How can this busbar handle that amperage???

[tlmartin84]

.7mm x 19mm aluminum...11 amps max on calculator...

Yet look at the fuses it handles.

It is very possible to have 50 amps continuously running through this...

 

[BillK]

Actually ....... .7mm x 19mm = 13.3 square mm which is exactly the same cross sectional area as #6 copper wire which is good for 55 amps

 

[mm08822]

It also may be an alloy and not simply aluminum.

 

[rlitman]

It also may be an alloy and not simply aluminum.

Aluminum is alloyed to reduce cracking (increase ductility), and is plated to reduce surface resistance from oxidation, but every alloy has lower conductivity than pure aluminum.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

What is this bus bar from?

 

[PCustoms]

What is this bus bar from?

Some sort of car/truck it appears

 

[tlmartin84]

What is this bus bar from?

Auto

 

[mike93lx]

.7mm x 19mm aluminum...11 amps max on calculator

What calculator did you use?

What is this bus bar from?

The font on the left is very common on cheap, Chinese products. Guessing it's not something OEM

 

[American Locomotive]

Are you positive it's aluminum?

Also, a calculator for an industrial bus bar, or even residential wiring, is not relevant at all to a bus bar inside a fuse box. The NEC doesn't apply to cars, and has a very high safety factor. You can easily shove 40+ amps through a 12 gauge wire.

 

[dscheidt]

Are you positive it's aluminum?

Also, a calculator for an industrial bus bar, or even residential wiring, is not relevant at all to a bus bar inside a fuse box. The NEC doesn't apply to cars, and has a very high safety factor. You can easily shove 40+ amps through a 12 gauge wire.

It’s also got a whole lot more surface area than a piece of wire. Heat dissipation is the limiting thing for current capacity. And I bet the engineers have a good idea what the expected load is. Lots of auto loads are fused for peak load, and are nowhere near continuous.

 

[KenC]

Are you positive it's aluminum?

Also, a calculator for an industrial bus bar, or even residential wiring, is not relevant at all to a bus bar inside a fuse box. The NEC doesn't apply to cars, and has a very high safety factor. You can easily shove 40+ amps through a 12 gauge wire.

And the length of the 'wire' has a lot to do with the rating. Find a general purpose calculator, not code compliant but engineering, online and play with loads, wire size and circuit length. Lots of variance from 'normal' sizing when distance is reduced to a few inches.

 

[Worsedog]

Based on the fact that there are couple of female terminals which require some spring tension to insure a good connection, I'd venture that it's a beryllium copper alloy rather than aluminum.

 

[51dueller]

A lot less surface area on these maxi fuses and can take 100 amps.

 

[pembol]

A lot less surface area on these maxi fuses and can take 100 amps.

I think those can only handle 99A, they fail at 100.

 

[rust in the eye]

What calculator did you use?

The font on the left is very common on cheap, Chinese products. Guessing it's not something OEM

As is much of the poorly translated text on the fusebox plan shown.
Cross section may be akin to #6 but this thing doesn't inspire confidence and I agree with OP's reservations.