Bsi bs en 04681 002 2012

BS EN 4681-002:2012

BSI Standards Publication

Aerospace series — Cables,
electric, general purpose, with
conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium
Part 002: General


BS EN 4681-002:2012

BRITISH STANDARD

National foreword
This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN 4681-002:2012.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical
Committee ACE/6, Aerospace avionic electrical and fibre optic
technology.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be
obtained on request to its secretary.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary
provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct
application.
© The British Standards Institution 2012.
Published by BSI Standards Limited 2012
ISBN 978 0 580 77223 8
ICS 49.060
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from
legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the
Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 October 2012.
Amendments issued since publication
Date

Text affected


BS EN 4681-002:2012

EN 4681-002

EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM

October 2012

ICS 49.060

English Version

Aerospace series - Cables, electric, general purpose, with
conductors in aluminium or copper-clad aluminium - Part 002:
General
Série aérospatiale - Câbles électriques, d'usage général,
avec conducteurs en aluminium ou en aluminium chemisé
cuivre - Partie 002: Généralités

Luft- und Raumfahrt - Elektrische Leitungen, zur

allgemeinen Verwendung, mit Leitern aus Aluminium oder
kupferbeschichtetem Aluminium - Teil 002: Allgemeines

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 25 February 2012.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United
Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2012 CEN

All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Ref. No. EN 4681-002:2012: E


BS EN 4681-002:2012

EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

Contents

Page

Foreword ..............................................................................................................................................................3
1

Scope ......................................................................................................................................................4

2

Normative references ............................................................................................................................4

3

Terms, definitions and symbols ...........................................................................................................5

4

List of product standards .....................................................................................................................5

5
5.1
5.2

Materials and construction ...................................................................................................................5
Materials .................................................................................................................................................5
Construction...........................................................................................................................................5

6
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4

Identification and marking ....................................................................................................................7
Single core ..............................................................................................................................................8
Multicore .................................................................................................................................................8
Designation ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Manufacturer identification marking................................................................................................. 10

7

Technical specification ...................................................................................................................... 10

2


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

Foreword
This document (EN 4681-002:2012) has been prepared by the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association
of Europe - Standardization (ASD-STAN).
After enquiries and votes carried out in accordance with the rules of this Association, this Standard has
received the approval of the National Associations and the Official Services of the member countries of ASD,
prior to its presentation to CEN.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical

text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2013, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the
latest by April 2013.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

3


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

1

Scope

This European Standard specifies the list of product standards and common characteristics of electrical
cables for general purpose with conductors in aluminium or copper-clad aluminium, intended for installation in
aircraft electrical systems.

2

Normative references

The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,

the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 3719, Aerospace series — Aluminium or aluminium alloy conductors for electrical cables — Product
standard
EN 3838, Aerospace series — Requirements and tests on user-applied markings on aircraft electrical cables
EN 4651, Aerospace series — Copper-clad aluminium alloy conductors for electrical cables — Product
standard 1)
EN 4681-001, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 001: Technical specification
EN 4681-003, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 003: AD family, single UV laser printable — Product standard 2)
EN 4681-004, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 004: ADA family, single and multicore assembly — Product standard 2)
EN 4681-005, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 005: AZ family, single UV laser printable for use in low pressure atmosphere —
Product standard 2)
EN 4681-006, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or copperclad aluminium — Part 006: AZA family, single and multicore assembly for use in low pressure atmosphere —
Product standard 2)
ISO 2574, Aircraft — Electrical cables — Identification marking
TR 4684, Aerospace series — Electrical Technology and component definition 2)
TR 6058, Aerospace series — Cable code identification list 3)

1)

Published as ASD-STAN Prestandard at the date of publication of this standard (www.asd-stan.org).

2)

In study at the date of publication of this standard.

3)

Published as ASD-STAN Technical Report at the date of publication of this standard (www.asd-stan.org).

4


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

3

Terms, definitions and symbols

For the purposes of this standard, the terms, definitions and symbols given in TR 4684 apply.

4

List of product standards

EN 4681-003, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 003: AD family, single UV laser printable — Product standard
EN 4681-004, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 004: ADA family, single and multicore assembly — Product standard
EN 4681-005, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 005: AZ family, single UV laser printable for use in low pressure atmosphere —
Product standard
EN 4681-006, Aerospace series — Cables, electric, general purpose, with conductors in aluminium or
copper-clad aluminium — Part 006: AZA family, single and multicore assembly for use in low pressure
atmosphere — Product standard

5

Materials and construction

5.1

Materials

These cable conductors shall be made of aluminium or copper clad aluminium and nickel-plated according to
EN 3719 or EN 4651 code D (except otherwise specified in product standards).

