CABLE MANUFACTURING · LOW VOLTAGE
CCA Wire for LV Concentric Neutrals
Compare your copper-neutral construction with a CCA option, starting with resistance, copper use and material cost per cable kilometre.
Send your current cable drawing or wire arrangement. We will prepare a candidate wire specification, a cost-comparison basis and a sample plan.
- Candidate wire specification
- Cost comparison per cable kilometre
- Sample and validation plan
Bare wire supply. Finished-cable approval follows the applicable project requirements.
Where the Wire Is Used
The concentric neutral is formed from wires laid around the insulated core or core assembly, beneath the outer sheath. Raytron supplies the individual CCA wire for that construction. A CCA phase conductor is a separate design choice and must follow its own requirements.
- Centre: aluminum phase conductor
- Blue: insulation; dark blue: outer sheath
- Outer wire layer: CCA neutral wires, copper directly on aluminum
Illustrative cable construction. Wire count, dimensions and layer thickness are not a manufacturing specification. The optional ENEL Type I copper equalizing tape is not shown.
- Centre: CCA phase conductor; phase requirements apply separately
- Blue: insulation; dark blue: outer sheath
- Outer wire layer: CCA neutral wires, copper directly on aluminum
Illustrative cable construction. Wire count, dimensions and layer thickness are not a manufacturing specification.
Candidate wire specifications
Aluminum-core CCA and aluminum-alloy-core wire are specified separately. Match the individual wire, its condition and guaranteed properties to the proposed cable construction.
Send your existing copper-wire drawing for a candidate wire specification. Diameter, core material, temper, copper-fraction basis and guaranteed properties are agreed in the proposed specification.
Request a candidate wire specificationCompare the Cost per Cable Kilometre
Compare Your Copper and Candidate Wire Schemes
Use actual metallic area, or count × individual wire diameter. Prices are optional. Results compare wire material per cable kilometre; they do not include the complete cable.
Defaults are an illustration, treating nominal area as actual. They are not available wire grades. Conductivity, density and copper fraction are independent inputs; a copper fraction does not guarantee conductivity.
Model illustration
Equal-resistance resizing changes geometry. Check wire count, space, outside diameter and fault validation separately.
Candidate conductivity needed for your target
Estimated candidate R20:
The entered target exceeds the 100%IACS reference. Verify the geometry and material basis; this is not a product approval.
Scroll the results table horizontally on small screens.
| Quantity and unit | Copper baseline | Candidate scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Metallic areamm² | — | — |
| Estimated R20Ω/cable km | — | — |
| R20 margin to entered target% (model only) | — | — |
| Conductivity needed for target%IACS | — | — |
| Density usedg/cm³ | — | — |
| Wire retained in cablekg/cable km | — | — |
| Copper estimatekg/cable km | — | — |
| Copper weight fractionwt.% | — | — |
| Core estimate (component model only)kg/cable km | — | — |
| Wire to purchase at entered utilizationkg/cable km | — | — |
| Recurring wire material costentered currency/cable km | — | — |
Optional project scale and incremental validation cost
Wire-cost difference: baseline minus candidate
- Difference per cable km
- —
- Difference as % of baseline
- —
- Annual gross difference
- —
- Project net difference after entered one-time cost
- —
- Break-even cable km (positive difference only)
- —
An arithmetic wire-cost comparison, not a finished-cable quotation, qualification or promised saving.
Check the indicated inputs.
Send these inputs for a candidate wire specification. Model values do not select an approved wire grade.
Your prices stay in this browser session until you choose to submit an inquiry.
Review the transferable calculation summary
Model, Units and Assumptions
All included parallel wires share one material and path factor. Individual metallic cross-sections exclude gaps; k is wire length / axial cable length. Complex layers or different wire paths need separate construction analysis.
100%IACS reference resistivity is 0.017241 Ω·mm²/m at 20°C. A = n × π × d² / 4; R20 = 1724.1 × k / (c × A); required c = 1724.1 × k / (A × Rmax). c is entered as a percentage number, such as 65, not 0.65.
