While plug adapters do not convert electricity, they can be paired with voltage converters that step voltage currents up or down to even out the electrical differences. Voltage converters are necessary because higher or lower voltage systems that electrical equipment are designed to function on will either overload the device or not give it enough power to function properly. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Quail Electronics, Inc.
Livermore, CA | 800-669-8090Our customers find we have the highest standards when it comes to quality, and delivery. Quail Electronics is a worldwide power cord supplier, offering power cords and various other products.
Interpower Corporation
Oskaloosa, IA | 641-673-5000All of our power cords are tested and stand up to rigorous demands of everyday application. We serve a global market including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and of course the United States.
United Universal Industries, Inc.
Joliet, IL | 800-683-7228United Universal Industries is a leading supplier and manufacturer of various power cords, wiring harnesses and special molded products for a wide range of industries and markets.
Kord King
Lancaster, PA | 800-818-4916Our plug adapters are guaranteed to bring you a lifetime of value. Our staff is committed to bringing you only the most reliable products that are available. We will find solutions for your cord needs regardless of how difficult the job may be.
International Cord Sets, Inc. (ICS)
Fairfield, NJ | 973-227-2118Since their founding in 1981 in the US, International Cord Sets, Inc. has been manufacturing and supplying international cord sets, power cords, extension cords and harmonized cables, as well as plugs and connectors for global international use. For more than 35 years we have supplied thousands of OEM customers and distributors with our products and gained an outstanding reputation for our excellent quality, low prices and unsurpassed delivery service.
Plug Adapters - Signal & Power Delivery SystemsHowever, with a voltage converter, if an individual from the US went on vacation to Europe, they would be able to use their hairdryer without worry even though Europe runs on a much higher voltage current than the US. As a result, plug adapters can be useful for a wide range of international and domestic applications in industries such as appliances, electronics, medical, construction, commercial, home entertainment, industrial, and military.
Plug adapters can differ in terms of tensile strength, design, wire sizes, stranding, and color coding of conductors, depending on the country they are designed for. However, at their most basic design, plug adapters consist of a socket and a plug. The socket enables the device requiring electricity to connect to the adapter, while the plug is configured to match the power source, usually a wall outlet.
While some plug adapters are specifically configured to match one country to another, such as US to South Korea, universal plug adapters are available. Universal plug adapters have a socket that can accept plug configurations of almost any country in the world, although South Africa is often an exception.
Some examples of different plug configurations are Italy, which has three tubular metal prongs of equal length in a straight line across the plug, and Argentina, which has three square metal prongs that are flat, of equal length and arranged in a triangular configuration on the plug.
In addition, examples of different voltage systems would be Bulgaria, which has a standard voltage of 220, and Nicaragua, which has a standard voltage of 120. In light of the numerous different plug configurations and voltage systems, it is easy to see why plug adapters are a necessary product for an increasingly globalized world.