Direct answer: H01N2-D is a HAR-harmonised, single-core, extra-flexible arc-welding cable made to EN 50525-2-81 (formerly HD 22.6 / VDE 0282-6), rated U0/U 100/100 V for the low-voltage secondary circuit of a welding power source. "01" = 100/100 V, "N2" = chloroprene (PCP / neoprene) covering compound to EN 50363-2-2, and "D" = the conductor class, which is finer than Class 6 to EN 60228. It is not a solar cable: H01N2-D carries welding current, while H1Z2Z2-K is a 1.5 kV DC photovoltaic wire to EN 50618 with halogen-free XLPO insulation and sheath. Two things trip up importers most often — the maximum conductor temperature is 85 °C (not 80 °C), and D / E is a conductor-flexibility code, not a different insulation material.
Further reading: H1Z2Z2-K / EN 50618 Solar Cable Guide · XLPO vs XLPE vs LSZH · Cable Export Certifications Hub · UK Cable Types to Chinese GB Equivalents · Cable Manufacturer Directory
1. Reading the Designation
The four characters are a complete specification once you know the code table. H01N2-D breaks down as follows.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| H | Harmonised European cable under the CENELEC harmonised system (EN 50525-1 general rules) |
| 01 | Nominal voltage U0/U 100/100 V AC; max 150 V DC on the welding secondary circuit |
| N | Chloroprene rubber (PCP / neoprene) covering material — oil, ozone and welding-arc resistant |
| 2 | The covering type code defined in EN 50525-2-81; in practice cross-linked elastomer compound EM5 to EN 50363-2-2 |
| D | Conductor class D — fine strands for welding cable, more flexible than Class 6 to EN 60228. The "-E" version is Class E, even finer |
Note what is not in the code: there is no insulation/sheath double layer and no material grade for the conductor. The bare copper is simply extra finely stranded, and the whole cable is covered in a single chloroprene covering.
The digit trap. In the EN 50525 low-voltage energy cable family the second character pair carries the voltage: 01 = 100/100 V, 03 = 300/300 V, 05 = 300/500 V, 07 = 450/750 V, 11 = 600/1000 V. In the EN 50618 solar family the same-looking "1" in H1Z2Z2-K means the 1.5 kV DC photovoltaic class. So H01N2-D and H1Z2Z2-K look like neighbours in the alphabet but are rated three voltage classes apart — and H07RN-F (450/750 V, multi-core) is a completely different product again.
2. Construction: Single Core, Single Covering
The build is deliberately simple, because a welding lead lives a hard life: it is dragged over wet steel, coiled, uncoiled, and flexed at the electrode holder for thousands of hours.
- Conductor — plain annealed bare copper, extra finely stranded (Class D for the -D version, Class E for the -E version). Tinned copper is available on request for corrosion-prone sites.
- Separating layer — polyester binder tape between conductor and covering, to stop the compound bonding to the copper and to keep stripping clean for terminations.
- Covering — cross-linked elastomer compound EM5 to EN 50363-2-2, i.e. chloroprene / polychloroprene (PCP). Supplied in one or two cover layers depending on the cross-section and the manufacturer.
Black is the standard sheath colour. Typical cross-sections run 10, 16, 25, 35, 50, 70, 95, 120, 150, 185 and 240 mm².
This is a single covering, not a double-layer cable. That is the single most important structural difference from a photovoltaic cable such as H1Z2Z2-K, which has an XLPO insulation layer and an XLPO sheath. You cannot compare insulation thicknesses between the two, and a welding lead has no inner colour to warn you that the outer skin has worn through.
The covering compound is also cadmium-free, silicone-free and free from substances harmful to the wetting properties of lacquers, and the cable resists ozone, oxygen, welding light and inert gas — the last two matter because a welding lead spends its life inside the arc's corona and shielding-gas plume.
3. Key Technical Data
| Parameter | H01N2-D | H01N2-E |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | EN 50525-2-81 (with EN 50525-1; supersedes HD 22.6 / VDE 0282-6) | EN 50525-2-81 |
| Rated voltage U0/U | 100/100 V AC, up to 150 V DC | 100/100 V AC, up to 150 V DC |
| Test voltage | 1000 V (50 Hz) | 1000 V (50 Hz) |
| Max conductor operating temperature | 85 °C | 85 °C |
| Typical working range | −25 °C to +85 °C flexing; to −40 °C fixed installation (confirm on the datasheet) | −25 °C to +85 °C flexing; to −40 °C fixed |
| Short-circuit conductor temperature | 200–250 °C (max 5 s), per manufacturer | 200–250 °C (max 5 s), per manufacturer |
| Conductor class | Class D — finer than Class 6 to EN 60228 | Class E — finest of the two |
| Example strand Ø, 25 mm² | 0.21 mm | 0.16 mm |
| Flame test | EN 60332-1-2 / IEC 60332-1-2, single vertical flame, 1 kW premixed flame | EN 60332-1-2 / IEC 60332-1-2 |
| Oil resistance | EN 60811-404 / IEC 60811-404 | EN 60811-404 / IEC 60811-404 |
| Min. bending radius | 12 × outer Ø flexing, 6 × outer Ø fixed | 10 × outer Ø flexing, 5 × outer Ø fixed |
| Approvals / marking | HAR, CE (LVD), EAC | HAR, CE (LVD), EAC |
| Application | welding power source ↔ electrode holder and workpiece | same, with higher flex life for robotic cells |
Two entries in that table deserve emphasis for anyone buying against a datasheet.
