Fine stranded wire with into mechanical lug ( screw type) ..UL test ?

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Jraef

Moderator, OTD
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San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
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Electrical Engineer
well ..lots of thoughts on compression lugs .
can anybody suggest a solution from any manufacturer to stack four compression lugs ( single hole) to one terminal ?
If it's a tang, two on top back-to-back, two on bottom back-to-back, long bolt.

If it's a stud, make a tang out of bus bar to go on it.

One hole is bad for rotation, especially when you have a lot of connections like that, be careful. If it is a stud, I'd make a two hole tang and use two hole lugs, bolt them all together, then mount the tang to the stud. You likely would have to make it stand off of the bottom with a spacer, or put an offset bend in the tang if the stud is too short.

You have to use your creativity when faced with a challenge.
 
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petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
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engineer
Yes, sometimes that is a problem.

Here is another solution:
Square D has a paper that describes wrapping fine strand conductors with copper foil. One then inserts the foil wrapped conductor in a normal strand rated mechanical lug.

It does work well. Although some (AHJs) say the paper only applies to Square D lugs. In which case, you are hosed. However, if not, my personal opinion is this is a good method, regardless of the name stamped on the lug.

ice

Camlok supplies a thick copper foil to wrap the conductors with on some of their connector products.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Interestingly, I was told recently that UL has allowed some panel shops to use copper foil encasement of fine stranded wire.

Burndy has advised that the connectors are in UL testing to be listed to be used with fine stranded wire to connect up to "normal" lugs.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I used to work with a co. that did lots of control wiring. We always used Wego pins with stranded wire, #14 & 16 THHN, TFFN or MTW. Most finely stranded wire we used was occasional SJ cord. Worked fine on that. Trim & crimped the wire in the pin & it didn't come out. Terminated to standard terminal blocks.
 
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