Copper Strip & Strap Sizes, Thicknesses and Dimensions
Copper strips and straps are available in many widths, thicknesses and cross-sectional areas for grounding, bonding, busbar connections, battery systems, transformers and industrial electrical equipment.
A buyer may request a copper strip 25x3mm, a 1 inch copper strap, a 50 × 6 mm conductor or a strap equivalent to 4/0 AWG. Although these descriptions provide useful starting dimensions, they do not always define the complete finished product.
Carsai manufactures custom copper strip and strap components according to customer drawings. We can cut the conductor to length, drill or punch mounting holes, form bends and offsets, apply tin, nickel or silver plating and add insulation where required.
To prepare an accurate quotation, please specify:
- Copper grade
- Width and thickness
- Overall length
- Hole quantity and spacing
- Straight or formed geometry
- Electrical current
- Surface finish
- Insulation requirements
- Order quantity
For an overview of our complete production capabilities, visit our Copper Strap and Copper Strip Manufacturer page.
How Are Copper Strip Sizes Specified?
Copper strip sizes are normally expressed as:
Width × thickness × length
For example:
- 25 × 3 × 300 mm
- 40 × 4 × 500 mm
- 50 × 6 × 800 mm
A specification such as copper strip 25x3mm usually means that the conductor is 25 mm wide and 3 mm thick. However, the complete part length, hole pattern, material grade and surface treatment must still be defined.
The order of the dimensions should always be confirmed on the drawing. In most electrical busbar and strap projects, the larger number is the width and the smaller number is the thickness.
Copper straps may also be specified using:
- Metric dimensions
- Inch dimensions
- AWG-equivalent conductor area
- Copper cross-sectional area in mm²
- Current-carrying requirement
- Weight per meter
The most reliable production document is a dimensioned drawing showing the complete finished component.
Copper Strip Width Versus Thickness
Width and thickness affect the conductor differently.
Copper strip width
Increasing width can provide:
- More conductor cross-section
- Larger terminal contact surfaces
- Better heat dissipation
- Lower-profile installation than increasing thickness
- Additional room for mounting holes
Common width searches include:
- copper strip 10mm
- copper strip 12mm
- copper strip 30mm
- copper strip 40mm
- copper strip 50mm
- copper strip 75mm
A 25mm copper strap or 50mm copper strap usually refers to the nominal conductor width, not its complete cross-sectional area.
Copper strip thickness
Increasing thickness provides:
- More copper cross-section
- Greater mechanical strength
- Increased stiffness
- More material around threaded holes
- Higher resistance to deformation
Common thickness searches include:
- copper strip 1mm
- copper strip 1mm thick
- copper strip 3mm
- copper strip 4mm
- copper strip 5mm
- copper strip 5mm thick
- 5mm copper strips
- copper strip 6mm
- copper strip 8mm
A thick copper strip can carry more current than a thin strip of the same width, but it is also more difficult to bend and normally requires a larger bend radius.
Thin Copper Strap Versus Thick Copper Strap
A thin copper strap may be selected when the component needs:
- Easier forming
- Lower weight
- Limited current capacity
- A flexible or semi-flexible connection
- A compact terminal link
- Lower material usage
Thin copper may be suitable for light grounding, battery-cell links, shielding, terminal bridges or formed electrical contacts.
A thick copper strap may be preferred for:
- Higher continuous current
- High fault-current applications
- Mechanically strong busbar connections
- Transformer terminals
- Switchgear
- Large battery systems
- Heavy industrial equipment
Thickness should not be selected independently from width. A wide, thin strap and a narrow, thick strap can have similar copper cross-sectional areas but different thermal, mechanical and installation characteristics.
Wide Copper Strap Designs
A wide copper strap can provide a large conductor cross-section without creating an excessively thick connection.
Wide straps are useful when:
- Installation height is limited
- A broad terminal surface is required
- Several mounting holes are needed
- The conductor must fit against a flat busbar
- Heat dissipation is important
- A low-profile connection is preferred
Common wide sizes include:
- 25 mm
- 30 mm
- 40 mm
- 50 mm
- 75 mm
- 1 inch
- 1.5 inch
- 2 inch
- 3 inch
- 4 inch
The correct width depends on current, available space, terminal geometry and required mechanical strength.
Common Metric Copper Strip Sizes
25 × 3 mm copper strip
A copper strip 25x3mm has a nominal cross-sectional area of:
25 mm × 3 mm = 75 mm²
This size may be used for grounding straps, busbar jumpers, battery connections and smaller power-distribution assemblies.
Search variations include:
- copper strip 25mm x 3mm
- copper strip 25x3mm price
- copper strip 25x3mm price per meter
- copper strip 25x3mm price per kg
Price cannot be determined from size alone. The quotation also depends on copper grade, total length, holes, bends, plating, insulation and quantity.
A finished 25 × 3 mm strap with two holes and tin plating will have a different unit cost from plain cut strip of the same dimensions.