85 °C, not 80 °C. The maximum conductor operating temperature for both cable types in EN 50525-2-81 is 85 °C. A lot of Asian supplier pages and legacy print sheets still say 80 °C — that figure does not come from the current standard and it under-rates the cable. On the other hand, do not assume the whole product range runs from −40 °C to +85 °C: the low-temperature figure depends on whether the cable is fixed or flexed, and only the flexing range bottoms out at −25 °C on most datasheets. Read the specific product line.
Current rating comes from HD 516, not from the jacket. EN 50525-2-81 is a construction-and-test standard; the safe current ratings and volt-drop data are given in HD 516. Because a welding circuit is a forward-and-return loop, the volt drop that matters is that of the complete loop — one lead plus the return lead plus the holder and work-clamp contacts — not of one cable length in isolation. Size the cross-section against the welding current, the lead length and the duty cycle, and quote the pair, not the single lead.
4. H01N2-D vs H01N2-E: Which One Do You Need?
Both are the same standard, the same voltage, the same 85 °C conductor limit and the same covering compound. The only difference is how fine the conductor strands are.
| Item | H01N2-D | H01N2-E |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor class | Class D — fine strands for welding cable | Class E — extra fine strands for welding cable |
| Relative to EN 60228 Class 6 | Finer than Class 6 | Finer still, the most flexible grade in the standard |
| Strand diameter at 25 mm² | 0.21 mm | 0.16 mm |
| Min. bending radius (flexing) | 12 × outer Ø | 10 × outer Ø |
| Min. bending radius (fixed) | 6 × outer Ø | 5 × outer Ø |
| Flex life | Good | Best — designed for continuous movement |
| Typical fit | Manual MMA / MIG-MAG work, shipyards, steel mills, site drag leads | Robotic and automated welding cells, assembly lines, high-frequency torch movement |
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
A frequent misreading is that "D" and "E" describe the insulation or the sheath compound. They do not. Within EN 50525-2-81 the two cable types differ only in conductor class — both use the same chloroprene covering — and BSI describes both Class D and Class E conductors as more flexible than Class 6 to EN 60228. So the choice is purely a mechanical and duty-cycle decision: how often the lead is moved, how tightly it has to turn near the holder, and whether it is dragged or carried. Do not convert D or E into an assumed "Class 5" or "Class 6" in an RFQ — state the harmonised designation and ask for the actual conductor construction.
Also note that Class D is a welding-cable class in its own right, defined by EN 50525-2-81, not an IEC 60228 class number. That is why you will see H01N2-D described as "between Class 5 and Class 6" by some manufacturers and as "more flexible than Class 6" by others. Both are approximations of the same fact; the designation is what counts.
5. H01N2-D vs H1Z2Z2-K Solar Cable
This is the mix-up that shows up in inboxes every week, because both designations start with H, both are European harmonised codes, both are single-core flexible copper cables, and both are frequently quoted for outdoor industrial use.
| Item | H01N2-D | H1Z2Z2-K |
|---|---|---|
| Governing standard | EN 50525-2-81 | EN 50618 |
| Voltage class | 100/100 V AC (max 150 V DC) | 1500/1500 V DC |
| Actual job | Secondary side of a welding power source: welding source ↔ electrode holder and workpiece | DC side of a photovoltaic array: module ↔ combiner box ↔ inverter |
| Layer structure | Single chloroprene covering over bare copper (one or two cover layers) | Double layer: XLPO insulation + XLPO sheath |
| Halogen content | Contains halogen (chloroprene) | Halogen-free XLPO / XLPE |
| Conductor | Bare (or tinned) extra fine stranded copper, Class D | Fine stranded tinned copper, Class 5 |
| Max conductor temperature | 85 °C | 90 °C, with 120 °C short-term |
| Fire evidence | EN 60332-1-2 vertical flame test | EN 60332-1-2 plus CPR Euroclass and DoP where permanently installed in buildings |
| Marking | HAR, CE (LVD) | HAR, CE (LVD), plus the certification route required by the target market |
The two are not interchangeable in any direction. A welding lead is a low-voltage, high-current, high-duty-cycle flexing product; a PV wire is a high-voltage DC product with a 25-year outdoor UV and weather duty and a halogen-free requirement. Substituting one for the other means wrong voltage class, wrong layer count, wrong temperature rating and wrong fire documentation.
