A white paper offered by Turck and aimed at managers of industrial and automation networks explains the differences between Underwriters Laboratories' "Listed" and "Appliance Wiring Material (AWM)" designations for cables used in these types of environments. The paper takes the position that Listed cables are the better choice, and lays out reasons why.
"Connectivity and networks are the cornerstones for today's industrial, process-automation and manufacturing plants," Turck says, "making the selection of proper cables more important than ever. When selecting the appropriate cable, it is important for users to consider performance strengths and limitations associated with each cable solution in order to identify cabling that meet an application's exact needs."
The paper describes the testing requirements that Listed cables must satisfy, and also points out benefits associated with Instrumentation Tray Cables (ITC) and Power Limited Tray Cables (PLTC). Those benefits include durability, reliability and longevity. Additionally, the paper provides detail on some other performance characteristics that are available for Listed cables, including exposed run and direct burial.