5.2

Construction

5.2.1

Number of cores

See Table 1.
Table 1
Number of cores

1

2

3

4

5

Code

A

B

C

D

E

Factor for overall dimensions

1

2,00

2,15

2,40

2,70

For two cores or more:


The lay length of the outer lay shall not be less than eight times and not more than 16 times the nominal
diameter of the cabled cores.



The core shall not be spliced.

5


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

Where filler cores are used, on 4 (four) cores and 5 (five) cores assembly, materials shall be compliant with
the operating temperatures.


factor for mass: 1,03;



factor for ohmic resistance: 1,03.

5.2.2

Colour coding of single core cables

For differentiation with copper cables, all single core cables shall be of Light GREY – colour code K as defined
in Table 2, and markings shall be as defined in Clause 6.
Table 2 — Colour code

Colour a

Code

a

5.2.3

A

Red

(2)

B

Blue

(6)

C

Yellow

(4)

D

Green

(5)

E

White

(9)

F

Black

(0)

G

Brown

(1)

H

Orange

(3)

J

Violet

(7)

K

Grey

(8)

For information: international colour code.

Colour coding of unscreened, multicore cables

See Table 3, differentiation with copper cables shall be given by markings as defined in Clause 6.
Table 3 — Code P
Number
of cores
in cables

NOTE

6

Colours (light colours acceptable)

2

Red

Blue

3

Red

Blue

Yellow

4

Red

Blue

Yellow

Green

5

Red

Blue

Yellow

Green

White

Jacket (if requested): Light grey, manufacturer markings according to Table 4.


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

Table 4 — Colour of manufacturer identification markings
Colours

Nominal
conductor
cross-section
mm

24

0,6

20

1,2

16

3

12

9

8

22

4

0,15

26

0,4

22

1

18

2

14

5

10

14

6

28

3

107

0 000

Green

Black

6

2

0,25

Blue

a

AWG a

AWG = Closest American Wire Gage.

Identification and marking

The identification and marking of cables by the manufacturer shall be in accordance with ISO 2574 and this
standard.

As the designation, required for orders, is generally too long for use in electrical drawings, a shorter cross
designation (without colour information) is given in TR 6058 plus the corresponding nearest AWG (gauge
code).
To facilitate further manufacturing operations and differentiate these aluminium cables from copper cables,
markings are necessary on both core(s) and jacket (when there is a jacket).
Dark spots are not necessary on jacket.

7


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

6.1

Single core

For differentiation with copper cables, colour of manufacturer identification markings shall be in accordance
with Table 5 for size 24 to size 4/0.
Table 5 — Colour of manufacturer identification markings
Family

Colours

AD

Orange or red

AZ

—

For size 22, some dashes are positioned between adjacent manufacturer markings.
NOTE

6.2

From size 24 to size 12, dark spots will be added during markings applied by the users.

Multicore

For differentiation with copper cables, colour of manufacturer identification markings shall be in accordance
with Table 4 for core size 24 to size 4/0.
From core size 24 to size 4, in addition to cable manufacturer identification markings, darks spots are
positioned all along according to the definition described hereafter and in Figure 1 and Table 6.
NOTE

These dark spots are necessary to facilitate further manufacturing operations.

Figure 1

8


BS EN 4681-002:2012
EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

Table 6 — Spots dimensions
Dimensions in millimetres

Nominal
conductor
cross-section
mm

a

AWG a

P

2

L1

L2

D

± 0,05

0,25

24

6,6

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

0,4

22

6,6

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

0,6

20

6,6

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

1

18

6,6

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

1,2

16

7,8

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

2

14

7,8

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

3

12

7,8

+ 0,2
− 0,1

0,5

0,5 ± 0,02

0,5 ± 0,02

5

10

18,0 ± 0,2

0,6

1,8 ± 0,04

0,5 ± 0,04

9

8

22,5 ± 0,2

0,6

1,8 ± 0,04

0,5 ± 0,04

14

6

22,0 ± 0,2

0,6

1,8 ± 0,04

0,5 ± 0,04

22

4

22,5 ± 0,2

0,6

1,8 ± 0,04

0,5 ± 0,04

AWG = Closest American Wire Gage.

9


BS EN 4681-002:2012

EN 4681-002:2012 (E)

6.3

Designation

EXAMPLES

Single wire:

designation EN4681-003A004K

Cross reference: AD 22

Pair:

designation EN4681-004B006P

Cross reference: ADB 20

6.4

Manufacturer identification marking

This shorter designation is used for cable and manufacturer identification marking as in the following example,
see Figure 2:
EN

AD

A

20

FR

A

09

Reference to EN standard cable
4 spaces 4)
Type code
Specific code
Gauge code
Manufacturer country code
Manufacturer code
Year of manufacturing

Figure 2
The cables (single core or jacketed cable) shall be capable of being printed with the user-applied markings
according to EN 3838.

7

Technical specification

See EN 4681-001.

4)

10

Spaces are mandatory, with a possible exception for the second one.


This page deliberately left blank


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