6. The Chinese Equivalent — and Where That Mapping Breaks Down
Chinese makers have a long-standing shorthand cross-reference for welding cable, and it is worth stating precisely because the shorthand is often quoted without its conditions.
| International type | Legacy IEC 60245-6 designation | Chinese designation | Sheath compound |
|---|---|---|---|
| H01N2-D (standard flexible) | 60245 IEC 81 | YH | Natural rubber |
| H01N2-E (extra flexible) | 60245 IEC 82 | YHF | Chloroprene / synthetic rubber |
Read that table as a family-level cross-reference between code systems, not a specification equivalence, for three reasons.
First, the voltage classes do not line up. EN 50525-2-81 covers 100/100 V welding cables, whereas the IEC 60245-6 / GB/T 5013 welding-cable family that carries the YH and YHF designations sits in the 450/750 V class. Second, the temperature ceilings differ: Chinese YH and YHF data sheets commonly state a core working temperature of 65 °C, against 85 °C for the EN 50525-2-81 grades, so the two are not interchangeable on ampacity at the same cross-section. Third, the Chinese national standard for rubber-insulated welding cable is GB/T 5013, and the 60245 IEC 81 / 82 codes are the older international line that the Chinese names correspond to.
So: for a European project, quote H01N2-D to EN 50525-2-81 and ask for HAR-marked cable. For a domestic or price-led comparison, use YH / YHF — but confirm conductor temperature, voltage class and test reports on the actual product rather than on the type name. The same discipline applies to the H07RN-F family: 450/750 V multi-core rubber power cable for mobile supply is a different product from a single-core 100/100 V welding lead.
7. Application, Marking and Ordering Notes
Where it is used. The cable is intended for connections between the welding energy source and the electrode holder and the workpiece. Typical duty: automotive and shipbuilding, transport, conveyor and assembly-line systems, machine tools and automatic welding machines, steel mills and large construction sites. It is suitable for dry and damp rooms and for temporary use outdoors.
How the print reads. On the reel you will normally see something like H01N2-D 1×35 450V HAR with the EN 50525-2-81 reference and the batch/date code. The "450 V" on the print refers to the maximum rated voltage of the harmonised EN 50525 cable family the product is printed under — it is not the welding circuit's working voltage. The circuit itself operates at 100/100 V AC. Reading "450 V" as the operating voltage is a common and expensive mistake.
What to put on the order. State the harmonised designation (H01N2-D or H01N2-E), the cross-section in mm², whether the conductor is bare or tinned, the length, and the required test evidence — EN 60332-1-2 for flame propagation and EN 60811-404 for oil resistance. Ask for the reel print sample and the batch test report before the first shipment; a cable without a legible standard reference on the drum is not a cable you can defend at acceptance.
Certification scope. A welding lead is a movable product, not a cable permanently incorporated into a building, so it normally falls outside the CPR / EN 50575 Euroclass and Declaration of Performance regime — the fire evidence that matters for it is the EN 60332-1-2 vertical flame test plus oil and ozone resistance. If a project specification nevertheless calls for a Euroclass, confirm with the cable manufacturer and the project inspector before ordering, and do not assume a Dca declaration exists for this product.
8. Critical Points for Sales & Quotation
Four things get this cable quoted wrong most often. Each one has already cost somebody a returned order or a rejected sample.
1. The voltage rating is low, and it is not a solar cable. 100/100 V AC, up to 150 V DC. H01N2-D must never be quoted as a substitute for H1Z2Z2-K, and H1Z2Z2-K must never be quoted as a substitute for H01N2-D. The two sit in different voltage classes, different layer counts and different certification scopes. If a customer asks for "welding cable for a solar project", the answer is a different product family, not a different model number.
2. There are two grades, and the difference is the conductor — not the sheath. H01N2-D is Class D (standard flexible); H01N2-E is Class E (extra flexible). Both use the same chloroprene covering, both are rated 100/100 V, and both allow 85 °C on the conductor. The E grade runs a smaller outer diameter at the same cross-section because its strands are finer and pack tighter — not because the insulation or the sheath has been thinned. Never quote E as a cheaper D on the strength of the datasheet: it is the more expensive conductor.
