WCA July 2007

These specialities comprise a grouping very nearly at the end of the production cycle, approaching the point at which the wire maker’s responsibility becomes the customer’s property. Pay-offs , take-ups & winding systems

The providers of the goods and services reviewed here know that it is at this full stop that the productivity of the entire operation will be

Photo credit: YMD Engineering LLC

reckoned – and found to be everything it should be, or otherwise. They also know that, given the razor-thin margins that define the global marketplace, at that juncture the line between profit and loss is correspondingly fine. Fortunately, these companies have been operating at this frontier for some time, and their grasp of a balance sheet is as sure as their command of their technology. They know that today’s high-speed wire making process cuts no slack for poor tension control, worn rollers, inconsistent braking, uneven heating, or warped discs. Still less do they cut themselves any slack in assessing the financial realities of the industry.

Improving productivity and quality Continuous process with a constant speed, allowing long batch lengths, improves productivity and quality. But ribbon lines still run with single take-up, resulting in imitated line uptime. To fill this gap Nextrom has developed a dual take-up, which can be integrated into any existing ribbon line. By replacing a conventional single take-up with a dual take-up, the capacity increases, reducing scrap, as well as decreasing manual costs. The transfer from full reel to an empty one can be done at production speed, with no need to reduce the process speed. The longer the pay-off fibre length is, the greater capacity. Conversely, the amount of scrap is minimised, since there is no need to stop the line as long as there is fibre left on the pay-offs. This process also reduces the risk, since the inaccuracy level is greater during a start-up. The operator interaction is also reduced since threading the take-up is not needed when changing the take-up spools. The new dual ribbon take-

Simple and economical pay-off systems Wyrepak, USA, offers a full range of pay-off equipment featuring the most simple and economical pay-off system, with spool caps and tension brushes, made to fit spools from size 6" (150mm) to 49" (1250mm).

up is based on well proven high-speed fibre dual take-up technology, with two identical traversing take-ups. The transfer mechanism consists of a gripping and cutting mechanism, and horizontally moving conveyor pulleys. The new development is focussed on the gripping and cutting mechanism, which is optimised for 4 to 12-fibre ribbons. The same mechanism can be modified for up to 24-fibre ribbons. Mechanical modifications are mainly related to the guidance of the ribbon and flange design. The main focus has been put on 12-fibre ribbons, although

Tension brushes in a range of sizes

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Installation is easy, and operation is simple. Cost is less than more sophisticated pay-off systems, and often the same result is achieved with steady back tension from the selected brush. For improved tension control a simple Wyrepak belt wrapped tension capstan can be added. Wyrepak Industries Inc – USA Fax : +1 860 632 5775 Email : sales@wyrepakind.com Website : www.wyrepakind.com

Nextrom – improving quality and productivity

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parts of the trials were run with 4-fibre bundles to demonstrate usability with EPFU (blown fibre). As a result of the development, work at a reliable success rate has been achieved with line speed of 800m/min. Nextrom OY – Finland Fax : +358 95025 3003 • Email : info@nextrom.com • Website : www.nextrom.com

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Wire & Cable ASIA – July/August 2007