Professional cable manufacturer
UL 1277 · UL 13 · NEC 336 / 725 / 392
Tray Cable — TC / TC-ER (600 V) & PLTC (300 V)
Type TC and TC-ER power and control tray cable to UL 1277 / NEC Article 336, and PLTC power-limited tray cable to UL 13 / NEC Article 725 — two separate systems, quoted separately, with the installation conditions each one is permitted under.
600 V
TC / TC-ER voltage
UL 1277
TC & TC-ER standard
18–10 AWG
2–37 conductors
+90 °C
TC conductor temp.
UL 1277 (TC / TC-ER) · UL 13 (PLTC)
NEC 336 · 725 · 392 installation conditions quoted with the cable
Sample & first-article orders
Print legend, core identification and drum lengths to order
TRAY CABLE — TC / PLTC
UL 1277TC · TC-ER
UL 13PLTC
NEC 336Power and control tray cable
NEC 725Power-limited circuits
NEC 392Cable tray installation
Key Specifications
The essentials, at a glance
What separates a TC quotation from a PLTC quotation — product standard, voltage system, conductor temperature and the installation conditions each cable is permitted under.
600 V
TC / TC-ER rated voltage
300 V
PLTC rated voltage
UL 1277
TC & TC-ER standard
UL 13
PLTC product standard
90 °C dry / 75 °C wet
TC conductor temperature
PVC + nylon
Insulation over copper
Product Overview
Two standards, two voltage systems, one tray
Tray cable is not one product. Type TC is a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors, with or without associated bare or covered equipment grounding conductors, under a nonmetallic jacket — defined in NEC 336.2 and built to UL 1277. It is the 600 V power and control cable used in industrial tray systems. PLTC — power-limited tray cable — is a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors rated 300 V, under a nonmetallic jacket, defined in NEC 725.2 and built to UL 13.
That difference is not cosmetic. TC lives in NEC Article 336 and PLTC lives in NEC Article 725, which are separate articles describing separate circuit classes, separate permitted uses and separate ampacity paths. PLTC belongs to the power-limited (Class 2 / Class 3) world; TC belongs to the power and control tray cable world. A quotation that rolls the two into one line — one voltage, one temperature — is describing a cable that does not exist, so we keep them on separate rows throughout this page.
For TC the published conductor temperature is 90 °C dry and 75 °C in wet locations, with an emergency overload allowance to 105 °C and a short-circuit temperature of 250 °C. The construction behind those numbers is bare copper conductor, PVC insulation with a nylon layer, and a PVC overall jacket, in 18 AWG to 10 AWG with 2 to 37 conductors. PLTC is a 300 V product; the 105 °C figure that appears on PLTC datasheets is a manufacturer datasheet value, not a value the NEC sets for the article — we label it that way rather than dressing it up as a code number.
TC-ER is where the practical value sits. The ER stands for exposed run: with a TC-ER cable you may run the cable exposed between a tray and the equipment it feeds instead of enclosing it in conduit for the whole route, subject to the conditions of NEC 336.10(7) — industrial occupancy, continuous support and mechanical protection against damage, compliance with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC cable, the "TC-ER" marking on the cable, supports spaced not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) apart, and the equipment grounding conductor run within the cable. A transition between trays, or between a tray and equipment, may be made with not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) of unsupported length where the cable is not subject to physical damage. The ER marking is what buys the installer that route; without it, 336.12(2) keeps the cable inside the conduit or tray system.
Before an order is released we confirm four things together: which system is actually being purchased (TC, TC-ER or PLTC), the conductor count and size, the ambient and wet/dry conditions the ampacity is being read under, and whether the listed features that matter for your route — sunlight resistance, the direct burial identification, the TC-ER print legend — are on the construction you are buying. Anything on this page marked as pending confirmation is confirmed on the drawing and the form-type test report that come with the quotation.
More about the manufacturer: About SORIVO →
Key Features
Eight things that decide a tray cable order
TC is not PLTC
Type TC is 600 V under UL 1277 and NEC Article 336. PLTC is 300 V under UL 13 and NEC Article 725. We quote them as separate products with separate voltage, temperature and installation rows.
