Tray and exposed-run cable · Georgia
We buy TC and TC-ER tray cable for Georgia industry
Multi-conductor cable built for cable tray and, in the ER versions, for exposed runs between tray and equipment. Reviewed on jacket, conductor count and the footage left in the coil.
- 600 V to 2 kV
- TC and TC-ER
- 2 to 4 conductor with ground
01Overview
What this page covers
Tray cable is the industrial multi-conductor family: two, three or four insulated conductors with a ground, cabled together under an overall jacket and listed for use in cable tray. The ER suffix extends that listing to exposed runs, which is why TC-ER has become the default for machine connections in plants that no longer want conduit between a tray and a motor.
Surplus tray cable comes out of plant projects, integrator stock and cancelled equipment packages. It is usually well labelled and rarely abused, which makes it one of the more straightforward industrial lots — provided the voltage class and the ER marking are read correctly, because a 600 V non-ER coil will not do what a 1 kV TC-ER coil was bought to do.
02Specification
How a tray cable coil is identified
- Types
- TC, TC-ER, TC-ER-JP and ITC where instrument rated
- Voltage
- 600 V standard; 1 kV and 2 kV constructions in industrial use
- Conductors
- 2, 3 and 4 conductor with ground; 14 AWG through 1,000 kcmil
- Insulation
- THHN, THWN-2 or XHHW-2 singles under an overall jacket
- Jacket
- PVC, CPE or LSZH, sunlight and oil resistant depending on type
- Standards
- UL 1277; tray and exposed-run listings shown on the print
- Coils
- 250, 500 and 1,000 ft coils; heavier reels on the large sizes
- Marking
- Type, voltage, conductor count, AWG and sunlight-resistant suffix
Photograph the print where the ER or non-ER listing appears. Two coils that look identical from the outside are different products depending on that one suffix.
03Tray cable we review
Tray cable we review
TC-ER in 600 V
The plant workhorse: three or four conductors with ground, an overall jacket, and a listing that allows an exposed run. Reviewed on jacket condition at the bends, since this cable is pulled around equipment rather than laid straight in tray.
1 kV and 2 kV tray cable
Heavier insulation for drive and feeder circuits in industrial plants. The voltage class is printed and is the first thing to confirm, because a 1 kV coil is a different asset from a 600 V coil of the same conductor count.
Two-conductor and control configurations
Small-count cable used for interlocks, solenoids and small equipment feeds. Common as remnants and best reviewed as a group with the counts listed separately.
LSZH and specialty jackets
Low-smoke zero-halogen and oil-resistant jackets specified in tunnels, enclosures and food plants. Worth naming, because the jacket compound is part of what the cable was bought for and cannot be seen in a photograph.
04Evaluation
How a tray cable lot is reviewed
Type and voltage first, conductor count and AWG second, footage third, jacket condition fourth. That sequence is not arbitrary: the first two decide what the cable can be used for, and footage only matters once someone wants it. A coil of TC-ER with a thousand feet on it is a working asset; the same footage without the ER print is a smaller one.
Jacket damage is the main deduction and usually comes from handling rather than service. A coil dropped off a forklift shows a flattened section with the jacket creased; a coil dragged across a slab shows abrasion along one side. Both are visible on the outside wrap, and both mean the damaged length is cut out rather than used.
Then documentation of length. Tray cable coils are often counter-cut for a specific pull, so the tag shows a part length rather than a full coil. Give that number, and say how many coils share it — a plant releasing eight part coils of the same construction is a single review, not eight.
Tray cable in an operating plant shares a tray with live circuits, and an exposed run can be energized from a drive cabinet with the local disconnect open. Nothing is disconnected by anyone but the plant’s own electricians, under its own permit.
05Seller terms
Before you sell: how it works
Four things a seller should be able to pin down before a truck is booked.
Verification
Footage is checked against the reel tag, the sequential marks on the jacket, the wrap count against the barrel, or a published weight per 1,000 ft — whichever the reel actually supports.
Payment
Payment method and timing are agreed in writing for the specific lot before anything is loaded or moved. No verbal number is treated as an agreement.
Paperwork
A bill of sale for the lot, and for utility material the owning utility’s release reference. Neither is optional and neither is created after the fact.
Freight
Collection is arranged as part of the terms. Say what can lift the reels and whether a 53-foot trailer can reach them, and the pickup is planned around that.
Sending a reel list and photographs costs nothing. A review is not a purchase, and nothing is bought, moved or scheduled until written lot terms are agreed for that material. Request a pickup when the lot is ready.
07Questions
Tray cable questions
What does TC-ER allow that TC does not?
An exposed run. TC is listed for tray and raceway; TC-ER adds the exposed-run listing that permits an unsupported length between a tray and the equipment it feeds.
Do you buy tray cable with the jacket stripped at one end?
Yes. A stripped end is normal on a part coil. What matters is whether the conductors underneath were nicked and whether the jacket was cut back cleanly.
Is 1 kV tray cable worth more than 600 V?
It serves more applications rather than being ranked higher. The two are reviewed separately, and mixing them in one description is the commonest error on industrial lots.
Can I send a plant stores list instead of photographs?
Yes, and it is often faster. A list with type, voltage, conductor count, AWG and remaining footage can be reviewed before any coil is moved.
A stores list beats a photograph
Type, voltage class, conductor count, AWG and footage for each coil. Send it as a list and the review can start without anyone walking the plant.