AWG in IEC Standards IEC 60228. 2 2007 CANENA Annual General Meeting History in Brief Ron LaiJ Richard Barker Sr. DirectorVP Industrial Standards FCI.

AWG in IEC StandardsIEC 60228

22007 CANENA Annual General Meeting

History in Brief

Ron Lai J Richard BarkerSr. Director VP Industrial StandardsFCI Burndy General Cable

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.



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!”



Probable reasons for lack of participation:

In the 1970s,

Deep economic recession.

Double digit inflation.

Record unemployment.

Markets were protected by tariffs.



USNC SC23F connecting devices.

Early 1990s, NEMA connector section participates on TAG.

AWG in body of several standards:

»998-2-1

»998-2-2

»998-2-3

»999-1

»Maybe others.



USNC SC23F connecting devices.

Late 1990s, IEC maintenance teams remove AWG.

Not a recognized cable in IEC 60228.

AWG relegated from (normative) part of standards to informative annex.



Early 2000s,

USNC SC23F connecting devices makes proposal to NEMA wire & cable section.

USNC TC 20 TAG formed.

Voted against renewal of 60228.

Too late to change standard.

Worked with Canada & Mexico.



TC-20 biennial meeting, Berlin, Nov 2004. North America’s case made by:

Richard Barker Ron LAI



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.



Day 2Study 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).



Inaugural Study Group meeting – Paris, May 2005.2nd edition of 60228: (1978).

Restricted to 4 classes.Reduced number of sizes.Deleted AWG.

3rd 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.



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.



Second Study Group meeting – Paris, May 2006.



Second Study Group Meeting – Paris, May 2006.Three part approach:

Publication of 60228 as a technical report.

Addition of AWG as “Part 2” of 60228.

Merging of both parts to one.

Study group consensus reached.

Survey of IEC Member Countries proposed.

Sept. 2006 - 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



TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct. 2006.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 60228 Part 2 to prevent roll-on effect to other standards.All unanimously accepted.Survey dropped as redundant.



TC-20 Biennial meeting, London, Oct. 2006.Unconfirmed minutes issued Nov 2006.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 60228 (2010)(start 2007).Step 3 Harmonization of “publication” and IEC 60228 (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.



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 95765

T: 916-632-9295

E: [email protected]

Ron LAI

FCI Burndy

47 East Industrial Park Drive

Manchester, NH 03109

T: (603) 647-5076

E: [email protected]

AWG in IEC Standards IEC 60228. 2 2007 CANENA Annual General Meeting History in Brief Ron LaiJ Richard Barker Sr. DirectorVP Industrial Standards FCI.

Documents

meeting minutes

frustrating meeting

biennial meeting

richard barker us

iec standardsiec

richard barker ron lai

chair reimer stubbe

usnc tc