UL product standard, NEC installation standard
UL 1277 and UL 13 are the product standards that list the cable. NEC 336, 725 and 392 say where it may be installed. The NEC does not certify cable and we never describe it that way.
TC-ER exposed runs
The ER marking permits exposed installation between tray and equipment under NEC 336.10(7) — industrial occupancy, continuous support, mechanical protection, Type MC crush and impact requirements, supports at 1.8 m (6 ft) or less.
300 V on the PLTC side
PLTC conductors are rated 300 V per the NEC 725.2 definition. It is a power-limited circuit cable and is never quoted against the 600 V TC row.
TC temperature, stated dry and wet
90 °C in dry locations, 75 °C in wet locations, 105 °C emergency overload and 250 °C short circuit — the conditions matter, so they travel with the number.
PVC with a nylon layer, PVC jacket
Bare copper conductor, PVC insulation with a nylon layer over it, and a PVC overall jacket. 14–10 AWG insulation is Type THHN or THWN rated VW-1; 18–16 AWG is Type TFFN / TFN.
Sunlight resistance needs the marking
NEC 336.12(3) prohibits TC in direct sunlight unless the cable is identified as sunlight resistant. We state the marking, not a test duration we cannot support.
Bend radius by outside diameter
NEC 336.24: 4× OD up to 25 mm, 5× OD over 25 mm up to 50 mm, 6× OD over 50 mm, and 12× OD where the cable has a metallic shield.
Applications
Where tray cable is specified
Tray routes between a power source and the equipment it feeds — quoted against the actual NEC article for the circuit class.
01
Industrial Plants & Process Lines
TC and TC-ER tray runs feeding motors, drives, panelboards and field equipment in plants maintained by qualified persons.
02
Tray-to-Equipment Drops
TC-ER exposed runs from the tray to the machine, with supports at 1.8 m (6 ft) or less and mechanical protection where subject to damage.
03
Utility & Substation Auxiliaries
Control and instrumentation circuits between switchgear, protection panels and auxiliary equipment.
04
Water & Wastewater Treatment
Wet and damp locations where the 75 °C wet-location conductor temperature and moisture-resistant construction govern.
05
Oil, Gas & Chemical Facilities
Tray circuits for plant areas where a hazardous-location classification applies — the Division 2 applicability of the specific construction is confirmed before it is offered.
06
Data Centres & Mission-Critical Power
Control, monitoring and power-limited circuits routed on tray above and behind the equipment.
07
Solar, Wind & Storage Balance of Plant
DC and control tray runs between inverters, combiners, transformers and the plant control system.
08
Packaging, Assembly & Logistics Lines
Machine-level control interconnect where a jacketed, tray-rated multicore replaces individual conduit runs.
Technical Specifications
Full specification sheet
The parameter set our engineers quote from — with the standard each value comes from, and the system it belongs to.
Table 1 TC / TC-ER reference construction values — 600 V control cable, 18–10 AWG
| AWG | Conductors | Strands | Approx. OD 3-conductor | DC resistance @25 °C, Ω/ft | Ampacity 75 °C | Ampacity 90 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 2–37 | 16 (Class K) | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | 2–37 | 26 (Class K) | — | — | — | — |
| 14 | 2–37 | 7 (Class B) | 0.322 in | 0.00263 | 20 A | 25 A |
| 12 | 2–37 | 7 (Class B) | 0.369 in | 0.00166 | 25 A | 30 A |
| 10 | 2–37 | 7 (Class B) | 0.446 in | 0.00104 | 35 A | 40 A |
Reference construction values — the outside diameters, DC resistances and ampacities above are published values for comparable TC / TC-ER control cable constructions, not a fixed Sorivo catalogue; they are given so you can size a route before drawing review. Final construction data is confirmed on our drawing and form-type test report with the quotation. The 12 AWG 3-conductor row is highlighted. Ampacities are read from 2023 NEC Table 310.16 and are already adjusted for more than three current-carrying conductors; they are not adjusted for the small-conductor overcurrent limits of NEC 240.4(D), which cap 14 AWG at 15 A, 12 AWG at 20 A and 10 AWG at 30 A unless the installation falls under one of the exceptions in that section. Published outside diameter and resistance values exist only for the 14, 12 and 10 AWG rows in this table; for 18 and 16 AWG we list the strand counts, and the diameters and resistances for those sizes are confirmed on the drawing.
