What Is a Copper Braid? Powerful Guide to Applications & Benefits

Copper braid is an electrical conductor that is designed to be flexible and consists of a number of fine copper wires woven together in a braid. Copper braid can be bent, twisted and absorb vibration, while still having a great conductivity as opposed to a single solid copper conductor.

copper braided

Copper braids are also used for electrical bonding, grounding, flexible jumpers, switchgear, transformers, motors, generators, battery systems, power distribution and industrial machinery. They have a special braided structure which facilitates movement and thermal expansion and are particularly suitable for applications in which rigid conductors might be subjected to mechanical stress.

Copper has excellent electrical conductivity and thermal properties, making braided copper conductor a vital part in modern electrical and industrial systems.

What Is a Copper Braid ?

Copper braid is a conductor that consists of a flat or tube braid of many fine strands of copper.

This building offer a mixture of:

  • High electrical conductivity
  • Excellent flexibility
  • Vibration resistance
  • Mechanical durability
  • Simple assembly in small areas.

Many manufacturers also provide tinned copper braids, which have a thin coating of tin to prevent the copper surface from oxidizing and corroding.

SpecificationDetails
MaterialHigh-Conductivity Copper
Copper GradeETP / EC Grade
Wire Diameter0.10–0.30 mm
Width10–200 mm
LengthCustomizable

How Is a Copper Braids Made ?

The process of copper braid manufacturing is a controlled process, where copper braids are manufactured to be flexible and have good electrical performance.

Typically the process involves:

  • Pulling out fine wires from high conductivity copper.
  • Collecting the strands together in bundles.
  • Braiding the strands together to form a braid.
  • Trimming the braid to the needed size.
  • Fitting terminals or lugs (when necessary).
  • Where required, applying tin plating.
  • Quality and dimensional checks of the completed braid.

The flexible nature of the braid is achieved through the flexibility of individual strands relative to each other, which is provided by the woven construction.

What Is a Copper Braid Used For ?

Copper braids are used in a variety of electrical and industrial applications.

Electrical Bonding:

The most common application of a copper braid is the electrical bonding.
A bonding braid is a type of connection between two conductive components that allows them to be at substantially the same electrical potential.

Common bonding uses are:

  • Electrical enclosures
  • Equipment frames
  • Metal cabinets
  • Switchgear
  • Industrial machinery
  • Metallic piping

Grounding Applications:

Copper grounding braids are used for providing flexible conductive connections where grounding is necessary.

Typical ground use cases are:

  • Electrical panels
  • Switchgear
  • Transformers
  • Motors
  • Generators
  • Industrial equipment

Flexible Copper Jumpers:

Copper braids are widely used to manufacture flexible copper jumpers.
These are jumpers that join two electrical points and allow for movement, vibration or thermal expansion.

Applications include:

  • Switchgear
  • Transformers
  • Motors
  • Generators
  • Battery systems
  • Electrical panels

Switchgear Connections:

Many switchgear assemblies have components that need flexible electrical connections.
Copper braids can join to:

  • Circuit breakers
  • Busbars
  • Switches
  • Terminals
  • Grounding points

They’re flexible enough for easier placement in small electrical enclosures.

List of common industries that make use of copper braids

Copper braids have many applications in various sectors.

  • Electrical manufacturing
  • Power distribution
  • Renewable energy
  • Battery manufacturing
  • Automotive
  • Railways
  • Telecommunications
  • Industrial automation
  • Oil and gas
  • Process plants

They are versatile enough to be used in high current and flexible connection applications.