MWS Wire /
Magnet Wire Products
MWS has the largest inventory of magnet wire including copper and nickel alloys in a wide range of sizes including ½ sizes - ready to ship with low minimum order quantities. MWS is also a leader in custom wire solutions and can provide additional services such as discrete lengths and laser ablation.
Round Magnet Wire
Standard magnet wire, also known as winding wire or enameled wire. MWS produces round magnet wire in a wide range of sizes with different insulations for a variety of thermal classes.
Shaped Magnet Wire
Magnet wire in specialty shapes such as rectangular magnet wire, ribbon or flat wire, and square magnet wire. For applications where wire shape is critical to coil functionality and design.
Bondable Magnet Wire
Self-bonding magnet wire is a film insulated wire with an adhesive bondcoat. Multiple bondcoats are available depending on activation solvent, bonding temperature, and softening temperature.
Microsquare Magnet Wire®
When space is at a premium, MWS Microsquare Magnet Wire® allows for compact coils and smaller motors with a tighter coil configuration than the same amount of round wire.
Multifilar® Magnet Wire
Bifilar magnet wire and more. MWS Multifilar® magnet wire allows you to have two or more parallel bonded magnet wires insulated and color coded to your specifications.
Twistite Magnet Wire®
Pre-twisted magnet wire for the production of custom toroid, ferrite and recording head coils, specialty audio and R.F. transformers. Up to 33 twists per inch with tight twisting tolerances.
Magnet Wire Overview
Wire used for winding in electrical equipment is referred to as magnet wire (also sometimes as motor wire or winding wire). In simplest terms, magnet wire is used for interchanging electrical energy with magnetic energy. The most common magnet wire is copper insulated wire used in electric motors.
Magnet wire properties
Magnet wire types can be quite varied but will include the following features: (a) uniformity of insulation, (b) good electrical properties like dielectric strength and insulation resistance, (c) resistance to mechanical stress, (d) resistance to chemicals, solvents, and encapsulating varnishes, (e) thermal resistance, and (f) long thermal life. Any magnet wire should exhibit strong properties in one or more of these features. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, the main idea being that an electric current makes a magnetic field. Therefore, operating conditions are critical in selection of wire type for any specific application.
Magnet wire vs Copper Alloy Wire
What is the difference between Magnet wire and regular copper wire? Magnet wire has an insulating layer in order to be used in coils, transformers, and electric motors. Without the insulating layer, the wires would create a short and would not function as an electromagnet. Regular copper wire, or copper alloy wire, is often sold in a bare state without insulation.
Types of magnet wire insulation
Magnet wire insulation comes in several types based on its thermal class. Thermal class is an indication of what temperature ranges the wire can withstand and still perform optimally. Temperatures for magnet wire insulation vary from around 100C for plan enamel insulation up to 240C for Polyimide insulation.
