This part of IEC 60947 specifies requirements for terminal blocks with screw-type or screw-less type clamping units primarily intended for industrial or similar use and to be fixed to a support to provide electrical and mechanical connection between copper conductors. It applies to terminal blocks intended to connect round copper conductors, with or without special preparation, having a cross-section between 0,05 mm2/30 AWG and 300 mm2 218 /600 kcmil, intended to be used in circuits of a rated voltage not exceeding 1 000 V AC up to 1 000 Hz or 1 500 V DC. The tests on terminal blocks are made with AC or DC supply as required in relevant
clauses of this document.
Terminal blocks are electrical components, which are typically installed in enclosures according to IEC 60947-1:2020 clause 3.3.16 enclosure: part providing a specified degree of protection of equipment against certain external influences and a specified degree of protection against approach to or contact with hazardous live parts and hazardous mechanical part. For this kind of components IEC Guide 116 states that there are "however, other electrical components that are intended to be incorporated into other electrical equipment".
NOTE 1 No IP degree listing for terminal blocks is required, but possible.
NOTE 2 AWG is the abbreviation of “American Wire Gage” (Gage (US) = Gauge (UK)) kcmil = 1 000 cmil;
1 cmil = 1 circular mil = surface of a circle having a diameter of 1 mil (1 mil = 1/1 000 inch)
This document may be used as a guide for
– terminal blocks requiring the fixing of special devices to the conductors, for example quick connect terminations or wrapped connection, etc.;
– terminal blocks providing wire-binding screw (see IEC 60947-1:2020, Annex D, Figure D.2), stud and nut terminations (see IEC 60947-1:2020, Annex D, Figure D.4 and D.5), lug terminations (see IEC 60947-1:2020, Annex D, Figure D.6) and terminal blocks providing direct contact to the conductors by means of edges or points penetratinginsulation, for example insulation displacement connection (IDC) (see IEC 60352-4:2020, Figure 2), etc.;
– special types of terminal blocks, for example with diodes or varistors or similar component holders, etc;
– terminal blocks with capability to connect conductors with cross sections larger than 300 mm2 /600 kcmil, see Annex E.
Where applicable in this document, the term “clamping unit” has been used instead of the term “terminal”. This is taken into account in case of reference to IEC 60947-1:2020.
Required fields are indicated with *
