At American Wire Group (AWG), we specialize in manufacturing and supplying wire and cable product solutions to clients in diverse industries. As part of our product line, we offer high-quality hardware and accessories to support electrical systems in markets from power transmission to electric vehicles. Learn more about the different types of hardware accessories available at American Wire Group, along with some tips for selection and installation.
Accessories: Types and Uses
The AWG team can assist you with cable accessories and bonding and grounding accessories. Options include:
- Lugs (Compression Terminals). Lugs are connectors used to terminate electrical wires and attach them to equipment, bus bars, or other wires.
- Splices. Splices are used to join two or more wires or cables together, maintaining electrical continuity.
- Elbow Arrestors and T-Bodies. These components keep electrical equipment safe from surges in voltage. They’re ideal for systems operating at medium-voltage levels between 15 kV and 35 kV.
- Terminations. Terminations provide a secure mechanical and electrical connection, ensuring a reliable transfer of power or signals.
- Grounding Rods. Grounding rods are metal rods driven into the ground to provide a low-resistance path for electrical currents to safely dissipate into the earth. They are a critical component of an electrical grounding system, protecting people, equipment, and structures from electrical faults, lightning strikes, or other stray currents.
Going Beyond Wire & Cable
AWG offers a wide variety of accessories:
| Compression lugs | Ground Rod/Electrodes & Accessories | Compression connectors |
| Shearbolt lugs | Grounding & bonding conductors | Busbars & accessories |
| Splices | Mechanical grounding connectors | Bonding straps & kits |
| Elbow Arrestors | Deadbreak Elbows | Exothermic welding |
| T-bodies | Terminations | |
Best Practices for Selection and Installation
To ensure you use the right wire and cable hardware for your application, follow these tips to guide your product selection and installation:
Keep Safety Top of Mind. Most importantly, keep yourself and others safe by wearing adequate protective gear and cutting power before you begin working.
Plan Ahead. Map all cable routes and determine the location of all termination points prior to purchasing hardware to help you make the best selection. Be sure to take cable type and any relevant codes into account.
Select the Proper Tools. Choose your tools based on your connection needs and whether you have to crimp, cut, or strip your wiring.
Allow for Some Slack in Your Cable. Leave sufficient slack at your cables’ termination points when installing them to facilitate maintenance and adjustments in the future.
Adhere to Industry Standards and Codes. Install hardware based on the directives of the National Electrical Code and any other regulations specific to your industry or location for compliant, safe operations.
Apply Labels. Make it easier to identify all wires and cables later by labeling them upon installation at each end.