Table 2 TC, TC-ER and PLTC — ratings, construction, installation and order data
| General Information | |
| Product Name | Tray cable — Type TC / TC-ER (600 V power and control) and Type PLTC (300 V power-limited) |
| Type TC / TC-ER Product Standard | UL 1277 — Electrical Power and Control Tray Cables (with optional optical-fiber members) |
| Type PLTC Product Standard | UL 13 — Power-Limited Circuit Cables |
| Installation Standards | TC / TC-ER: NEC Article 336. PLTC: NEC Article 725. Cable trays: NEC Article 392 |
| Test Method Reference | UL 1581 — Reference Standard for Electrical Wires, Cables, and Flexible Cords (the test methods behind flame and sunlight performance, not a product listing) |
| Definition — Type TC | A factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors, with or without associated bare or covered equipment grounding conductors, under a nonmetallic jacket (NEC 336.2) |
| Definition — Type PLTC | A factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors rated at 300 volts, with or without associated bare or insulated equipment grounding conductors, under a nonmetallic jacket (NEC 725.2) |
| Conductor Range & Count | 18 AWG to 10 AWG, 2 to 37 conductors (reference range of the comparable constructions; the range we build to is confirmed on the quotation) |
| Type TC & TC-ER Ratings — 600 V System | |
| Rated Voltage — TC / TC-ER | 600 V |
| Conductor Temperature — Dry Locations | 90 °C |
| Conductor Temperature — Wet Locations | 75 °C |
| Emergency Overload Temperature | 105 °C |
| Short-Circuit Temperature | 250 °C |
| Conductor Material | Bare copper |
| Conductor Identification | Control cable conductor identification by printed numbers to a published method, or to the customer requirement confirmed at order |
| Ampacity Basis | 2023 NEC Table 310.16, adjusted for more than three current-carrying conductors; small conductors remain subject to the overcurrent limits of NEC 240.4(D) |
| Ampacity Path — 14 AWG and Larger | NEC 392.80(A) for cables installed in a cable tray (NEC 336.80) |
| Ampacity Path — 18 and 16 AWG | NEC Table 402.5 when installed in a tray; NEC 310.14 when installed outside a tray (NEC 336.80) |
| Type PLTC Ratings — 300 V System | |
| Rated Voltage — PLTC / PLTC-ER | 300 V (the voltage stated in the NEC 725.2 definition of Type PLTC) |
| Conductor Temperature | 105 °C — manufacturer datasheet value for North American PLTC constructions. This figure is not established by NEC Article 725 or by UL 13, and we quote it as a datasheet value rather than a code requirement |
| Product Standard | UL 13 — Power-Limited Circuit Cables |
| Temperature Range — Fixed Installation | −40 °C to +105 °C — manufacturer datasheet value for the unscreened PLTC / ITC construction. Not a code-derived figure; the value for the construction supplied is confirmed on its datasheet |
| Tray Installation Rules | NEC 725.135(J), Table 725.154 and 725.179(E) |
| PLTC-ER Exposed Runs | Permitted where the cable includes an equipment grounding conductor |
| Sunlight Exposure | PLTC not identified as sunlight resistant is not permitted in direct sunlight; cable identified for the purpose is used where exposed, per NEC 336.12(3) and the Article 725 tray provisions |
| Construction | |
| Conductor | Bare copper, stranded |
| Stranding — 14 / 12 / 10 AWG | 7 strands, Class B compressed, per ASTM B3 and B8 |
| Stranding — 16 AWG | Class K bare copper, 26 strands, per ASTM B3 and B174 |
| Stranding — 18 AWG | Class K bare copper, 16 strands, per ASTM B3 and B174 |
| Insulation | PVC with a nylon layer |
| Insulation Type — 14 / 12 / 10 AWG | Type THHN or THWN, rated VW-1 |
| Insulation Type — 18 / 16 AWG | Type TFFN / TFN |
| Overall Jacket | PVC, nonmetallic |
| Metallic Elements (NEC 336.100) | Metallic sheaths or armouring as defined in NEC 330.116 are not permitted over or under the nonmetallic jacket. A metallic shield is permitted over the assembled conductors, under the outer jacket, or both |
| Print Legend | Marked with the conductor size and count, the type designation, the temperature rating, "SUNLIGHT RESISTANT" where that identification applies, and the voltage rating — the exact legend for your construction is confirmed on the drawing |
| Installation — NEC Conditions | |
| In Cable Tray | Permitted, including through mechanical discontinuities not exceeding 300 mm (1 ft) in the tray system — NEC 336.10(2) |
