Overview
ISO 19642-3:2019 - Road vehicles - Automotive cables - Part 3: Dimensions and requirements for 30 V a.c. or 60 V d.c. single core copper conductor cables - defines physical and performance requirements for single‑core copper automotive cables used in vehicle electrical systems with nominal voltages ≤ 30 V a.c. or ≤ 60 V d.c.. The standard covers both standalone single‑core cables and individual cores within multi‑core assemblies, specifying conductor materials, dimensional limits, insulation classes and the required test regime.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Voltage and scope: Intended for general‑purpose vehicle wiring up to 30 V a.c. / 60 V d.c. and for copper conductors only.
- Conductor materials: Plain or coated copper strands per recognized specifications (e.g., ASTM B1, B3, B33, B298, B355, EN 13602). Material and elongation requirements are agreed between supplier and customer where applicable.
- Conductor dimensions and CSA: Cross‑sectional area (CSA), conductor diameter and strand configurations are standardized or referenced; finished cable must meet CSA and resistance requirements.
- Insulation types: Three insulation wall classes - thick wall, thin wall, and ultra‑thin wall - with minimum thicknesses defined per conductor size.
- Temperature classes: All temperature classes from ISO 19642‑1 apply; high temperature applications may use silver or nickel‑coated conductors.
- Testing framework: Test methods are specified in ISO 19642‑2 and include dimensional, electrical (conductor resistance, withstand voltage, volume resistivity), mechanical (strip force, abrasion, breaking force, cyclic bending), and environmental tests (heat ageing, thermal overload, cold impact, humidity cycling, chemical resistance, ozone, flame propagation).
- Supplier/customer agreements: Where alloys or non‑standard stranding are used, resistance or stranding requirements must be mutually agreed and documented.
Applications
- Design, manufacture and qualification of vehicle wiring harnesses, single‑core power and signal cables for passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and off‑highway equipment where system voltages do not exceed the specified limits.
- Procurement specifications and supplier quality control for automotive cable manufacturers, harness assemblers and OEM electrical engineers.
- Compliance testing and product comparison during new cable development or supplier assessment.
Who should use this standard
- Automotive OEMs, Tier‑1 wiring harness suppliers, cable manufacturers, electrical design engineers, and test laboratories involved in vehicle wiring design, specification and qualification.
Related standards
Keywords: ISO 19642-3:2019, automotive cables, single core copper conductor cables, 30 V a.c., 60 V d.c., vehicle wiring, insulation thickness, conductor CSA, cable testing.