Wire mass per cable km = A × k × density. Ideal component density = f × copper density + (1 − f) × core density. Copper weight fraction = f × copper density / ideal density. A measured total density is a separate mode; it does not establish an exact component mass split.
To convert a known copper weight fraction w to volume fraction: f = (w / copper density) / [(w / copper density) + ((1 − w) / core density)]. Use matching measured inputs or clearly labelled ideal parameters, not an inferred alloy grade.
Purchase mass = retained mass / utilization. Recurring wire cost = purchase mass × price per kg + only additional costs absent from that price. No automatic scrap credit, ampacity, fault capacity, temperature, lifetime, regulatory acceptance or promised saving is calculated.
Copper equalizing tape, terminations and contact contributions are excluded from the resistance model. Finished-cable measurement and project approval remain separate.
Calculated illustrations for the six listed CCA reference areas
Separate from the original specification: nominal area is treated as actual and k = 1. These are model estimates, not ENEL material-conductivity limits or Raytron wire grades. Scroll horizontally on small screens.
| Reference area (mm²) | Maximum R20 (Ω/km) | Estimated required %IACS |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3.08 | 69.97 |
| 22 | 1.15 | 68.15 |
| 37 | 0.727 | 64.10 |
| 52 | 0.524 | 63.27 |
| 69 | 0.387 | 64.57 |
| 131 | 0.193 | 68.19 |
What belongs in the comparison
Copper use
Compare the copper contained in the complete proposed wire construction, not just the price per kilogram of CCA.
Resistance and space
Select wire area, count and lay geometry together. Keeping the same diameter does not ensure the same resistance.
Production and connection
Define payoff, bending, copper coverage and termination requirements before the wire trial.
Inspection records for the proposed wire
Ask which material inspection records are available for your proposed specification.
Ask about available inspection recordsEvidence stages are recorded separately: wire-tested, cable-trial, customer-qualified and production-supply. A wire test does not establish the later stages.
Utility Documents Worth Checking
LV concentric-conductor specification
ENEL — Italy
GSCC014 · Rev.00 — Amendment 01/2025
The 01/2025 amendment includes CCA concentric conductors for Italian Type I–III low-voltage cables. Confirm the specified construction and resistance for your project. The equalizing tape remains annealed copper: required for Types II–III and optional for Type I.
Combined PDF pp. 55, 59–60; §5.5 and Table 4.1 (amendment pp. 5–6)
Read the source: GSCC014 Rev.00 — Amendment 01/2025Published 2018 service-cable reference
Grupo EPM — Colombia
ET-TD-ME01-18 · Rev.2 — published 2018
The published Rev.2 describes 1×6+6 AWG and 2×6+6 AWG concentric service cables, 600 V, 90°C, XLPE/XLPE, with CCA phase and neutral conductors. Check the CENS catalogue and confirm the controlled issue required for a new project.
PDF pp. 1–2: revision; p. 6: cable configurations and conductor positions
Read the source: ET-TD-ME01-18 Rev.2 — published 2018These are utility specification references, not Raytron approvals or evidence of current purchasing.
Start with the Resistance Target
Use the reference table below to identify a design target, then confirm the actual wire area and lay geometry. The values describe the specified concentric conductor, not a guaranteed Raytron material grade.
Reference cable requirements — not Raytron wire grades.
| Copper nominal area mm² | CCA nominal area mm² | Min. copper wires | Min. CCA wires | Min. wire diameter mm | Max. conductor resistance at 20°C Ω/km | Inquiry reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 8 | 18 | 12 | 0.5 | 3.08 | Use as an inquiry reference |
| 10 | Not listed | 18 | Not listed | 0.6 | 1.83 | Not listed |
| 16 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 0.7 | 1.15 | Use as an inquiry reference |
| 25 | 37 | 20 | 28 | Not specified | 0.727 | Use as an inquiry reference |
| 35 | 52 | 30 | 39 | Not specified | 0.524 | Use as an inquiry reference |
| 50 | 69 | 35 | 54 | Not specified | 0.387 | Use as an inquiry reference |
| 95 | 131 | 45 | 50 | Not specified | 0.193 | Use as an inquiry reference |
Scroll the table horizontally. “Not listed” means no option is listed; “Not specified” means the source gives no value. Neither means zero.