| Exposed Runs — Basis | NEC 336.10(7): permitted between a cable tray and the equipment served only where all of the following are met — the cable is Type TC-ER; the installation is in an industrial establishment where conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified persons service the installation; the cable is supported continuously and protected against physical damage by an approved means (struts, angles, channels); the cable complies with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC cable and is marked "TC-ER"; the cable is secured and supported at intervals not exceeding 1.8 m (6 ft); and an equipment grounding conductor is provided within the cable |
| Tray-to-Equipment Transition | Where not subject to physical damage, a transition between cable trays, or between a cable tray and the equipment served, may be made with not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) of unsupported cable — NEC 336.10(7) Exception |
| Aerial, Outdoors | Permitted where supported by a messenger wire — NEC 336.10(4) |
| Direct Burial | Permitted only where the cable is identified for such use — NEC 336.10(10). Direct burial is not a blanket property of tray cable; the identification has to be on the cable you are buying |
| Wet Locations | Type TC is required to be moisture resistant and resistant to the corrosive media present — NEC 336.10(8) |
| Direct Sunlight | Prohibited unless the cable is identified as sunlight resistant — NEC 336.12(3) |
| Outside Conduit or Tray | Prohibited other than as permitted by NEC 336.10(4), (7), (9) and (10) — NEC 336.12(2) |
| Minimum Bend Radius — No Metallic Shield | 4× outside diameter for cables 25 mm (1 in) or less; 5× outside diameter over 25 mm up to and including 50 mm; 6× outside diameter over 50 mm — NEC 336.24 |
| Minimum Bend Radius — Metallic Shield | 12× outside diameter — NEC 336.24 |
| Environmental & Fire | |
| Flame Rating | VW-1 rated insulation |
| Vertical Tray Flame Test | IEEE 1202 / FT4 (70,000 Btu/hr) is the vertical tray flame test method commonly referenced for this cable family; it is a test method, not a certification, and the result for the construction supplied is confirmed on our test report |
| Sunlight Resistance | Cable manufactured with a sunlight resistant jacket and marked accordingly, for use where exposed to direct sunlight as permitted by NEC 336.12(3) |
| Chemical & Moisture | Moisture resistant and resistant to the corrosive media present; the suitability of the jacket for a specific chemical exposure is confirmed on request |
| Silicone | Silicone-free construction |
| Hazardous Locations | A Division 2 applicability is published for comparable constructions; whether it applies to the cable we supply for your project is confirmed before it is offered as a property |
| Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) | Not part of the UL 1277 or UL 13 requirement. An LSZH jacket belongs to a different standards family (for example IEC 60754 / IEC 61034 / EN 50267) and is quoted, if available, as a separate construction under those standards — never as a UL 1277 property |
| Commercial & Logistics | |
| MOQ | 100 m — sample orders accepted |
| Lead Time | 7–20 working days; stocked configurations 3–5 days |
| Standard Lengths | 100 m / 500 m / 1000 m per drum; cut lengths on request |
| Packaging | Wooden drum, steel-wood drum or coil per order |
This table deliberately keeps TC / TC-ER (600 V) and PLTC (300 V) in separate groups: they are different products under different product standards and different NEC articles, and a value from one system must not be read across to the other. Routine factory inspection values are not published here: they are production checks on the length you receive, not published properties of the product. Crush and impact compliance is required by NEC 336.10(7)(d) by reference to Type MC cable; the NEC sets no numeric value there, so none is quoted. Please note: MOQ, lead time, stock position and standard drum lengths in the Commercial & Logistics group follow the convention used for our other engineered cables and are pending factory confirmation — they are confirmed with the quotation for your specific construction. Values described as reference construction values are published values for comparable constructions; final construction data is confirmed on our drawing and form-type test report.