32 × 6 mm copper strip
A request for copper strip 32x6mm price normally refers to a conductor with a nominal cross-sectional area of:
32 mm × 6 mm = 192 mm²
This size may be used for higher-current busbar connections, transformers or switchgear.
For pricing, buyers should also provide the required length and processing details.
40 × 4 mm copper strip
A copper strip 40 * 4mm has a nominal cross-sectional area of:
40 mm × 4 mm = 160 mm²
This dimension may also be written as 40 × 4 mm or 40×4 mm.
The conductor can be supplied as:
- Straight strip
- Bent busbar
- Grounding strap
- Copper jumper
- Tinned electrical connector
- Insulated busbar component
50 × 6 mm copper strip
Common search formats include:
- copper strip 50 x 6 mm
- copper strip 50×6
- copper strip 50x6mm price
- copper strip 50 x 6 price
A 50 × 6 mm conductor has a nominal cross-sectional area of:
50 mm × 6 mm = 300 mm²
This is a substantial conductor size that may be used in high-current distribution, grounding networks, transformers and industrial switchgear.
The actual current rating depends on more than its 300 mm² cross-section. Installation temperature, conductor length, ventilation, duty cycle and allowable temperature rise must also be considered.
Common Inch Copper Strap Sizes
Copper straps are frequently specified in fractional-inch dimensions, particularly for projects using US or imperial drawings.
1/4-inch copper strap
Searches may appear as:
- 1 4 copper strap
- 1/4 copper strap
One-quarter inch is approximately 6.35 mm.
The specification should confirm whether 1/4 inch refers to width, thickness or another dimension. It normally refers to strap width in general purchasing searches.
3/8-inch copper strap
Search variations include:
- 3 8 copper strap
- 3 8 copper straps
- 3/8-inch copper strap
Three-eighths inch is approximately 9.53 mm.
1/2-inch copper strap
Common phrases include:
- 1 2 copper strap
- 1 2 copper straps
- copper strap 1 2
- copper straps 1 2
- 1 2 inch copper strap
These normally mean a 1/2-inch-wide copper strap, approximately 12.7 mm.
Because the slash is often omitted from search terms, the intended measurement should be confirmed before production.
5/8-inch copper strap
A 5 8 copper strap normally means 5/8 inch, approximately 15.88 mm wide.
3/4-inch copper strap
Searches such as 3 4 copper strap and copper strap 3 4 generally refer to a 3/4-inch strap, approximately 19.05 mm.
One-inch copper strap
A 1 inch copper strap is approximately 25.4 mm wide.
It is close to a 25 mm metric strap but is not dimensionally identical. When replacing an existing part, the original drawing should determine whether the required width is 25 mm or 1 inch.
The search phrase copper strip 1 inch may refer to the same nominal width.
1.5-inch copper strap
A 1.5 inch copper strap is approximately 38.1 mm wide.
This width may be selected for grounding, bonding and medium- to high-current electrical links.
Two-inch copper strap
A 2 inch copper strap is approximately 50.8 mm wide.
It is close to a 50 mm metric conductor but should not automatically be treated as interchangeable.
Three- and four-inch copper straps
A 3 inch copper strap is approximately 76.2 mm wide.
A copper strip 4 inch is approximately 101.6 mm wide.
These broad conductors may require special attention to:
- Material flatness
- Bend tooling
- Hole location
- Terminal support
- Packaging
- Surface protection
Understanding 4/0 Copper Strap Terms
Search phrases such as:
- 4 0 copper strap
- 4 0 copper straps
- #6 bare copper straps
- 6 copper ground strap
can be ambiguous.
A 4/0 copper strap may refer to a braided or flat conductor with a copper area equivalent to approximately 4/0 AWG rather than a four-inch-wide strap.
Similarly, #6 bare copper straps may refer to a conductor equivalent to 6 AWG, while “6 copper ground strap” could mean 6 AWG, 6 mm or a product number.
For AWG-equivalent products, the buyer should provide:
- Required AWG size
- Equivalent copper area
- Solid or braided construction
- Strap width and thickness
- Overall length
- Terminal requirements
- Current and application
AWG defines conductor area, not the final flat width and thickness. Different strap geometries can contain the same approximate copper area.
Calculating Copper Strip Cross-Section
For a solid rectangular copper strap:
Cross-sectional area = width × thickness
Examples:
| Copper strip size | Nominal cross-section |
|---|---|
| 10 × 1 mm | 10 mm² |
| 12 × 1 mm | 12 mm² |
| 25 × 3 mm | 75 mm² |
| 30 × 3 mm | 90 mm² |
| 40 × 4 mm | 160 mm² |
| 50 × 5 mm | 250 mm² |
| 50 × 6 mm | 300 mm² |
| 75 × 6 mm | 450 mm² |
Cross-sectional area is useful for comparing conductor material, but it does not provide a complete current rating.
