I'm planning a light sculpture. It will consist of a large number of RGB LEDs mounted on a tree-like galvanized steel frame. Each LED has four wires — GND, +5V, data-in and data-out. For aesthetic reasons, I would like to use magnet wire to connect the LEDs, intertwined with the steel frame. So if one looked closely at the sculpture, one would see a twisted bundle of thick steel wire (non-conducting!) and several strands of conducting magnet wire.
I'm worried that the thin insulation on the magnet wire might wear off and cause a short circuit, either with the steel wire frame or with other lengths of magnet wire.
How much jostling/rubbing/abrasion can magnet wire take before the insulation is compromised?
Once the sculpture is complete it will not be handled very much, but during assembly there could be a fair amount of jostling.
[edit] I know there is no way to give a precise answer. I was looking for something like "I've done project XYZ which subjected magnet wire to a certain amount of abrasion, and based on that experience I would guess this project will [or will not] work."
Also, I should have specified that I plan to use magnet wire with multiple coatings.
Best Answer
It all depends on what insulation is used. There are lots of different kinds of insulation and manufacturers make them with different thicknesses (single build, double build, triple build, etc.). Most data sheets show the results of an scrape abrasion test. In this test, a sample of the magnet wire is secured firmly in place and a needle is scraped along the surface of the magnet wire. The datasheet usually records the number of scrapes the insulation can withstand until the needle breaks through the insulation and shorts the wire.
So that spec on the data sheets will give you a good relative feel for how different magnet wire types compare to each other. But it doesn't really answer your question of how well magnet wire will work for what you are doing. Here are a couple of thoughts. I think you'd be surprised how tough a good quality magnet wire can be. A popular type in the motor industry is a heavy build MW-35. It holds up pretty well and should be able to withstand being assembled. Just try not to use any sharp/pointed tools that could scrape or puncture the insulation. Also keep in mind that for many, many magnet wire applications like motors and transformers, the magnet wire gets coated with a varnish or epoxy to give it more long term protection against rubbing, vibration, etc. That doesn't mean your application would need varnish but magnet wire is very often used that way.
I think if you pick a good quality magnet wire and are careful not to nick or scrape it during assembly, you should be okay.