Certificates & Standards
Verify before you buy — we make it easy
UL 1277 — TC / TC-ER
The product standard for electrical power and control tray cables, the standard behind the 600 V Type TC and TC-ER constructions. It lists the cable; the NEC articles say where it may be installed. The certificate and the scope that applies to your construction come with the quotation.
Request TC / TC-ER documents →UL 13 — PLTC
The product standard for power-limited circuit cables, the standard behind the 300 V PLTC construction. Quoted against its own voltage and its own NEC article — Article 725 — not against the Type TC row.
Request PLTC documents →UL 1581 — Test Methods
The reference standard for the test methods used on wires, cables and flexible cords — including the flame and sunlight exposure methods behind the VW-1 and sunlight-resistant markings. It is a method standard, not a product listing.
Request test reports →
Transparency note: certification status and exact scope should always be confirmed against the certificate for the selected construction. We provide the certificate and test reports with every quotation — no blank promises.
Quality & Factory
Built to a drawing, not to a description
Conductor, insulation, jacket and print legend are controlled against the approved drawing, and every length is routine tested before it is drummed.
- 1Drawing and legend approval — conductor count and size, stranding, insulation, jacket and the full print legend are frozen on the drawing before extrusion starts.
- 2Incoming and in-process control — conductor, compound and strand parameters are checked against the approved specification at each stage of stranding, insulation and jacketing.
- 3Routine electrical testing — every length is routine tested before it is drummed, and the results are recorded against the production lot.
- 4Batch documentation — form-type test reports, routine test records and the declaration of conformity are retained for every lot and issued with the order.
600 V
Type TC / TC-ER tray cable
300 V
Type PLTC tray cable
100%
routine test before shipment
How to Order
From inquiry to delivery in 5 steps
Send Inquiry
Tell us the system (TC, TC-ER or PLTC), conductor count and size, voltage, and the installation conditions the cable runs under.
Confirm Construction
We confirm the construction, the print legend, the ampacity basis and the quotation within one working day.
Drawing & Sample Approval
Drawing and sample length for fit and qualification, including any listed identification your route depends on.
Bulk Production
7–20 working days for standard configurations, with routine testing on every length before drumming.
Delivery & Support
Drum lengths to order, shipping documents, test records and after-sales support.
FAQ
Questions buyers ask before ordering
They are two separate products under two separate standards. Type TC is a 600 V power and control tray cable, built to UL 1277 and installed under NEC Article 336. Type PLTC is a 300 V power-limited tray cable, built to UL 13 and installed under NEC Article 725 — the power-limited (Class 2 / Class 3) article. That means a different voltage, a different permitted-use article and a different circuit class. We quote them as separate products and never combine their ratings into one line.
ER refers to an exposed run. It is not a literal definition in the code text — it is the designation that signals the cable may be run exposed between a tray and the equipment it serves instead of being enclosed for the whole route, and the conditions for that are set out in NEC 336.10(7). All of the following must be met: the cable is Type TC-ER; the installation is in an industrial establishment where only qualified persons service it; the cable is supported continuously and protected against physical damage by an approved means such as struts, angles or channels; the cable complies with the crush and impact requirements of Type MC cable and carries the "TC-ER" marking; it is secured and supported at intervals not exceeding 1.8 m (6 ft); and an equipment grounding conductor is included in the cable. A transition between trays, or between a tray and the equipment served, may be made with not more than 1.8 m (6 ft) of unsupported cable where it is not subject to physical damage.
