WCA January 2022

Technology News

Using synthetic technology to deliver next-generation wire drawing lubrication

shortened fluid life and the need to add additional cleaning products. Synthetic fluids are less reactive lubricants and so run cleaner for longer, at lower concentrations, eliminating the need for additive products.” Metalube Ltd www.metalube.co.uk Krenn GmbH & Co KG Krenn is a specialist in cutting and straight- ening wire and bars. The company’s elec- tro-hydraulic straightener with recharge- able lithium-ion battery has been estab- lished for more than ten years. The design has been improved, making it tougher and more powerful. The battery-powered KTR-3 ACNL hydraulic straightener handles wires/bars up to 32mm maximum diam- eter, with a 380-bar operating pressure and 11-metric-ton pressure capacity. Read the full story in the March issue time, meaning users are up and running and building financial returns within a matter of weeks.” CableBuilder Go can also protect financial margins, and avoid over-pricing or under- pricing products. It can produce profes- sional and accurate customer quotations, and replaces in-house systems. Product information can be accessed on-demand from anywhere in the world. Mr Huntly added, “The wire and cable marketplace is ever-changing, so having the right tools available to meet these challenges is crucial in today’s market. CableBuilder Go is one of these tools. Designs and quotations can be produced in as little as 30 minutes, giving our customers the competitive edge.” Cimteq Ltd www.cimteq.com Medek & Schörner GmbH Medek & Schörner will be exhibiting and demonstrating its cable marking machines and optical fibre processing lines. Machines on display will include an optical fibre colouring/ribbon/micromodule coating device with LED curing; a machine module for intermittent ribbon bonding; and intelligent camera supervision systems with logging and alerting (Industry 4.0-ready interfaces). Read the full story in the March issue

and improved cleanliness over mineral oil-based products. Synthetic lubricants are highly stable fluids and are used in fine wire drawing processing applications where high levels of lubrication and cleanliness are required, to cope with the high speeds of modernmachinery. Proven to reduce wire break frequency by 50 per cent, synthetic lubricants deliver increased efficiency for wire drawing machinery. Factors such as poor temperature con- trol, unreliable filtration, a small system or highly pressurised pumps can shorten the product life of typical mineral oil-based lubricant. Soluble oil will naturally try to emulsify into the fluid. Chris Nettleship, technical director at Metalube, explained why synthetic lubricants are more stable: “Mineral oils are prone to changes in particle size, which can lead to instability as the lubricant interacts with ions in reactive copper and hard water salts. “The result for the manufacturer is an upset in the overall balance of the fluid, leading to poor detergency, Cimteq CEO Mike Braddock com- mented, “With the introduction of CableBuilder Go we are now able to assist manufacturers of all sizes within the wire and cable manufacturing industry. Our expertise in providing specialist manufacturing software has positioned us as market leaders, so we are confident that CableBuilder Go will be a sound investment for any single-factory manufacturers looking to grow.” Chris Huntly, CableBuilder product own- er, said, “The many benefits this software brings will give customers improved control over their design and quotation process by accurately calculating mate- rial quantities and production costs. This is used to generate quotations to cus- tomers as well as bills of materials and machine routings for production. For most clients, CableBuilder Go requires a maximum of two weeks’ implementation

Metalube is utilising scientific advance- ments in synthetic technology to deliver lubrication solutions to the wire drawing industry. With the advancement of wire machinery, and the expansion of production capability, Metalube has formulated an advanced range of synthetic lubricants developed to address the high- performance objectives of multi-wire machines. Already approved and in use, Metalube’s synthetic Lubricool and Metarol products are claimed to deliver better performance, increased stability

Metalube is developing synthetic lubricants

Software for single-factory wire and cable manufacturers

UK software provider Cimteq has launched CableBuilder Go – cloud-hosted software aimed at smaller and single- factory wire and cable manufacturers. CableBuilder Go offers a new way for manufacturers to have the flexibility to act with greater speed and efficiency, and to respond to changing customer demands by enabling seamless cable design, costing and quotation functionality. Lämneå Bruk AB Lämneå Bruk has experienced an increase in orders, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, and maintained customer relationships via video calls, AR, and remote start-ups and factory acceptance tests. The Swedish company is looking forward to wire 2022 as it believes that nothing replaces personal interaction. Read the full story in the March issue

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January 2022