Litz Wire
Litz wire is actually stranded film insulated conductors, or stranded magnet wire which are cabled into a geometric pattern permitting each insulated wire to occupy every possible position in the entire length of the flexible cable at some point. The reason for this arrangement is to reduce losses caused by the tendency of currents to flow only outside surface of wires at high frequencies. Our range of litz wire configurations includes the very fine wire strands on up to a superflex cable as large as four inches in diameter.
Litz wire reduces AC losses in conductors from skin and proximity effects at high frequencies to make transformers and motors more efficient. It consists of individually insulated strands woven or twisted in a specific pattern so that each tends to occupy all possible positions in the cross section. This equalizes flux linkages and reactances so that current is evenly divided among the strands for increased current-carrying efficiency.
Applications
- High-frequency inductors and transformers
- Motors
- Relays
- Inverters
- Power supplies
- Ultrasonic and sonar equipment
- Heat-induction equipment
- High-twist applications, up to 300 turns per foot
Litz wire is available in a wide range of configurations to meet specific operating frequencies, voltages, and current-carrying capacities. Individual strands range from 50 to 16 AWG, with anywhere from a few strands to thousands in the wire. Besides traditional round conductors, we also offer space-saving square and rectangular cross sections for maximum copper density.
Some popular configurations include 60 strands of 36 AWG, 100 strands of 38 AWG, and 2100 strands of 36 AWG.