually insulated and placed in a sealed sheath. It can be covered with a protective layer. The difference between wires and cables is that wires are generally smaller in size and have a simpler structure, but sometimes cables are also classified as general wires.

2. Difference in usage

Bare wires are wires without any insulation or protective layer. In addition to being used as wires for transmitting electrical energy and information, it can also be used to manufacture components and connecting wires for motors and electrical appliances. Generally, copper, aluminum, copper alloy, and aluminum alloy are used. In addition, there are various insulated wires suitable for special requirements, such as low-voltage wires for automobiles, high-voltage ignition wires for automobiles, motor and electrical wiring, aviation wires, compensation wires, etc. Cables are used for transmitting, distributing electrical energy or transmitting electrical signals. Cables can be divided into power cables, communication cables, and control cables according to their purposes.

3. Differences in structure

power cableThe main difference from ordinary wires is that the cable size is larger and the structure is more complex. The cable is mainly composed of the following four groups. Conductive wire core: made of high conductivity material. Insulation layer: The insulation material used for cables should have high insulation resistance and high breakdown electric field strength. Cables are often classified by insulation materials.

In addition to the above differences, cables also have obvious advantages. Compared with overhead lines, the advantages of cables are small insulation distance between lines, small footprint, underground laying without occupying above ground space, not affected by environmental pollution, high reliability of power transmission, and minimal interference to personal safety and the surrounding environment. Therefore, cables are often used in densely populated and power grid dense areas, as well as in areas with heavy traffic congestion. It plays an indispensable role in modernization construction.