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The introduction of the EN 60204-1 standard for electrical equipment on machines has led to confusion in the UK about correct cable colors. The standard specifies that the protective conductor should be green-and-yellow and the neutral conductor should be light blue. This calls into question the use of yellow as a phase color in the IEE standard typically used for building wiring. Companies will need to update their specifications and purchase documents to comply with using the international standard of black for AC/DC power, red for AC control, blue for DC control, orange for interlock control, light blue for neutral, and green-and-yellow for the protective conductor. Adopting a single international standard would remove confusion and risks from using different wiring

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141 views

Infoplc Net Tinfo12 PDF

The introduction of the EN 60204-1 standard for electrical equipment on machines has led to confusion in the UK about correct cable colors. The standard specifies that the protective conductor should be green-and-yellow and the neutral conductor should be light blue. This calls into question the use of yellow as a phase color in the IEE standard typically used for building wiring. Companies will need to update their specifications and purchase documents to comply with using the international standard of black for AC/DC power, red for AC control, blue for DC control, orange for interlock control, light blue for neutral, and green-and-yellow for the protective conductor. Adopting a single international standard would remove confusion and risks from using different wiring

Uploaded by

Urbanslo1
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Technical Information

Sheet no.

12

Cable Colours
in Machines

The introduction of EN 60204-1 Safety of


Machinery Electrical requirements of machines,
as the main standard for electrical equipment on
machines has led to some confusion in the UK
about the correct colour for cables used in
machines.
The practice in many companies has been to use
IEE cable colours for wiring machines. However
this practice has now been called into question by
the 1998 edition of EN60204-1 and new advice
from the HSE.
EN 60204-1: 1998 states in clause 14.2.2 that the
protective conductor should be coloured GREENAND-YELLOW.
In 14.2.1 the standard states for safety reasons
the colour GREEN or the colour YELLOW should
not be used where there is a possibility of
confusion with the bicolour combination GREENAND-YELLOW. This calls into question the use of
YELLOW as one of the three phases in IEE
colours.
In 14.2.3 the standard states where a circuit
includes a neutral conductor identified by colour,
the colour shall be LIGHT BLUE. LIGHT BLUE
shall not be used for identifying any other conductor where confusion is possible.
The HSE confirms that in its view for safety
reasons, the colour of the protective conductor
should always be GREEN-AND-YELLOW and the
colour of the neutral should always be LIGHT
BLUE.
The HSE is more relaxed about the colour of other
conductors, however it points out that IEE colours
should really only be used for the electrical
installation in a building and not be used
in a machine.

THE

PROCESSING

AND

This is in the same way that IEE colours will be


used for a ring main in a house, but the single
phase appliances connected to the ring main will
be coloured BROWN, LIGHT BLUE and GREENAND-YELLOW.
EN 60204-1 states It is recommended that
insulated conductors be colour coded as follows:
* BLACK: a.c. and d.c. power circuits;
* RED: a.c. control circuits;
* BLUE: d.c. control circuits
* ORANGE: interlock control circuits supplied from
an external power source.

EN60204-1 IEC60204-1 CABLE


COLOURS

BLACK: a.c. and d.c. power circuits;


RED: a.c. control circuits;
BLUE: d.c. control circuits
ORANGE: interlock control circuits supplied
from an external power source.
LIGHT BLUE: neutral
GREEN-AND-YELLOW: protective conductor.

To comply with these requirements, many


companies will need to amend their purchase
documents and specifications. However
conforming to one internationally agreed
cable colour standard would have benefits
for all companies in the long run, removing
the confusion, additional costs and risks of
working to different wiring codes.
BS EN 60204-1: 1998 IEC 60204-1: 1997 is
available from BSI Standards
(Tel: 020 8996 9000) price 112.00.

PACKAGING

MACHINERY

September 2001

ASSOCIATION

New Progress House, 34 Stafford Road, Wallington, Surrey SM6 9AA


tel/ + 44 (0)20 8773 8111 fax/ +44 (0)20 8773 0022
e.mail/ [email protected]

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