Symbols · W

Flexible conductor

A wavy conductor line showing a connection that must flex, such as a lead to moving equipment or a vibration break.

In plain English

What does Flexible conductor mean?

The flexible conductor mark replaces a straight run of conductor with a wave or loop to show that the connection is intended to bend in service. Typical uses are leads to hinged doors, pendant control stations, crane festoons, motor terminal boxes on resilient mounts and short links that absorb thermal movement between busbars and equipment.

A simple example

On a schematic the wave says nothing about the cable construction. Stranding class, insulation type, bending radius and the number of operating cycles must come from the cable schedule or equipment specification. A drafter should not use the wave simply to make a long wire look tidy, because a reader will assume a moving or vibrating part exists at that point.

Identify the device and formRead the connections and stateCheck the equipment reference
A guide to reading this reference. The original symbol illustration and its drawing notes appear below; these boxes are not a wiring diagram.

What the drawings help you do

Look for the moving or vibrating item at one end of the wavy section. Check the cable schedule for a flexible stranding class and any drag-chain or festoon rating. A flexible conductor bends in service; a twisted-pair mark shows conductors twisted together for noise rejection and implies nothing about movement.

This particular reference

A wavy conductor line showing a connection that must flex, such as a lead to moving equipment or a vibration break. A flexible conductor bends in service; a twisted-pair mark shows conductors twisted together for noise rejection and implies nothing about movement.

Terminal
An identified point where a conductor connects.
Rating
A value stating the conditions for which equipment is specified.
Schematic
A drawing showing function and connections rather than physical appearance.

Read the source: IEC-60617 symbol preview directory · IEEE/ANSI 315-1975: graphic symbols for electrical and electronics diagrams

Schematic / SLD · WFlexible conductor: original educational illustration
Original educational illustrationNot to scale · See source and graphic notes

What it represents

The flexible conductor mark replaces a straight run of conductor with a wave or loop to show that the connection is intended to bend in service. Typical uses are leads to hinged doors, pendant control stations, crane festoons, motor terminal boxes on resilient mounts and short links that absorb thermal movement between busbars and equipment.

On a schematic the wave says nothing about the cable construction. Stranding class, insulation type, bending radius and the number of operating cycles must come from the cable schedule or equipment specification. A drafter should not use the wave simply to make a long wire look tidy, because a reader will assume a moving or vibrating part exists at that point.

How to read it

  • Look for the moving or vibrating item at one end of the wavy section.
  • Check the cable schedule for a flexible stranding class and any drag-chain or festoon rating.

Information to show or reference

  • Identify the moving part the flexible section serves.
  • Reference a cable type suited to repeated flexing.
  • Show strain relief or termination details where the lead leaves the moving part.

A distinction that matters

A flexible conductor bends in service; a twisted-pair mark shows conductors twisted together for noise rejection and implies nothing about movement.

Sources you can follow

These public references support the explanation and provide further detail. Their graphics and downloadable files remain with their publishers.

IEC-60617 symbol preview directory

Public IEC-60617 symbol preview directory used to locate conductor and connection families.

Autodesk · Public reference checked 13 October 2026 · Link only

IEEE/ANSI 315-1975: graphic symbols for electrical and electronics diagrams

Graphic-symbol standards context for conductor forms; not a source of reproduced artwork.

IEEE Standards Association · Public reference checked 13 October 2026 · Link only

About this graphic

This illustration was authored independently by Elora Grid to explain the concept. It is not reproduced from a customer drawing, an official standard graphic or a manufacturer CAD file. Its correspondence to an exact IEC or IEEE symbol identifier has not been certified.

SVG and DXF downloads contain this original artwork. DXF uses unscaled drawing units; a GA envelope supplies no product dimensions, clearances or fabrication information. Original artwork is available under CC BY 4.0. Third-party references retain their own terms.

Entry JSON · Entry Markdown · Last editorial update: 28 October 2026

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