The roster
Listed alphabetically. The roster names members of the section; it does not say which cord types each one extrudes, or whether a member sells cord as bulk cable, as molded cord sets, or both.
| No. | Company | Also listed under | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Cerrowire | NEMA profile cerrowire.com | |
| 02 | Freeport-McMoRan | NEMA profile fcx.com | |
| 03 | Hubbell Incorporated | NEMA profile hubbell.com | |
| 04 | Nexans | NEMA profile nexans.ca | |
| 05 | Prysmian Group | NEMA profile prysmiangroup.com | |
| 06 | Southwire Company, LLC | NEMA profile southwire.com |
Read this before using the list
This is the shortest sheet in the register, and the least complete picture of its market. Much of the cord sold in North America is made abroad and imported as finished cord sets by companies that are not manufacturers and not NEMA members.
What sets cord apart
Building wire is installed once and never moves again. Cord is flexed, dragged, coiled, driven over and left in the rain, so it is built differently: finely stranded conductors for flexibility, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer insulation, fillers to keep the cable round, and a tough jacket over everything. The National Electrical Code treats it separately too, in Article 400, and limits where cord may be used in place of fixed wiring.
Reading the type letters
Cord types look like alphabet soup and are in fact a precise code. Each letter adds one property.
| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S | Service cord for extra-hard usage, rated 600 V |
| SJ | Junior service, for hard usage: thinner insulation, rated 300 V |
| T | Thermoplastic insulation and jacket |
| E | Thermoplastic elastomer |
| O | Oil-resistant jacket; OO means the insulation is oil-resistant as well |
| W | Rated for outdoor use: sunlight and water resistant |
| EV | Electric-vehicle supply cable, with its own family of types |
So SOOW is a 600 V service cord, oil-resistant inside and out, suitable outdoors, and
SJTW is a 300 V thermoplastic cord suitable outdoors. In the United States these constructions
are evaluated to UL 62; in Canada to CSA C22.2 No. 49. Many cords carry both marks.
Checking a flexible cord maker
- Separate the cord from the cord set. Bulk cord and a finished cord set with molded plugs are listed separately, often by different companies. A listed cord inside an unlisted assembly is still an unlisted assembly.
- Read the jacket. The legend gives the type, the conductor count and size, the voltage and the listing file. Compare it with the reel tag and with the laboratory’s directory.
- Match the temperature and flex rating to the use. A cord rated for a warm indoor shop behaves very differently on a cold dock. Low-temperature ratings are printed on the jacket when they exist.
- For vehicle charging cable, ask for the full type and its listing. The EV types differ in jacket material and voltage, and a charging equipment listing depends on the cable used with it.
The method for verifying a listing at its source is in Qualifying a wire manufacturer; how to tell a maker from a reseller is in Manufacturer, distributor or processor.