Current capacity also depends on:
- Continuous or intermittent current
- Ambient temperature
- Enclosure conditions
- Natural or forced cooling
- Conductor length
- Surface area
- Insulation
- Terminal resistance
- Allowable temperature rise
Calculating Copper Strip Weight
The approximate weight of a rectangular copper strip can be calculated from:
Weight = width × thickness × length × copper density
Copper density is approximately 8.96 g/cm³.
For example, a 25 × 3 mm strip measuring one meter long contains approximately:
75 mm² × 1,000 mm = 75,000 mm³
This is approximately 75 cm³ of copper.
75 cm³ × 8.96 g/cm³ = approximately 672 g
Therefore, a plain 25 × 3 mm copper strip weighs approximately 0.672 kg per meter before holes, plating or other processing.
Actual finished weight may differ because of:
- Dimensional tolerances
- Mounting holes
- Slots
- Chamfers
- Bends
- Attached terminals
- Plating
- Insulation
For a production quotation, Carsai calculates weight from the complete finished drawing rather than only the nominal strip size.
Bend Radius and Forming Requirements
Copper thickness affects the required bend tooling and minimum practical bend radius.
A 1 mm copper strip can normally be formed more easily than a 6 mm or 8 mm strip.
Thicker and wider conductors may require:
- Larger bend radii
- Greater forming force
- Controlled bend direction
- Allowance for springback
- Special tooling
- More space around nearby holes
Mounting holes should not be positioned too close to a bend unless the geometry has been evaluated.
The drawing should identify:
- Inside bend radius
- Bend angle
- Distance from holes to bends
- Grain or rolling direction when relevant
- Flatness requirements
- Installed orientation
Hole Sizes and Terminal Dimensions
Custom straps can include:
- Round holes
- Slotted holes
- Threaded holes
- One-hole terminals
- Two-hole terminals
- Multiple branch connections
- Different holes at each end
Hole design should consider:
- Bolt diameter
- Washer size
- Required electrical contact area
- Edge distance
- Terminal width
- Mechanical loading
- Installation tolerance
A narrow strap may not provide enough material for a large hole while maintaining adequate edge distance and contact area.
In such cases, the terminal end can be made wider than the central conductor section.
Copper Strip Pricing by Kilogram or Meter
Copper strip quotations may be requested per kilogram, per meter or per finished part.
Price per kilogram
A material-based rate can help estimate basic copper cost, but it does not include all finished manufacturing operations.
Price per meter
Price per meter can be suitable for plain straight strip with a consistent cross-section.
Price per finished component
Finished straps are normally quoted per piece because they may include:
- Cutting
- Drilling
- Punching
- Bending
- Deburring
- Tin plating
- Insulation
- Attached terminals
- Dimensional inspection
- Protective packing
For this reason, searches such as copper strip 25x3mm price per kg or copper strip 50x6mm price cannot be answered accurately without knowing the required supply condition and quantity.
Selecting the Correct Copper Strap Size
Before selecting a size, confirm:
- Continuous, peak or fault current
- Maximum allowable temperature rise
- Copper grade
- Available width and thickness
- Required mechanical strength
- Overall conductor length
- Hole pattern and terminal size
- Bend geometry
- Bare or plated finish
- Insulation requirements
A standard-looking dimension may not fit every application. A custom conductor can often be optimized by changing the width, thickness or terminal geometry while maintaining the required electrical cross-section.
Information Needed for a Quotation
Please provide:
- Copper grade
- Width and thickness
- Overall length
- Metric, inch or AWG dimensions
- Current requirement
- Hole diameter and spacing
- Bend angles and radii
- Terminal dimensions
- Bare, tin-, nickel- or silver-plated finish
- Insulation requirement
- Prototype quantity
- Production quantity
- Annual demand
A 2D drawing is strongly recommended for straps with holes, bends or non-standard terminals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 25 × 3 mm copper strip always suitable for the same current?
No. Current capacity depends on installation temperature, cooling, length, insulation and allowable temperature rise.
Is a one-inch strap the same as a 25 mm strap?
No. One inch is 25.4 mm. The difference may matter for terminal fit and repeat production.
Can you manufacture non-standard widths and thicknesses?
Yes. Custom dimensions can be evaluated according to material availability, processing requirements and order quantity.
Can wide and thick copper straps be bent?
Yes. The bend radius, material temper, tooling and distance between bends and holes must be reviewed.
Can you calculate finished weight from a drawing?
Yes. The finished weight can be calculated after reviewing the complete dimensions, holes, slots and attached components.
Can custom straps be tin plated?
Yes. Full or selective tin, nickel and silver plating can be applied according to the drawing.
Do you supply raw copper strip coils?
Our main focus is producing finished copper strip and strap components with cutting, holes, bends, plating or insulation.
Request a Custom Copper Strip or Strap Quotation
Carsai manufactures metric, imperial and AWG-equivalent copper straps for grounding, bonding, busbar connections and industrial electrical equipment.
Select a standard size or send your drawing with the required width, thickness, length, holes, bends, finish and quantity.
