Roymech engineering encyclopedia

Metric & English (SWG) Wire Sizes



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Wire Sizes

SWG stands for Standard Wire Gauge, which is a standard system of measuring the diameter or thickness of wire. It is commonly used in the United Kingdom and other countries that follow British standards. The SWG system assigns a specific number to each wire size, with smaller numbers indicating thicker wires.

The SWG system is based on a progression where the gauge numbers decrease as the wire diameter increases. The standard wire gauge sizes range from the thinnest wire, SWG 7/0 (0.5 mm diameter), to the thickest wire, SWG 50 (5.59 mm diameter).

Metric and English equivalents of British Standard (Imperial) Wire Gauge

SWG inch x103 mm -  SWG inch x103 mm   SWG inch x103 mm  
7/0 500 12.7   13 92 2.34   33 10.0 0.254  
6/0 464 11.8   14 80 2.03   34 9.2 0.234  
5/0 432 11.0   15 72 1.83   35 8.4 0.213  
4/0 400 10.2   16 64 1.63   36 7.6 0.193  
3/0 372 9.45   17 56 1.42   37 6.8 0.173  
        18 48 1.22   38 6.0 0.152  
00 348 8.84   19 40 1.02   39 5.2 0.132  
0 324 8.23   20 36 0.914   40 4.8 0.122  
1 300 7.62   21 32 0.813   41 4.4 0.112  
2 276 7.01   22 28 0.711   42 4.0 0.102  
3 252 6.40   23 24 0.610   43 3.6 0.091  
4 232 5.89   24 22 0.559   44 3.2 0.081  
5 212 5.38   25 20 0.508   45 2.8 0.071  
6 192 4.88   26 18 0.457   46 2.4 0.061  
7 176 4.47   27 16.4 0.417   47 2.0 0.051  
8 160 4.06   28 14.8 0.376   48 1.6 0.041  
9 144 3.66   29 13.6 0.345   49 1.2 0.030  
10 128 3.25   30 12.4 0.315   50 1.0 0.025  
11 116 2.95   31 11.6 0.295     - -  
12 104 2.64   32 10.8 0.274     - -  


Metric Mesh Sizes

Aperture Size BS 410-1
:2000		 DIN-4188   Aperture Size BS 410-1
:2000		 DIN-4188   Aperture Size BS 410-1
:2000		 DIN-4188
m (microns) Mesh mm   m (microns) Mesh mm   m (microns) Mesh mm
                     
5 2500 0.005   106 150     600 25  
10 1250 0.01   112   0.112   630   0.63
15 800 0.015   115   0.115   710 22 0.71
                     
20 625 0.02   125 120 0.125   800   0.8
22   0.022   140   0.14   850 18  
25 500 0.025   150 100     900   0.9
                     
28   0.028   160   0.16   1000 16 1
32   0.032   180 85 0.18   1120   1.12
36   0.036   200   0.2   1180 14  
                     
38 400     212 72     1250   1.25
40   0.04   250 60 0.25   1400 12 1.4
45 350 0.045   280   0.28   1600   1.6
                     
50   0.05   300 52     1700 10  
53 300     315   0.315   1800   1.8
56   0.056   355 44 0.355   2000 8 2
                     
63 240 0.063   400   0.4   2240   2.24
71   0.071   425 36     2360 7  
75 200     450   0.45   2500   2.5
                     
80   0.08   500 30 0.5   2800 6 2.8
90 170 0.09   560   0.56   3150   3.15
100   0.1   600 25     3350 5  
                     



    Links to other sources of wire gauge equivalents/mesh sizes
    1. Efunda .. Design Center includes Wire gauge calculators
    2. Fine Mesh Metals .. Mesh Suppliers
    3. F.H Brundle .. Mesh suppliers useful relevant information
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