| Thermal Class | Insulation Type | MWS Product Code | NEMA Standard (MW1000) | IEC Standard (60317) | Federal Specification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105°C | Plain Enamel | PE | NONE | NONE | NONE |
| Formvar | F | MW 15 (RD) MW 18 (SQ & RECT) | 60317-1 (RD) 60317-17 (SQ & RECT) | JW 1177-14 (RD) JW 1177-16 (SQ & RECT) | |
| 155°C | Polyurethane - 155 | P155 | MW79 | 60317-20 | JW 1177- 41 |
| Polyurethane Nylon - 155 | PN155 | MW80 | 60317-21 | JW 1177/ 42 | |
| Polyurethane Bondable - 155 | PB155 | MW131 | 60317-35 | NONE | |
| Polyurethane Nylon Bondable - 155 | PNB155 | MW136 | NONE | NONE | |
| 180°C | Polyurethane - 180 | P180 | MW83 | 60317-51 | NONE |
| Polyurethane Nylon - 180 | PN180 | MW83 | 60317-55 | JR 1177/ 12 | |
| Polyester-imide | PT | MW30 | 60317-8 | JR 1177/ 12 | |
| Polyester-Nylon | PTN | MW76 | 60317-22 | JR 1177/ 38 | |
| Solderable Polyester | SPT | MW77 | 60317-23 | JR 1177/ 39 | |
| Solderable Polyester Nylon | SPTN | MW78 | NONE | JR 1177/ 40 | |
| Polyurethane Bondable - 180 | PB180 | MW132 | NONE | NONE | |
| Polyurethane Nylon Bondable - 180 | PNB180 | MW137 | NONE | NONE | |
| Polyester-imide Bondable | PTB | NONE | 60317-37 | NONE | |
| Polyester-amide-imide Bondable | APTB | MW102 | 60317-38 | NONE | |
| Solderable Polyester Bondable | SPTB | NONE | 60317-36 | NONE | |
| 200°C | Polyester - 200 | PT200 | MW74 | 60317-42 | JW 1177/ 43 |
| Polyester A/I Topcoat | APT | MW 35 (RD) MW 36 (SQ & RECT) | 60317-13 (RD) 60317-23 (SQ RECT) | JW 1177/ 14 (RD) JW1177/ 13 (SQ & RECT) | |
| Polyester A/I Polyamideimide | APTIG | MW73 | 60317-13 | NONE | |
| 240°C | Polyimide - LM* | ML | MW16 (RD) MW 20 (SQ & RECT) | 60317-43 (RD) 60317-47 (SQ & RECT) | JW 1177/ 15 (RD) JR1177/ 18 (SQ & RECT) |
* Registered trademark of Industrial Summit Technology
Magnet Wire Tool
To use it, please select the AWG size and insulation options in the drop-down menus, below.
- The tool provides data for Single, Heavy, Triple, and Quad insulation builds per NEMA MW 1000-2015.
- Values not covered under NEMA 1000-2015 have been derived from MWS Wire Internal Standards.
- Diameters shown do not include those for Quad Build NEMA MW 1000-2015 MW16C.
If you do not see exactly what you are looking for, please contact us.
| Size (AWG) | Bare Copper | ||||||||
| Diameter (Inches) | Resistance** (OHMS per 1000 ft. at 20°C) | Feet per Pound | Pounds per 1,000 ft. | Circular MILS Nominal | |||||
| Min. | Nom. | Max. | Min. | Nom. | Max. | ||||
| 6 7 8 9 10 | .1604 .1429 .1272 .1133 .1009 | .1620 .1443 .1285 .1144 .1019 | .1633 .1454 .1294 .1153 .1027 | .3875 .4885 .6156 .7774 .9795 | .3952 .4981 .6281 .7924 .9988 | .4031 .5079 .6410 .8079 1.019 | 12.59 15.87 20.01 25.24 31.82 | 79.44 63.03 49.98 39.62 31.43 | 26,240 20,820 16,510 13,090 10,380 |
