A Wire and Cable Extruder Line is a complete production system used in the wire and cable industry to manufacture insulated wires and cables. It involves a series of processes, including wire feeding, insulation extrusion, cooling, and winding, to produce finished products with desired specifications.
Components of a Wire and Cable Extruder Line:
Feeding: The extrusion process starts with loading bare copper wire, aluminum wire, or multiple insulated wires into the payoff.
Tensioning: Proper tensioning is crucial to prevent stretching or breaking of the wire. Tension brakes or dancer accumulators can be used to maintain optimal tension during the extrusion process.
Extrusion: Thermoplastic resin pellets are loaded into a gravity-fed hopper, which supplies the feed area of the extruder. The extruder screw augers the pellets into the barrel, where they are melted and mixed into a homogeneous liquid. The melted polymer is forced to envelop the wire as it passes through a small hole or die, resulting in a thin, even layer of insulating material around the wire.
Cooling: After passing through the crosshead, the molten plastic coating must be cooled quickly to form a smooth, defect-free surface. Cooling also causes the material to contract snugly around the wire at a consistent diameter and wall thickness. This is achieved by drawing the coated wire through a chilled water trough and passing it through an air wipe to remove any residual moisture.
Pulling: The pulling stage controls the diameter of the product. It can be achieved using a belt wrap, caterpillar, or dual-wheel capstan. A laser diameter control system can be added to trim the speed of the capstan for accurate diameter control.
Wire Marking & Inspection: At this stage, the wire is coated with a solid thermoplastic coating, and printing or marking can be applied. Inspection systems can check the diameter and integrity of the coating. If irregularities are detected, the inspection system can adjust the capstan speed to ensure consistent diameter.
Coiling: In the final production stage, the coated wire is wound onto a reel. The size and speed of the reel determine the appropriate coiling machine setup. Different types of coiling machines are available depending on the application requirements.
Tag: wire and cable extrusion | wire extrusion | extruder wire drawing machine
