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UL 62 / CSA C22.2 No. 49 North American Thermoplastic & TPE Portable Cords600 V UL / NEC Art. 368.56(B)3 Phase Cores + 3 Split Bare Grounds14 AWG to 2 AWG Machine Drops

Bus Drop Cable600 V UL / NEC Art. 368 overhead busway-to-machine drop cable (3 phases + 3 split bare gro

Bus Drop Cable is a specialized 600 V overhead branch power cable engineered to UL 44 / UL 62 and NEC Article 368.56(B) for connecting plug-in overhead busway switches directly to industrial machine tools on the factory floor. It features three flexible strand

3 Symmetrical Interstice Grounds
Oil-Resistant II PVC/Nylon + Jacket
UL VW-1 / CSA FT1 / FT4 Flame
UL Listed Bus Drop / CSA
Order designation
Bus Drop 8/3
Nom. OD
15.24 mm
Copper mass
248.0 kg/km
Total mass ≈
415.0 kg/km
Min. bend R
91.4 mm
All sizes (7)
Request a quoteDatasheetWhatsApp
Engineering reply in 2 business hoursCut-to-length export drumsEN 10204 3.1 certificate per drum
Rated voltage
600 V AC
3-phase 208 / 480 / 600 V busways
Core architecture
3 Phase + 3 Grou
3 insulated + 3 split bare grounds
Phase insulation
PVC + Nylon skin
75 °C wet / 90 °C dry THHN/THWN
Gauge range
14 AWG to 2 AWG
15 A to 115 A machine drops
Outer jacket
Oil-resistant PV
-25 / -40 °C to +90 °C FT1/FT4
Min. bend radius
6 × cable OD
Kellems wire-mesh bus-drop grips

Typical values for this cable type, based on UL 44 / UL 62 / CSA C22.2 No. 49 / NEC Art. 368 — confirmed in the datasheet and quotation for your order.

Application fit

Is Bus Drop Cable right for your machine?

Engineered specifically for overhead plug-in busduct (busway) vertical power drops feeding CNC mills, lathes, stamping presses, injection-moulding machines and assembly-line workstations suspended by wire-mesh bus-drop grips and spring tensioners.

Free-hanging vertical run

Suitable

Designed for tensioned vertical and horizontal-to-vertical overhead busway drops per NEC 368.56(B).

Switchgear & control cabinet wiring

Suitable

Three bare interstice grounds twist together into a single low-impedance equipment ground lug.

Fixed installation

Suitable

Firm PVC/Nylon core construction prevents jacket slippage inside Kellems wire-mesh support grips.

Motorised monospiral reel

Not suitable

Engineered for fixed/repositionable overhead busway drops, not continuous reeling drums.

SEOOW 600 V portable cord
Typical machinesAutomotive assembly & machining plantsOverhead plug-in busway dropsCNC machine tools & pressesReconfigurable factory workcellsIndustrial switchgear & disconnects

Construction

Layer by layer

3 × flexible stranded bare copper phase conductors (19 or 37/49 strands) + PVC insulation with clear polyamide Nylon jacket (Black, White, Red) + 3 × bare stranded copper ground wires placed in the three outer interstices + binder tape + oil- and sunlight-resistant black PVC outer jacket.

1234
Schematic, not to scale — generated from the layer data
#LayerMaterial & reference
13 × flexible stranded copper phase coresSoft annealed bare copper (19-strand or flexible rope-lay) in 14 AWG through 2 AWG per UL 62 / UL 44UL 62
2Heat & moisture-resistant PVC + Nylon skin90 °C dry / 75 °C wet PVC primary dielectric armoured with a clear polyamide Nylon outer skin (Black, White, Red)UL 44
33 × bare split copper ground conductorsThree bare stranded copper ground wires positioned symmetrically in the three outer valleys between the phase coresUL 62
4Oil & sunlight-resistant PVC outer jacketHeavy-duty flame-retardant (VW-1 / FT1), Oil Resistant I & II black PVC outer jacket that grips firmly under wire-mesh bus-drop supportsUL 62

Standard 600 V Bus Drop Cable (14 AWG to 2 AWG — Black PVC Jacket)

3 × PVC/Nylon phase conductors (Black, White, Red) + 3 × bare split grounds with black oil-resistant PVC jacket.

Shielded VFD / EMC Bus Drop Option

Adds an overall aluminum/Mylar tape and tinned copper braid screen over the 3-phase + 3-ground core triad for inverter-fed machines.

Technical data

Ratings & operating limits

Typical values: Typical values for this cable type, based on UL 44 / UL 62 / CSA C22.2 No. 49 / NEC Art. 368. Values for your order are confirmed in the datasheet and quotation.

Electrical

Rated voltage
600 V AC rms
Dielectric withstand test
2.0 kV AC rms for 1 minute
Ground path architecture
3 symmetrical bare copper interstice grounds (combined area per UL 62 Table)

Thermal

Continuous operating temperature
+90 °C dry / +75 °C wet or oil (Oil Resistant I @ 60 °C / Oil II @ 75 °C)
Low-temperature rating
-25 °C / -40 °C cold bend

Mechanical

Interstice geometry
True circular triad without bulky 4th-core ovality; high pullout resistance in mesh grips
Minimum bending radius
6 × overall cable diameter

Resistance

Oil & coolant resistance
UL Oil Resistant I (60 °C) & Oil Resistant II (75 °C) + Nylon hydrocarbon barrier
Flame & sunlight resistance
UL 1581 VW-1, CSA FT1 / FT4 flame & UL sunlight resistant

Reference standards

Governing standards
UL 62, UL 44, CSA C22.2 No. 49 & NEC Article 368.56(B)
Approvals
UL Listed Bus Drop Cable, CSA Certified, OSHA Acceptable

Identification

Phase conductor colours
Black, White, Red (with 3 bare copper grounds in interstices)
Outer jacket colour
Black (standard) or Grey/Yellow

Sizes

7 standard configurations (Bus Drop Cable)

Nominal dimensions, copper weight, total mass and electrical parameters for Bus Drop Cable per UL 44 / UL 62 / CSA C22.2 No. 49 / NEC Art. 368.

