Litz Magnet Wire

The term " Litz wire" is derived from the German word "litzendraht" meaning woven wire. Litz wire is constructed of individually insulated magnet wires either twisted or braided together. In most cases, Litz magnet wire constructions composed of a greater number of finer wire strands are best suited for higher frequency applications.

When choosing Litz magnet wire for a particular use, there are a number of important criteria to consider that will affect how well the Litz wire performs. This includes the number of magnet wire strands wound into the wire, the wire's frequency range, the size of the magnet wire strands, the resistance of the magnet wire, its shape, and its weight.

Litz magnet wire, may be “served” or “unserved.” To be “served” simply means that the entire Litz wire construction is wrapped with a nylon textile, polyurethane, or yarn for added strength and protection. “Unserved” Litz magnet wire has no wrapping or insulation. In either case, the use of additional tapes or insulations may be utilized to help improve voltage-withstand and protect the Litz wire against damage during winding.

Typical applications for NEWind and Litz magnetic wire conductors include high-frequency transformers, inductors, motors, relays, inverters, power supplies, DC converters, communications equipment, ultra-sonic equipment, sonar equipment, television equipment, and heat induction equipment.

Click here to learn more about how New England Wire Technologies can help you specify the right Litz magnet wire or NEWind specialty winding wire for your particular application. Call our technical sales staff at 603-838-6624 or email us at sales@newenglandwire.com. In addition, click here to electronically submit information on your Litz application with our on-line Litz Design Form.

Why Use Litz Wire?

Litz magnet wire construction is designed to minimize the power losses inherent in solid conductors due to "Skin Effect". Basically, Skin Effect is the tendency of radio frequency current to be concentrated at the surface of the conductor. Litz wire constructions counteract these power losses by increasing the amount of surface area without significantly increasing the size of the conductor. Polyurethane-Nylon is the film most often used for insulating individual strands because it lends itself to applications where soldering may be required.

What is Magnet Wire?

The term “magnet wire" is used to describe solid conductor wire—usually copper—insulated with a polymer-based film. The films are designed to provide a uniform dielectric coating while taking up as little space as possible.

In specifying a magnet wire, several areas an engineer needs to be concerned with include:

• Size or Diameter
• Insulation Thermal Class
• Insulation Build or Thickness
• Color and Coatings

Litz wire products that are produced at New England Wire's Lisbon, NH, facility are used in a wide range of motors, transformers, and power conversion devices for consumer and industrial equipment. All of the magnet wire used in manufacturing our Litz wire is certified to the most rigorous requirements of federal, NEMA and military specifications.

However, traditional magnet wire used to wind coils and make Litz wire strands presents limitations. Generally the magnet wire coating can easily be damaged between winding turns, separate windings and between the winding and the ground. New England Wire Technologies created NEWind ® Specialty Winding Wire, which meets UL 60950 and VDE IEC 60950, to provide additional voltage withstand and cut-through resistance by extruding thin layers of fluoropolymer over single end, strands, and Litz wire. The insulation layers are extruded in either two layers (Supplementary) or three layers (Reinforced). This design ensures that defects in any one layer will not reduce the insulating ability. Motors and transformers, and power conversion equipment can then be manufactured without additional insulation thus increasing efficiency, reducing size and lowering cost.

NEWind and NE-F1

Electrical Insulation Systems are invaluable to motor and transformer designers as they eliminate the need for long term component testing. Combining the UL regulatory approvals of NE-F1 with the capabilities and experience of New England Wire Technologies at producing high-performance NEWind wire products allows us to provide unique solutions to meet design challenges associated with today's winding needs.

NE-F1 Class F (155C) Electrical Insulation System was developed as the solution to cost, size, and time-savings issues. Extensive research and custom wire and cable testing, as well as the incorporation of various components, has allowed NEWT to design a complete range of materials that are ideal for transformer, motor, and coil applications. This design freedom leads to higher efficiency and smaller, lower cost devices that can be brought to market without long-term testing delays. NE-F1 is also suitable for most Class F devices, thus reducing the need for multiple Electrical Insulation Systems.

Learn more about how New New England Wire Technologie s' NEWind product line and can help you specify the right Litz magnet wire products by or enameled magnet wire for your particular application. by calling our technical sales staff at 603-838-6624 or emailing us at sales@newenglandwire.com.
Or click here to electronically submit your Litz application with our on-line Litz Design Form.