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Lucien Nunes

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Yellow for 110V, blue for 230V, red for 400V. Other colours for special applications.
16A, 32A, 63A and 125A, 2P+E, 3P+E, 3P+N+E.

You know what I'm talking about. They've been around for 50 years, but no-one can yet agree what to call them.

The official name is "plugs, socket-outlets and couplers for industrial purposes" according to IEC 60309 (formerly IEC309). They go by lots of different aliases... IEC309, BS4343, CEE17... but a lot of people use a manufacturers' name or trademark: Commando, Marechal, Ceeform, or just the current rating 'a 32A plug' or something relevant to them 'Caravan plug'.

What do you call them? Does it depend on who you're talking to?
 
I grew up calling them industrial plugs..
Depending on who I’m talking to though, also call them commando plugs..
At wholesalers will ask for them by colour, voltage, current and number of pins... they still get it wrong haha
 
Commando plugs always through my training. Is that the MK name ?

I sometimes do work for a commercial printer company that call them shark plugs, probably another brand name.
 
BS4343.

There can be differences if not bs4343 and a particular manufacturers design.
Pin diameter, key slot.
I’ve had cheap caravan leads stuck in our Rolec hook up points because of differing measurements.
 
Commando plugs always through my training. Is that the MK name ?

I sometimes do work for a commercial printer company that call them shark plugs, probably another brand name.

We use a lot of shark plugs, they're made by PCE. We use them because they do an all black version which is very fashionable in theatre.
 

CEE FORM seems to me the best name to avoid brand and refer instead to 'Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment - CEE'

The link shows the colour coding table and rules for colour, voltage, frequency, ac/dc combination.

Re: Davesparks black shark plugs - black has entries in the colour coding table.
 
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Trade names work when there is only one market leader, Hoover, Sellotape - etc. Otherwise it gets confusing as the above comments prove. In the RAF WD40 was called Rocket - because years previously it was originally made by a company called... Rocket. Now everyone calls it WD40 - even if it's GT65 or similar.
 
Originally made by the Rocket Chemical Co. The company were trying to develop a liquid which displaced water and with the 40th formula they succeeded hence WD40 (Water Displacement, 40th formula).
 
CEE FORM seems to me the best name to avoid brand

'Ceeform' is common in the entertainment lighting industry, but I thought it was originally a trademark of Mennekes Elektrotechnik GmBH who were one of the first manufacturers. A quick browse failed to find evidence for or against this, maybe someone can confirm?

The black PCE Shark series have all black bodies to reduce visibility, as distinct from black to denote voltage range. The data label is coloured to indicate the voltage (e.g. a 230V plug has a blue label) which in the case of the plug is concealed when inserted in a socket.

There can be differences if not bs4343 and a particular manufacturers design.Pin diameter, key slot.

I'm not aware of any deliberately non-standard plugs that are partially / forcibly intermateable with BS4343 (STOP PRESS... BS4343 is withdrawn and replaced by IEC 60309-2). I'm thinking these are actually substandard or incorrectly assembled plugs that are supposed to be to IEC 60309. I've seen people manage to put them together with insert in the wrong orientation, could that be it?
 

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