Dimensions & masses
Designation3 Phase + 3 Split GroundGround AWG / AmpsNom. OD
mm		Copper
kg/km		Total mass ≈
kg/km		Min. bend R
mm		Enquiry
Bus Drop Cable size schedule
Bus Drop 14/33 × 14 AWG + 3G3×18 AWG Gd · 20 A9.4068.0138.056.4
Bus Drop 12/33 × 12 AWG + 3G3×16 AWG Gd · 25 A10.67108.0195.064.0
Bus Drop 10/33 × 10 AWG + 3G3×14 AWG Gd · 35 A12.19172.0285.073.1
Bus Drop 8/33 × 8 AWG + 3G3×14 AWG Gd · 50 A15.24248.0415.091.4
Bus Drop 6/33 × 6 AWG + 3G3×12 AWG Gd · 65 A17.53395.0610.0105.2
Bus Drop 4/33 × 4 AWG + 3G3×12 AWG Gd · 85 A20.83602.0890.0125.0
Bus Drop 2/33 × 2 AWG + 3G3×10 AWG Gd · 115 A23.88955.01,340.0143.3
  • Typical values for this cable type; dimensions and weights for your order are confirmed in the quotation.
  • Dimensions and tolerances conform to UL 44 / UL 62 / CSA C22.2 No. 49 / NEC Art. 368.

Quality & approvals

Testing & inspection

Routine tests on every production length, sample and type tests per batch — documented on an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate.

  1. ConductorClass 5 stranding
  2. Spark test100 % in-line
  3. Lay-upCores, earth, fillers
  4. SheathingInner, braid / screen, outer
  5. Electrical testsAC voltage, resistance
  6. DimensionsOD, wall thickness
  7. Inspection documents & dispatchDrum & dispatch
Testing & inspectionTest value / referenceFrequency
Routine tests
2.0 kV AC dielectric test, spark test & DC resistanceZero breakdown; phase and ground DC resistance verified100 % of reels
Sample tests
Oil Resistant I/II immersion, Nylon integrity & cold bendPasses 75 °C oil immersion and mandrel bendEvery batch
UL VW-1 / CSA FT1/FT4 flame & mesh-grip pullout testUL Listed Bus Drop Cable to UL 62 / NEC 368.56(B)Type qualification

Inspection certificate

Issued with every drum, listing the routine test results for that length.

Product approvals

UL Listed Bus Drop Cable (600 V)NEC Article 368.56(B) CompliantCSA Certified C22.2 No. 49 (FT1 / FT4)UL Oil Resistant I & IIRoHS 3 Compliant

Company certificates

ISO 9001ISO 14001ISO 45001VDE marks approvalUL / cULCE · LVD / EMC

Marking & supply

Ordering & delivery

Sheath marking

TEBAOFLEX (UL) BUS DROP CABLE 3/C [AWG] W/GROUND 600V 90C DRY 75C WET OIL RES I & II VW-1 CSA FT1 [lot/ft]
Delivery form
Non-returnable wooden drums, export reels or shrink-wrapped coils
Standard drum lengths
100 m · 250 m · 500 m · 1000 m
MOQ
200 m (stock sizes) · 500 m (custom lengths)
Lead time
2–3 weeks ex-works
Incoterms
EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP

Technical documents

Downloads

PDFBus Drop Cable – technical datasheet7 sizes · construction, technical data, approvalsXLSXBus Drop Cable spec data (Excel)All 7 sizes with dimensions and data, for your BOM or quotation
Revision
2026-10-20
Updated
2026-10-20

FAQ

Questions engineers ask first

Not covered here? Send your drawing — an engineer replies within 2 business hours.

Why does Bus Drop Cable divide the ground conductor into three smaller bare wires in the interstices instead of one green insulated core?
Putting three phase conductors in a triangle with three bare ground wires tucked into the outer valleys achieves three engineering goals at once: (1) it keeps the cable outer diameter 15–20 % smaller and perfectly circular compared with a 4-conductor cord, (2) it eliminates non-metallic filler cords so the outer jacket will not creep or telescope inside overhead Kellems wire-mesh support grips, and (3) it balances ground-return inductance symmetrically around all three phases.
Where does NEC Article 368.56(B) permit Bus Drop Cable to be used without conduit?
NEC 368.56(B) permits listed Bus Drop Cable to run exposed from an overhead busway plug-in switch down to industrial machinery, provided the cable is supported by suitable tension grips (Kellems grips), the horizontal run from the busway plug to the vertical drop does not exceed 1.8 m (6 ft), and tension is relieved at both terminations.
Why do the phase conductors inside Bus Drop Cable have a clear Nylon skin over the PVC insulation?
The tough polyamide Nylon skin (similar to THHN/THWN) resists cutting oils and hydrocarbons, provides high cut-through resistance where the cable passes through knockout bushings, and reduces inter-core friction during installation.
How are the three bare ground wires terminated inside the busway plug and machine disconnect?
At each end of the drop, after stripping the outer PVC jacket, the three bare copper ground strands are twisted together and sleeved with green heat-shrink tubing (or landed in a multi-barrel ground lug) to form a single equipment grounding conductor.

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Bus Drop Cable

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