| 11 12 13 14 15 | .0898 .0800 .0713 .0635 .0565 | .0907 .0808 .0720 .0641 .0571 | .0916 .0816 .0727 .0647 .0577 | 1.236 1.558 1.962 2.477 3.115 | 1.261 1.589 2.001 2.524 3.181 | 1.286 1.620 2.040 2.572 3.249 | 40.2 50.6 63.7 80.4 101 | 24.9 19.8 15.7 12.4 9.87 | 8,226 6,529 5,184 4,109 3,260 |
| 16 17 18 19 20 | .0503 .0448 .0399 .0355 .0317 | .0508 .0453 .0403 .0359 .0320 | .0513 .0458 .0407 .0363 .0323 | 3.941 4.944 6.261 7.871 9.941 | 4.019 5.054 6.386 8.047 10.13 | 4.099 5.167 6.514 8.229 10.32 | 128 161 203 256 323 | 7.81 6.21 4.92 3.90 3.10 | 2,581 2,052 1,624 1,289 1,024 |
| 21 22 23 24 25 | .0282 .0250 .0224 .0199 .0177 | .0285 .0253 .0226 .0201 .0179 | .0288 .0256 .0228 .0203 .0181 | 12.50 15.82 19.95 25.17 31.66 | 12.77 16.20 20.31 25.67 32.37 | 13.04 16.59 20.67 26.19 33.10 | 407 516 647 818 1,030 | 2.46 1.94 1.55 1.22 .970 | 812.3 640.1 510.8 404.0 320.4 |
| 26 27 28 29 30 | .0157 .0141 .0125 .0112 .0099 | .0159 .0142 .0126 .0113 .0100 | .0161 .0143 .0127 .0114 .0101 | 40.01 50.72 64.30 79.80 101.7 | 41.02 51.43 65.33 81.22 103.7 | 42.07 52.17 66.37 82.68 105.8 | 1,310 1,640 2,080 2,590 3,300 | .765 .610 .481 .387 .303 | 252.8 201.6 158.8 127.7 100.0 |
| 31 32 33 34 35 | .0088 .0079 .0070 .0062 .0055 | .0089 .0080 .0071 .0063 .0056 | .0090 .0081 .0072 .0064 .0057 | 128.0 158.1 200.1 253.2 319.2 | 130.9 162.0 205.7 261.3 330.7 | 133.9 166.2 211.7 269.8 342.8 | 4,170 5,160 6,550 8,320 10,500 | .240 .194 .153 .120 .0949 | 79.21 64.00 50.41 39.69 31.36 |
| 36 37 38 39 40 | .0049 .0044 .0039 .0034 .0030 | .0050 .0045 .0040 .0035 .0031 | .0051 .0046 .0041 .0036 .0032 | 398.7 490.1 617.0 800.2 1,013 | 414.8 512.1 648.2 846.6 1,079 | 431.9 535.7 681.9 897.1 1,152 | 13,200 16,300 20,600 27,000 34,400 | .0757 .0613 .0484 .0371 .0291 | 25.00 20.25 16.00 12.25 9.61 |
| 41 42 43 44 45 | .0027 .0024 .0021 .0019 .00169 | .0028 .0025 .0022 .0020 .00176 | .0029 .0026 .0023 .0021 .00183 | 1,233 1,534 1,960 2,352 3,080 | 1,323 1,659 2,143 2,593 3,348 | 1,423 1,801 2,352 2,873 3,616 | 42,100 52,900 68,300 82,600 106,500 | .0237 .0189 .0147 .0121 .00939 | 7.84 6.25 4.84 4.00 3.10 |
| 46 47 48 49 50 | .00151 .00135 .00119 .00107 .00095 | .00157 .00140 .00124 .00111 .00099 | .00164 .00146 .00129 .00116 .00103 | 3,870 4,868 6,205 7,744 9,734 | 4,207 5,291 6,745 8,417 10,580 | 4,544 5,714 7,285 9,090 11,430 | 134,400 169,200 213,400 269,700 339,700 | .00744 .00591 .00469 .00371 .00294 | 2.47 1.96 1.54 1.23 .980 |
| 51 52 53 54 55 | .00085 .00075 .00067 .00060 .00053 | .00088 .00078 .00070 .00062 .00055 | .00092 .00081 .00073 .00065 .00057 | 12,320 15,690 19,480 24,820 31,540 | 13,390 17,050 21,170 26,980 34,280 | 14,460 18,410 22,860 29,140 37,020 | 428,400 540,000 681,200 859,100 1,083,000 | .00233 .00185 .00147 .00116 .000923 | .775 .608 .490 .384 .303 |
| 56 | .00047 | .00049 | .00051 | 39,730 | 43,190 | 46,650 | 1,366,000 | .000732 | .240 |
** Values are based on a resistivity of 10.371 Ohms/CMF at 20°C (100% IACS conductivity). Minimum resistance values are based on a maximum bare diameter. Maximum resistance values are based on minimum bare diameter.