3. It is a rubber welding cable, not a PV cable, and the test scope follows. A welding lead carries the secondary current of a welding power source. It is not a fixed-installation cable, so it normally sits outside the CPR / EN 50575 Euroclass and DoP regime; its fire evidence is the EN 60332-1-2 vertical flame test plus oil, ozone and weather resistance. A PV cable, by contrast, is normally permanently installed in the array and does carry a Euroclass and DoP. Quoting one against the other's documentation is the fastest way to fail a technical review.
4. The 85 °C figure is the one to put in the reply. Some legacy sheets and non-European supplier listings still quote 80 °C. It is wrong for the current standard and it under-rates the cable. When a customer compares a Chinese YH data sheet (commonly 65 °C core) against an H01N2-D data sheet, the 85 °C is the correct figure to quote — but the cross-section still has to be re-checked against the load, because the two grades do not carry the same current at the same size.
9. Ready-to-Send Reply (for inquiries)
H01N2-D is a HAR harmonised European welding cable to EN 50525-2-81, rated 100/100 V AC (max 150 V DC), with a test voltage of 1000 V. Construction: single-core bare fine-stranded copper conductor (Class D, more flexible than Class 6 to EN 60228) under a single cross-linked chloroprene (neoprene / PCP) covering to EN 50363-2-2, black. Maximum conductor operating temperature: 85 °C. Flame test to EN 60332-1-2, oil resistance to EN 60811-404. Supplied with HAR marking and CE (LVD). It is used for the secondary side of welding equipment — welding power source to electrode holder and earth clamp — in shipyards, automotive plants and robotic welding cells. The Class E version H01N2-E is the extra-flexible grade for continuously moving torch leads. Important: this is a 100 V AC welding lead, not a 1500 V DC solar cable. It cannot replace H1Z2Z2-K, and H1Z2Z2-K cannot replace it. Tell me the cross-section, length, conductor (bare or tinned) and delivery country and I will confirm the type, the minimum bending radius and the current rating against your welding current.
FAQ
Q1: Can H01N2-D be used instead of H1Z2Z2-K for a solar array, or the other way round? A: No, and the substitution fails on several independent grounds at once. H01N2-D is a 100/100 V AC welding lead with a single chloroprene covering; H1Z2Z2-K is a 1500/1500 V DC photovoltaic cable with halogen-free XLPO insulation and sheath, rated 90 °C continuously. Using a welding lead on the PV DC side means the wrong voltage class, the wrong temperature rating, a single-layer construction instead of the double layer the standard requires, no halogen-free declaration and no CPR documentation. Using a PV cable as a welding lead is worse still: it is stiff for the duty, it is not built for repeated flexing at the holder, and 1500 V DC insulation is no substitute for a 100 V AC welding circuit.
Q2: What is the maximum operating temperature of H01N2-D — 80 °C or 85 °C? A: 85 °C. The maximum conductor operating temperature for both cable types in EN 50525-2-81 is 85 °C. Some legacy sheets and non-European supplier listings still state 80 °C, which does not reflect the current standard and understates the cable. Be equally careful on the cold end: the minimum figure depends on the installation, with flexing typically down to −25 °C and fixed installation to −40 °C, so quote the specific product line rather than a single range.
Q3: What is the difference between H01N2-D and H01N2-E? A: Only the conductor. Both are single-core EN 50525-2-81 cables, 100/100 V, with the same chloroprene covering and the same 85 °C conductor limit. H01N2-D has a Class D conductor (fine strands for welding cable); H01N2-E has a Class E conductor (extra fine strands), and BSI describes both as more flexible than Class 6 to EN 60228. Choose D for manual welding and dragged site leads where the lead is moved occasionally, and E for robotic cells and assembly lines where the torch moves continuously. E is also more expensive and has a tighter minimum bending radius, so it is not automatically the better choice.
Q4: Is H01N2-D the same as Chinese YH welding cable? A: They belong to the same welding-cable family, and the type codes are routinely cross-referenced, but they are not specification-equivalent. YH and YHF are the Chinese designations (GB/T 5013, and the older 60245 IEC 81 / 82 line) and sit in the 450/750 V class with a commonly quoted 65 °C core working temperature, against 100/100 V and 85 °C for H01N2-D. Use the mapping for family-level talk and for finding a Chinese-made alternative; never use it to close a technical submittal.
Q5: Does H01N2-D need CPR Euroclass certification for European projects? A: Normally no. The CPR and EN 50575 Euroclass regime applies to power, control and communication cables permanently incorporated into construction works. A welding lead is a movable lead between a machine and a torch, so the fire evidence that applies to it is the EN 60332-1-2 single vertical flame test, together with oil, ozone and weather resistance. If a tender document demands a Euroclass anyway, raise it with the manufacturer and the inspector before you order — a DoP cannot be issued for a product outside the scope of the harmonised standard it would cite.
