Motor Branch Circuits in Tray Cable

[Paul Brooks]

My Company specializes in Greenhouse Electrical and Control wiring which is not widely known in the US but is a major industry in Europe.

My installations consist of conventional conduit and individual conductors for wiring for motor branch circuits from controlled contactor panels to each motor as per the NEC. In Europe, the electricians utilize a cable tray from the contactor panels to the motor locations and pull multiconductor cables (Cable is rated for 600 volts) the full distance to the motor (or disconnect). The cables will then exit the cable tray to the motor.

Please help me decipher whether this is allowable in the US as per the NEC.

TIA

Paul Brooks

 

[tom baker]

Re: Motor Branch Circuits in Tray Cable

Cable Tray is allowed wiring method in the US, its covered in NEC Article 392.
Any chapter 3 wiring method can be used in cable tray. However if you use tray cable, then it can not be run unsupported. A wiring method such as MC or AC can run from the tray to a box or device for a certain distance.
If you will review the appropiate articles in the NEC, then repost with any more questions.