How to read minimum counts, diameter and nominal area
Minimum wire count and minimum diameter are separate constraints. Twelve 0.5 mm wires have a total metallic area of about 2.356 mm², not 8 mm². Nominal area is not measured metallic area.
Agree the sample and validation plan
1. Drawing and cost review
- Your team
- Current copper-wire arrangement or drawing, target market, known resistance and quantity.
- Raytron / agreed support
- Candidate wire specification, comparison basis, missing inputs and trial proposal.
- Gate to the next stage
- Agree the application, candidate material and sample task before ordering a trial.
2. Wire and machine trial
- Your team
- Agree trial quantity, spool, process checks and the cable-machine trial owner.
- Raytron / agreed support
- Agree inspection items, sample charges, responsibilities and the adjustment route if a trial does not meet the agreed requirements.
- Gate to the next stage
- Meet the agreed wire and processing criteria. Wire results alone do not release a finished cable.
3. Cable and accessory validation
- Your team
- Cable maker and project parties confirm fault, connection and environmental test scope, institution, costs and release owner.
- Raytron / agreed support
- Provide the agreed material inputs for the project validation plan.
- Gate to the next stage
- The responsible project parties approve the finished-cable and accessory evidence; timing is agreed per project.
Samples and supply conditions
Sample quantity, charges, lead time, packaging and joint policy are confirmed for the proposed wire specification in the quotation.
Discuss sample quantity and supply conditionsAgree laboratory samples, machine trials and production orders separately. Validation responsibilities, costs and timing are confirmed with the project parties.
Detailed wire-trial inputs
Define the Wire Trial
- Cable requirement
- Target market, utility or customer specification, voltage and reference revision
- Wire construction
- Diameter, tolerance, number of wires and proposed lay
- Electrical target
- Conductor resistance at 20°C and the required material conductivity, when known
- Material
- Copper fraction by volume or weight, core material and temper
- Trial and supply
- Trial quantity, expected demand, spool and payoff requirements
Raytron prepares a proposed wire specification, sample-inspection scope and quotation basis for agreement with your team. Sample inspection may cover agreed dimensions, copper-layer cross-sections, electrical and mechanical properties. Finished-cable and accessory tests are assigned with the cable manufacturer.
Share the drawing-review checklist with your team
These two-page checklists cover inquiry inputs, model assumptions, inspection evidence, trial steps and project responsibilities.
Inquiry and validation checklists; they contain no product certification or customer approval.
Common Questions
Can I start with my existing copper-wire drawing?
Yes. Send the drawing and the target market. Add the required resistance and trial quantity if available; we will identify any missing inputs.
Do you supply the finished insulated cable?
This page is for CCA wire material supplied to cable manufacturers. It does not offer an approved finished cable under the referenced utility specifications.
Does the ENEL table require every CCA grade to be at least 70% IACS?
No. The table specifies conductor construction and maximum resistance. A material-conductivity estimate also depends on actual metallic area and wire length in the cable.
Can CCA replace the copper neutral without changing its dimensions?
Not as a general rule. Compare the required resistance, available space, wire count and lay before selecting the diameter.
Is EPM Rev.2 the confirmed current purchasing specification?
The linked file is the published 2018 reference. A current controlled issue has not been established here; obtain the issue required by your project.
What is enough for an initial inquiry?
Send your target market, current cable designation or drawing, known electrical requirements and expected quantity. We will identify the missing inputs with you.
Start with your copper-wire drawing
Choose a quotation, a sample request or a specification recommendation. Add the drawing and details you have in the shared inquiry form.
The inquiry form accepts one drawing or specification up to 20 MB. File content and type are checked before notification. Keep source requirements separate from your calculated scheme and project inputs.
Email and WhatsApp open a draft; you decide what to attach and send.
Raytron — Engineering Every Micron.