Two different questions live here. Aerial outdoor runs are permitted where the cable is supported by a messenger wire (NEC 336.10(4)). Exposure to direct sunlight is a separate restriction: NEC 336.12(3) prohibits the cable in direct sunlight unless it is identified as sunlight resistant, so you need that marking on the jacket — which is exactly what the print legend on the cable shows. Sunlight resistance is an identification on the product, and we quote the marking rather than a test duration.
Only where the cable is identified for such use — that is the wording of NEC 336.10(10), and it is a condition, not an automatic property of tray cable. If your route includes direct burial, say so at inquiry stage: the burial identification has to be on the cable we manufacture for you, and it is confirmed on the drawing before production.
For 14 AWG and larger installed in a cable tray, the ampacity is taken from NEC 392.80(A), which is where NEC 336.80 sends you; for 18 and 16 AWG the path is NEC Table 402.5 in a tray and NEC 310.14 outside one. On this page the published ampacities come from 2023 NEC Table 310.16 and are already adjusted for more than three current-carrying conductors — but they remain subject to the small-conductor limits of NEC 240.4(D): 14 AWG 15 A, 12 AWG 20 A, 10 AWG 30 A, unless the installation falls under an exception in that section. Suppliers publish different figures mostly because different things are being quoted: the 75 °C and 90 °C columns of Table 310.16 differ, the number may or may not have been adjusted for the conductor count, and it may or may not have been checked against 240.4(D) — a published 25 A for 12 AWG at 90 °C still lands on a 20 A overcurrent device. When we quote, we state which column and which adjustment applies, so the number can be used as it stands.
For cable without a metallic shield, NEC 336.24 gives 4× the outside diameter for cable 25 mm (1 in) or less, 5× the outside diameter above 25 mm up to and including 50 mm, and 6× the outside diameter above 50 mm. Where the cable has a metallic shield the minimum is 12× the outside diameter. All of these are outside diameters, so the installed radius changes with the conductor count you select — we confirm the OD and the resulting radius on the drawing.
Not as a UL 1277 or UL 13 property — neither standard contains an LSZH jacket requirement, so an LSZH jacket cannot be quoted as part of a Type TC or PLTC listing. Low smoke zero halogen belongs to a different standards family (for example IEC 60754 for halogen content and IEC 61034 for smoke density). If your project needs it, tell us at inquiry stage: we will quote it, if available for your construction, as a separate arrangement under those standards rather than blurring it into the UL listing.
Tray cable is the right answer when the circuits are being run on a cable tray under a tray article and the concern is the route, the jacket and the ampacity. A shielded control cable is the right answer when the concern is electromagnetic compatibility — a foil or braided shield over the assembled cores to keep drive and switching noise out of signal circuits. Our shielded flexible control cable covers the screened construction, and our industrial Ethernet cable page covers data circuits. If you send the circuit list we will say which of the three fits, and will say so openly if the answer is not tray cable.
Need a sample length for qualification?
Tell us the system (TC, TC-ER or PLTC), conductor count and size, and the installation conditions — we reply within one working day.
Get a Free Quote
Send your tray cable requirement
The more detail you give, the faster and more accurate our quotation. Our engineers reply within one working day.
- System: Type TC, Type TC-ER or Type PLTC
- Conductor count and size (e.g. 12 AWG, 7 conductors plus ground)
- Installation: cable tray, exposed run, aerial on messenger wire, or direct burial where identified
- Ambient, wet or dry location, and the ampacity or overcurrent device you are designing to
- Listed identifications required: sunlight resistant, direct burial, TC-ER marking
- Quantity in metres, drum length preference and destination market
Inquiry received
Thanks — our engineers will reply within one working day.
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