AWG in IEC Standards IEC 60228

CANENA Annual General Meeting History in Brief Ron LaiJ Richard Barker Sr. DirectorVP Industrial Standards FCI BurndyGeneral Cable CANENA Annual General Meeting

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting 1968, IEC 228 issued, British wire sizes in annex. 1970, UK adopts square millimeter wires, British annex removed. 1971, pound sterling goes decimal. 1995, UK goes metric. 1995, imperial units now US traditional units.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Reimer Stubbe, retired chair of TC 20 electric cables, said: “The work of harmonizing cables started in the 1960s.” “North Americans were not interested.” “We lost thirty years!”

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Probable reasons for lack of participation: In the 1970s, Deep economic recession. Double digit inflation. Record unemployment. Markets were protected by tariffs.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting USNC SC23F connecting devices. Early 1990s, NEMA connector section participates on TAG. AWG in body of several standards: » » » »999-1 »Maybe others.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting USNC SC23F connecting devices. Late 1990s, IEC maintenance teams remove AWG. Not a recognized cable in IEC AWG relegated from (normative) part of standards to informative annex.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Early 2000s, USNC SC23F connecting devices makes proposal to NEMA wire & cable section. USNC TC 20 TAG formed. Voted against renewal of Too late to change standard. Worked with Canada & Mexico.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting TC-20 biennial meeting, Berlin, Nov North America’s case made by: Richard Barker Ron LAI

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Day 1: Frustrating meeting! “AWG is a backward step”. “North America is not Globally Relevant”. “Conductor size is not an Essential Difference - just change to Metric”. After much heated discussion - Study Group Proposed.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Day 2 Study Group approved. SG chair - Reimer Stubbe, Germany. – the most vocal objector from day 1! Chair from WG 19 Mark Coates – UK. Cenelec representative (Steve Mason – UK). N America (Ron Lai US, Richard Barker US). European (Gerhard Novac IT). Non European (Antony Falconer ZA).

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Inaugural Study Group meeting – Paris, May nd edition of 60228: (1978). Restricted to 4 classes. Reduced number of sizes. Deleted AWG. 3 rd edition of 60228: (2004). Size based on DC resistance. Decision to be a consensus driven group ( EDR on hold ). Only conductors for power and control cables. Comments and minutes issued to North American countries.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Delay……... Attempt to call a meeting at Nov 05 Milan WG meetings – Failed. Comments on meeting minutes from USNC forwarded to IEC. Meeting arranged for May 2006 Paris. Reimer Stubbe retires. Ron and Richard decide to host dinner/drinks.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Second Study Group meeting – Paris, May 2006.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Second Study Group Meeting – Paris, May Three part approach: Publication of as a technical report. Addition of AWG as “Part 2” of Merging of both parts to one. Study group consensus reached. Survey of IEC Member Countries proposed. Sept Study Group Activity Report issued to TC20 for London Biennial meeting approval. Work commenced on Technical Report pending approval of SG report from TC20 committee

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct Friendly welcome and US officially thanked for participation at WG level (since Berlin). SG Report presented by Cenelec Representative (Steve Mason UK). Proposal (Belgium) to have unique TR number not IEC Part 2 to prevent roll-on effect to other standards. All unanimously accepted. Survey dropped as redundant.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct Unconfirmed minutes issued Nov Step 1 Technical report 1Q 2007 (WG19) with metrification of size via DC resistance. Step 2 Technical report number to be retained for a “publication” with an “informative” reference in IEC (2010)(start 2007). Step 3 Harmonization of “publication” and IEC (2015 or 2020). This has caused some confusion that will be addressed in London March 2007 (WG19). There is a need to read SG report alongside the minutes.

CANENA Annual General Meeting CANENA Annual General Meeting Reference Documents : ECBL/C/277/03 - Europacable article to keep North America out of IEC markets. IEC 20/729/INF - Discussion document dismissing AWG. IEC 20/745/RM - Berlin minutes. IEC 20/760/INF - Study group membership. IEC 20/836/INF - Study group report. IEC 20/863/RM - London minutes.

J Richard Barker General Cable Rocklin, CA T: E: Ron LAI FCI Burndy 47 East Industrial Park Drive Manchester, NH T: (603) E: