Publish Time: 2025-08-22 Origin: Site
Selecting the right power cord isn't just a matter of convenience — it's about ensuring safety, performance, and compliance. Choosing unqualified power cords can lead to overheating, voltage drop, or even serious electrical hazards, exposing your products to costly recalls or certification failures.
When specifying a power cord, OEM buyers and engineers must evaluate a range of critical factors:
Prong type: Which one can meet your demands, 2-prong vs 3-prong power cord?
Conductor gauge: How to make decisions between a 12 AWG power cord vs lighter options like 16–18 AWG?
Voltage rating: Do you know that 300V power cord is for industrial, 250V is for global appliances, and 125V is for North American consumer use?
Cord length
Outer jacket material
This guide provides OEMs with a practical, step-by-step framework for choosing the correct power cord for your application — whether you're manufacturing household appliances, IT equipment, or heavy-duty industrial machines.
The plug configuration is often the first factor to consider because it dictates where and how the power cord can be used, ensuring compliance, grounding safety, and market compatibility.
Used in double-insulated devices that don't require grounding.
Common for small appliances, audio-visual electronics, office devices, and certain consumer goods.
Lightweight, lower cost, and globally accepted in many consumer categories.
Includes a grounding pin, offering an additional layer of safety by redirecting fault currents.
Essential for high-wattage equipment, industrial tools, medical devices, and sensitive electronics.
Reduces the risk of electric shock, especially in equipment with metal housings.
OEM Insight: Always check regional standards. In North America, NEMA standards govern plug types, while IEC standards dominate in Europe and many global markets. Choosing a non-compliant plug can make an entire shipment unusable.
The American Wire Gauge (AWG) rating tells you the conductor's thickness, and therefore, how much current it can safely carry.
Thick, heavy-duty conductor.
Suitable for industrial machinery, HVAC systems, and other loads up to ~20A.
Often paired with 300V ratings for maximum safety margin.
Medium-duty choice, popular in OEM manufacturing.
Common for power tools, mid-range appliances, and lighting equipment.
Handles ~15A depending on length and standards.
Light-duty to medium-duty power cords, widely used in consumer appliances, office electronics, and IT equipment.
Safe for ~10–13A applications.
Lightest-duty power cords.
Ideal for chargers, adapters, and short-length electronics cables.
Limited current capacity, generally under 10A.
Tip for OEMs: The longer the power cord, the more important it is to size up your gauge. A 50-foot 16 AWG cord may overheat under loads that a 12 AWG cord could handle with ease.
Voltage ratings determine how much electrical pressure the power cord insulation can safely handle.
Preferred in industrial, OEM, and heavy-duty equipment.
Provides a higher safety margin, especially for machinery that operates in demanding environments.
Often required in UL and CSA certifications for OEM export markets.
Common in global appliances, IT equipment, and power distribution units (PDUs).
Flexible option for manufacturers targeting international customers.
Standard in North America for home and office applications.
Typical for small appliances, desktop electronics, and consumer devices.
OEM Consideration: Always match the power cord's voltage rating to the equipment's power supply and regional grid standards. Using an underrated power cord could result in insulation breakdown or non-compliance with safety certifications.
The length of the power cord is often overlooked, but it is as important as gauges and voltages. Cord length isn't just about convenience, because it directly impacts voltage stability, overheating risk, energy efficiency, and compliance. That's why OEMs must always consider length together with gauge and amp rating.
Shorter cords mean less resistance, less voltage drop, and higher efficiency.
Long cords require thicker gauge conductors to handle the same current safely.
Avoid daisy-chaining extension cords, which compounds resistance and increases overheating risks.
Example: A 25-foot 16 AWG cord may be fine for a small appliance, but a 100-foot extension carrying the same load should be upgraded to 12 AWG.
The outer jacket material protects the conductors from physical, chemical, and environmental damage.
PVC Jacket: Cost-effective, lightweight, and common for indoor consumer and office use.
Rubber / TPE Jacket: Flexible, durable, and resistant to oil, moisture, and abrasions. Essential for industrial environments, outdoor equipment, and rugged OEM applications.
SJTW: Weather-resistant, 300V, outdoor rated. Ideal for any outdoor or rugged OEM application.
SJEOW: Oil- and water-resistant, extra flexible in cold temperatures. Easy to handle cold weather, oil exposure, and outdoor environments.
The jacket is more than just a cover — it's the first line of defense against heat, cold, moisture, and abrasion. Selecting the wrong one exposes your product to safety risks, compliance issues, and costly failures in the field.
Even the most carefully designed equipment can be compromised by a substandard cord supplier. For OEMs, supplier choice impacts:
OEMs need a supplier that can guarantee quality consistency across all production batches, ensuring that every shipment of power cords performs to the same high standard.
Equally important is regulatory compliance with certifications such as UL, CSA, VDE, and CE, which protect OEMs from costly approval delays and market-entry issues.
A reliable manufacturer should offer customization options, including different lengths, gauges, colors, stripped or tinned ends, and special plug types, so that the cords fit seamlessly into the OEM's equipment design and branding.
We provide a full range of power cords from 12–18 AWG, giving OEMs the flexibility to match the right conductor size to their application needs.
We offer options for 2-prong, 3-prong, or fully customized plugs, ensuring compatibility with regional standards and equipment designs.
Our products cover voltage ratings of 125V, 250V, and 300V, making them suitable for everything from consumer appliances to heavy-duty industrial machines.
OEM buyers can also specify custom lengths, outer jackets, and stripped or tinned ends, allowing seamless integration into assembly lines and finished products.
To make sourcing easier, we provide flexible MOQs and global shipping, supporting both high-volume production runs and smaller OEM projects with equal reliability.
Choosing the right power cord is a critical step in OEM product design. By evaluating key factors like prong type, gauge, voltage, length, and jacket material, you not only safeguard your end-users but also ensure compliance with global safety standards.
A-Line Cable specializes in customized, UL-certified power cords that meet the exact needs of OEM manufacturers worldwide.
Contact A-Line Cable today to discuss your next project and secure safe, reliable, and fully tailored power cord solutions for your equipment.